Today we commence publication of an important new work by Alan Woods on an
important question that has been neglected by the British Left, especially in
recent years. The signing of the Good Friday Agreement and the subsequent
ceasefire of the IRA after 30 years raises the question: after so much sacrifice
and bloodshed, what has been achieved? Yet this question is being studiously
avoided by the leaders of Sinn Fein, who have exchanged the armed struggle for
the hope of a minister’s portfolio. Though they publicly deny it, the
unification of Ireland is off the agenda. The strategy, methods and tactics of
non-socialist Republicanism have ended in complete disaster.
James Connolly |
The Irish Republican movement has been struggling for a united Ireland for
decades. Yet today it clear to all that it is no nearer this objective than when
it was founded. Marxists have always been in favour of a united Ireland, but,
following in the footsteps of James Connolly, we have also understood that this
goal can only be achieved as part of the struggle for a socialist Ireland and a
socialist Britain. It can only be achieved by class and revolutionary methods.
The prior condition is to unite the working class in struggle, and this can only
be achieved by a return to the revolutionary traditions and programme of Larkin
and Connolly – the programme of the WORKERS REPUBLIC. So long as capitalism
dominates the Ireland there will be sectarian division and strife, which will
undermine and destroy the movement for Irish unification.
It is particularly noteworthy that all those on the Left in Britain and
internationally who for years were happy to act as cheerleaders for the
Provisional IRA now have nothing to say on the subject. They have lapsed into an
embarrassed silence, which reflects their complete lack of understanding of the
"Irish question" and the extreme light-mindedness with which they
habitually approach the national question, on which they have long ago abandoned
the Marxist position and capitulated to bourgeois and petty bourgeois
nationalism. This leads inevitably to one defeat and betrayal after another. And
still they learn nothing!
He who does not learn from history will forever be doomed to repeat it. It is
time it is time to take stock of the past of the Republican movement and to draw
a balance sheet. It is necessary to examine past mistakes and honestly admit
them. Only by such means can we extricate ourselves from the present impasse,
and build the revolutionary movement urgently needed to prevent a further
descent into sectarian chaos and achieve instead the historic task of
overthrowing capitalism and constructing the 32 county Socialist Republic.
This is the serialisation of a major document on the Republican movement,
only available on the internet, which will be published every Friday for the next couple of
months.
October 2003.
See Part One
– Two
– Three – Four
– Five – Six
– Seven – Eight
– Nine – Ten
– Eleven – Twelve
– Thirteen
