Of politics and other things
Sep. 27th, 2006 08:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hawkwing_lbAKA sticking my neck out (again)
ETA 30-09-06: Okay. I feel moved to say sometimes I overreact to Irish politics. But, you know, I really don't like it when people/politicians/organisations play the green card. It's taking a copout from logic and reasonable debate.
There is an organisation called éirigí which is distributing poster-sized glossy copies of the 1916 Proclamation in a campaign called 'Reclaim the Republic'. They claim to be an independent unaffiliated 'Socialist Republican' organisation. Shall I quote from their materials?
Yes, I believe I shall.
(Text of said document here , at Waterford County Library's site, for those who aren't already familiar with the general gist.)
I've got a few problems with this material.
1. Ownership. Ireland. People.
A nation is an idea, or collection of ideas. Everyone who votes has a voice. Everyone who can read, write and/or speak has a voice. Money buys voices, sure. The political process is very nearly a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vested Interests Ltd. But the educated and aware voter always has a choice of evils.
2. Brit-bashing. Favourite pastime of all Irishmen in need of a scapegoat.
Linking Britain to Irish poverty (which they do elsewhere as well) even by implication is not only mendacious and self-serving, it draws attention away from the real causes of poverty. Which is to be found in those little things called 'opportunity cost' and 'rising costs of living'.
All Ireland's ills are not Britain's fault. And using that word 'withdrawn' makes it pretty clear they're talking about the North. In which case: sorry, lads. That's not my country. That's Britain, over there. This is the Republic of Ireland, right here. So declared in 1949, by the way, which (together with 1921) is a far more significant date and event than 1916.
Somehow, I don't think they're talking about the same country I'm talking about.
3. Rigged question.
Okay, they have a point, perhaps the only halfway sane one to date. Money always buys better treatment. It's why people are always trying to get more of it. But personally I hate, "Think of the children" appeals. It's the political equivalent of bad-movie characterisation: the good guy is good because he's kind to children and animals.
Clearly, éirigí are persons of neither taste nor decency.
4. The Republic of the Proclamation.
This is code for a unified Ireland. Aside from the icky fact (let's not mention it) that Northerners, by majority, happen to like their British citizenship, and any unified Ireland at this point would have to start with an (unwinnable, illegal) invasive war, and any unified Ireland with the North handed over by the British government would have to find a solution to a (long, protracted, determined) guerrilla campaign by unionists -
Who wants it? Pray educate me. Who wants a republic defined by fanatic martyrs ninety years dead who didn't even have popular support until after they'd been (tactlessly and heavy-handedly, certainly) executed? At the time, said martyrs were willing to arrange a 'republic' ruled by a German prince, if they could just get rid of the bloody English***. Very principled of them, very republican, no doubt.
There is, and likely always will be, a part of me that is willing and prepared to see this as a Sinn Féin double blind. An 'independent' organisation that will promote ideals and ideas close to the hearts of sneaky violent republicans everywhere, while SF takes the long road and looks forward to holding a balance of power in the Dail for 2016.****
Mainstreaming the ideals of violent nationalism, as it were, under the banner of 'promoting debate and conversation' and 'being part of a coalition for progress'. Sinn Féin is, after all, the party of 'Armalite and ballot box'.
I'm a fan of debate and conversation. But debate and conversation can only lead to progress and understanding if they start with honesty and leave room for compromise. I intend to find out more about these people: their website is not very forthcoming on who the personalities behind the organisation might be. Sometimes the personal is not political. More often than not, however, it seems that it is.
---
I have a pile of six books that I must find time to talk about. Walton's Farthing, Alexander's The Hidden Queen, Changer of Days, and The Secrets of Jin-Shei, and Kritzer's Fires of the Faithful. Right now, I don't have the focus to do them justice: I will say, however, that both Farthing and Jin-Shei are truly, truly excellent books.
And Fires of the Faithful is on my comfort-re-reading list.
---
*born Patrick Pearse, by the way, and who signed himself P.H. Pearse in said proclamation.
**who responded, incidentally, by booing him. Those who were paying attention, that is: most of them regarded the whole carry-on with bemusement.
***Irony. If Ireland had ever been in a position for world empire, it is folly to imagine that the Irish would have been less bloody. As it is, cherishing a four hundred year old grudge (we thank you, Mary, Cromwell, James and William, and so do all the descendents of your subjects and soldiers) at this point is counterproductive. Extremely so.
****I am, however, informed that éirigí was founded by former members of Sinn Féin, and eschews political allegiance. For the purposes of fairness, I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Their apparent political views, however, make them natural allies for SF, and I refuse to rule out a doubleblind scenario.
ETA 30-09-06: Okay. I feel moved to say sometimes I overreact to Irish politics. But, you know, I really don't like it when people/politicians/organisations play the green card. It's taking a copout from logic and reasonable debate.
