Do we want US multinationals?
A chairde,
Republicans should be very concerned about the issue of
increasing corporate investment, primarily from the US, in the
North of Ireland. While leaders of SF, such as Gerry Adams, are
greatly supportive of this, it should be considered that this
will not be good from a republican view, especially a
republican-socialist position.
I think it's safe to say that Adams and other SF supporters of
corporate investment are concerned about the terrible economic
situation of nationalists, and realise that more jobs in general
is needed to ensure peace with justice. But it is highly
questionable if US-based corporations will bring the economic
security that is needed to cement such a peace. In fact, at this
point in the republican struggle such corporate investment could
possibly help to prop-up partition.
There are many conditions that make the Six Counties attractive
to corporations. (I think it's safe to say that until recently
the IRA's campaign, somewhat intentionally, made it
unattractive). Religion, not class, is seen by most people and
political leaders as the main division in society - that is,
class consciousness is incredibly low. This is basically because
of the continuing conflict, because of Britain's continued
presence and its continued assertion of the validity of
Orangeism, a reactionary belief system. This absence of class
consciousness is welcomed by those who would send US
multinationals to Ireland. The US Chamber of Commerce notes that,
in 1991 (measured in work-days lost due to labour actions, per
1,000 employees), there were 463 in Spain, 452 in Germany, 40 in
the US, 34 in the whole UK, and only 32 in the Six Counties.
There is also a vast machinery of repression still deployed in
the North, and while it has been aimed almost exclusively at
nationalists and republicans, it could easily be shifted to
include trade unions, socialists, environmentalists and others
that resist the inevitable social atrocities of US
multinationals. Let's also remember that those possibly targeted
in this new scenario will include many of those who are
republican activists and/or live in nationalist areas like the
Bogside and the Falls. The RUC that has brutalised many readers
as nationalists could easily be ordered to brutalise them as
striking workers; republican activists taken to Castlereagh or
tried in a Diplock court because of the street they live on could
have the same experience as union organisers or environmentalists
who are framed in order to neutralise them. Loyalist death-squads
could be easily duped into killing those deemed undesirable by
the state by suggesting that they are republicans.
If N Ireland, and in particular the nationalist people, are so
desperate for employment that they will invite US corporations to
take such a large role in their cities, there should be some
confidence that nationalist communities and the working-class in
general can confront them. Although jobs are desperately needed,
do republicans really want to participate in creating a
Maquiladora-esque trade-zone like the one in Mexico where
independent unions are out-lawed and the environment is
incredibly polluted? It would be better to create conditions
where the communities and working-class can stand up to the
corporations; where Protestant workers will stand with their
Catholic brothers and sisters against discrimination; where
workers can go on strike and not be terrorised by the RUC and
British Army; and where political leadership will be given by
socialist parties which straddle the sectarian divide. I think
most of us will agree that this is most likely after British
withdrawal and not before. While the recent Peace Agreement and
Assembly elections are encouraging, it is far too early for SF to
be giving the green light to foreign investment.
In a recent letter to the Irish News, Niamh Flanagan (Information
officer, West Belfast Economic Forum) wrote that, ``Promoting free
market economics may work for a small business elite in the Six
Counties but it will most certainly deepen disadvantage and
inequality.'' Niamh's letter was the first and pretty much only
opposition I've seen voiced to the increased calls for US
corporate investment. I've read a few other comments by
Bernadette McAliskey and Eammon McCann, and a few others
expressing concern about the proposed influx of investment.
The pages of An Phoblacht promote discussion of the new global
economy, and certainly are a great source for information and
analysis of the Six-Counties. Gerry Adams and others in the
leadership of SF have already come out in support of bringing US
corporate investment to the Six Counties. But if the pages of An
Phoblacht are any indication there's seems to be almost no
discussion of this among the grassroots of the Republican
Movement. There needs to be a widespread and open discussion of
this issue among republicans, otherwise the corporations will
soon be coming whether nationalists and republicans want them or
not.
Tom Shelley
Boulder, Colorado, USA
Multinationals not welcome
A chairde,
I thought Sinn Féin had a policy position against encouraging
multi-nationals into Ireland because of their detrimental effect
on the economy, on economic planning and on the balance of
payments, never mind their anti-union stance and the greed which
perpetuates their very existence.
d yet we have the Sinn Féin leadership actively encouraging
their parasitic presence in our country.
d that includes the likes of multi-millionaire stock market
speculator George Soros.
Aengus O Snodaigh
Dublin
Barefaced bigotry
A chairde,
Let us make it crystal clear, the Orange Order is against change.
The thought of equality for Irish nationalists is anathema, that
is why the vast majority of Orangemen voted against the Good
Friday Agreement. The Orange Order must not be allowed to hide
behind the veneer of respectability while their bully boys wreak
havoc over the decision to re-route their Drumcree march.
If the British government capitulates on this occasion and allows
the Orangemen to proceed down the Garvaghy Road, the Good Friday
Agreement will not be worth the paper it is written on. In saying
so, I am of the opinion that this Labour government will stand
firm against adversity and threats from the Orange Order.
The Ku Klux Klan cover their faces, the Orange Order is barefaced
about its bigotry!
Tim Jones
London
Paul Robeson and Ireland
A chairde,
I am currently carrying out research into the connection between
the American singer and political activist Paul Robeson and
Ireland and would be grateful for any information that could be
supplied by your readers. I am particularly keen to discover the
full details of how the singer came to record the song Kevin
Barry and also exactly where and when the recording(s) took
place.
David Granville
The Irish Democrat
PO Box 76
Sheffield S1 3BY.
RUC assist blocking of roads
A chairde,
On Monday morning 6 July, I took my usual journey to work through
nationalist West Belfast. Quite aware of overnight events in
Loyalist areas I was somewhat apprehensive of taking my car to
work. I daily use the Springfield Road to avoid the heavy traffic
along the Falls Road.
On approaching the new huge RUC station/fortress which
strategically acts as a buffer zone between Republican and
Loyalist West Belfast, I noticed that a lot of the traffic was
turning to go back. I continued to drive around the corner to see
what the problem was. I noticed that there were about 15-20 women
and children accompanied by RUC landrovers and a few RUC men on
foot. I was totally disgusted to discover that a small number of
loyalist protesters were allowed - and were actually protected by
RUC personnel - to cause complete chaos along a major arterial
route.
I proceeded to challenge the RUC on what such a small group of
loyalists were permitted to do. I was told by an RUC man that
this was a peaceful protest and only emergency cases were allowed
to pass through the protest. I tried to draw comparisions with
nationalist peaceful protests in recent years. Immediately clear
images of blood flowing from nationalists heads and
baton-wielding savages ploughing through sit-down protesters on
the Ormeau, Garvaghy, Antrim and many other roads throughout the
Six Counties, came to mind. The RUC man in his efforts to divert
me away from the handful of loyalists sarcastically remarked that
``we are not in the business of beating people, involved in
peaceful protests, off the roads''.
I had to turn back along with many others and go down the
Whiterock Road where I was stuck in very heavy traffic and this
resulted in me being extremely late for my work. The Orangemen
obviously did not have the same problems from the RUC as they
made their way to Portadown from throughout the north at the
weekend. Once again we witnessed the sharp contrasts on how the
RUC treat the two communities.
Where is the justice and equality that we have all been waiting
for, spelt out in the Agreement? And more importantly, when are
we going to see the disbandment of the RUC?
CMGM
Belfast
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