The limits of nationalism
A chairde,
Whether or not there is an agreement on 9 April, Gerry
Adams's minimum requirements will not be met. The peace
process cannot deliver these requirements and the
purpose of the peace strategy remains obscure. Sinn
Fein now risks being co-opted into whatever
partitionist arrangements emerge. The need to reassert
republican politics, modernise republican analysis and
language, and develop a republican strategy, is urgent.
The peace strategy seeks an alliance with nationalism.
The nationalist parties accept consent/unionist veto
and therefore, continued British rule in Ireland.
Notwithstanding the proclaimed ``nationalist unity'',
nationalism intends to write this consent/unionist veto
into their constitution. Ed's Desk (19 March) claims
that ``the 1798 rebellion was precisely militant Irish
nationalism''. This travesty of the radical
republicanism of the United Irish societies confirms
that the gravity of this unity is not towards
republicanism.
We need to understand the limits of nationalism, the
opposing political programs of nationalism and
republicanism, and the significance of socialism in
republican objectives.
Nation and nationality are real, material things. They
are forms of identity and community that arise from
historical, geographical, social, economic and other
factors. To be against nation or nationality is absurd.
Nationalism is a political ideology which makes nation
and nationality the principles of political
organisation. It ignores other categories such as
gender, ethnicity, sexuality and most importantly,
class. But these categories already exist withen the
nation and nationalism can only create a state
reflecting the dominant forces in each category. The
patriarchal, racist, capitalist 26 county state is
illustrative. Republicanism is based on citizenship,
not nationality. Republican citizenship leads to rights
and obligations, and promotes the principles of
liberty, equality and fraternity.
Democracy, government by the people, is participative,
not representative, plural, not majoritarian, diverse,
not homogenuous. Nationalism, because it subsumes all
other categories into the nation, will be majoritarian,
uniform and exclusive. It is hostile to the democratic
and inclusive objectives of republicanism.
The objective of the republican movement is a socialist
republic. Socialism is based on common ownership of
resources, production and distribution. It is
profoundly democratic. Republicans cannot achieve equal
citizenship or democracy under capitalism, where class,
profit and exploitation prevail.
Partition was enforced by Irish nationalism and British
imperialism. It works in the interests of Irish and
foreign capitalism. Republicanism and socialism provide
the means to oppose partition and the alliance of
nationalism, capitalism and imperialism that it serves.
Since 1798 republicanism has found itself unable to
wrest leadership of the movement for national democracy
away from nationalism. The result has been betrayal,
defeat and repetition.
The peace strategy tries to go back in time, to
recreate the pre-1921 alliance between republicanism
and nationalism. That alliance failed and that time is
gone. Nationalism will always betray republicanism and
socialism. Until we place a radical republicanism at
the core of our politics and strategy we condemn
ourselves to failure.
No Other Law
Dublin
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)