There is an organisation called éirigí which is distributing poster-sized glossy copies of the 1916 Proclamation in a campaign called 'Reclaim the Republic'. They claim to be an independent unaffiliated 'Socialist Republican' organisation. Shall I quote from their materials?
Yes, I believe I shall.
Do we the people have ownership of Ireland?
Has Britain withdrawn from our country?
Are all the children of the nation cherished equally, or do those with money and power get preferential treatment?
What is the unfinished business to be completed before the Republic envisioned in the Proclamation can be established?
......
The Proclamation remains a living document. It is as relevant today as it was ninety years ago when Pádraig Pearse* read the Proclamation to the citizens of Dublin from the steps of the GPO**.
(Text of said document here , at Waterford County Library's site, for those who aren't already familiar with the general gist.)
I've got a few problems with this material.
1. Ownership. Ireland. People.
A nation is an idea, or collection of ideas. Everyone who votes has a voice. Everyone who can read, write and/or speak has a voice. Money buys voices, sure. The political process is very nearly a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vested Interests Ltd. But the educated and aware voter always has a choice of evils.
2. Brit-bashing. Favourite pastime of all Irishmen in need of a scapegoat.
Linking Britain to Irish poverty (which they do elsewhere as well) even by implication is not only mendacious and self-serving, it draws attention away from the real causes of poverty. Which is to be found in those little things called 'opportunity cost' and 'rising costs of living'.
All Ireland's ills are not Britain's fault. And using that word 'withdrawn' makes it pretty clear they're talking about the North. In which case: sorry, lads. That's not my country. That's Britain, over there. This is the Republic of Ireland, right here. So declared in 1949, by the way, which (together with 1921) is a far more significant date and event than 1916.
Somehow, I don't think they're talking about the same country I'm talking about.
3. Rigged question.
Okay, they have a point, perhaps the only halfway sane one to date. Money always buys better treatment. It's why people are always trying to get more of it. But personally I hate, "Think of the children" appeals. It's the political equivalent of bad-movie characterisation: the good guy is good because he's kind to children and animals.
Clearly, éirigí are persons of neither taste nor decency.
4. The Republic of the Proclamation.
This is code for a unified Ireland. Aside from the icky fact (let's not mention it) that Northerners, by majority, happen to like their British citizenship, and any unified Ireland at this point would have to start with an (unwinnable, illegal) invasive war, and any unified Ireland with the North handed over by the British government would have to find a solution to a (long, protracted, determined) guerrilla campaign by unionists -
Who wants it? Pray educate me. Who wants a republic defined by fanatic martyrs ninety years dead who didn't even have popular support until after they'd been (tactlessly and heavy-handedly, certainly) executed? At the time, said martyrs were willing to arrange a 'republic' ruled by a German prince, if they could just get rid of the bloody English***. Very principled of them, very republican, no doubt.
There is, and likely always will be, a part of me that is willing and prepared to see this as a Sinn Féin double blind. An 'independent' organisation that will promote ideals and ideas close to the hearts of sneaky violent republicans everywhere, while SF takes the long road and looks forward to holding a balance of power in the Dail for 2016.****
Mainstreaming the ideals of violent nationalism, as it were, under the banner of 'promoting debate and conversation' and 'being part of a coalition for progress'. Sinn Féin is, after all, the party of 'Armalite and ballot box'.
I'm a fan of debate and conversation. But debate and conversation can only lead to progress and understanding if they start with honesty and leave room for compromise. I intend to find out more about these people: their website is not very forthcoming on who the personalities behind the organisation might be. Sometimes the personal is not political. More often than not, however, it seems that it is.
---
I have a pile of six books that I must find time to talk about. Walton's Farthing, Alexander's The Hidden Queen, Changer of Days, and The Secrets of Jin-Shei, and Kritzer's Fires of the Faithful. Right now, I don't have the focus to do them justice: I will say, however, that both Farthing and Jin-Shei are truly, truly excellent books.
And Fires of the Faithful is on my comfort-re-reading list.
---
*born Patrick Pearse, by the way, and who signed himself P.H. Pearse in said proclamation.
**who responded, incidentally, by booing him. Those who were paying attention, that is: most of them regarded the whole carry-on with bemusement.
***Irony. If Ireland had ever been in a position for world empire, it is folly to imagine that the Irish would have been less bloody. As it is, cherishing a four hundred year old grudge (we thank you, Mary, Cromwell, James and William, and so do all the descendents of your subjects and soldiers) at this point is counterproductive. Extremely so.
****I am, however, informed that éirigí was founded by former members of Sinn Féin, and eschews political allegiance. For the purposes of fairness, I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Their apparent political views, however, make them natural allies for SF, and I refuse to rule out a doubleblind scenario.
