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A corner has been turned...
 national |
rights, freedoms and repression |
opinion/analysis
 Tuesday March 10, 2009 11:46 by Community Activist - Ógra Shinn Féin
The Irish peace process has brought massive transformation to Ireland and its people.
It has witnessed the early release of hundreds of republican political prisoners, it has ensured a peaceful stable society, it has opened up massive cross border co-operation, it has ensured the right to referenda for a United Ireland, which now gives Irish Republicans the real opportunity to achieve freedom and equality through democratic means.
The British War Machine has been massively reduced, with British soldiers no longer patrolling our streets, country roads or setting up checkpoints, there has been significant changes to policing, with ongoing campaigns and negotiations on Demilitarisation and transfer of policing and justice.
Sinn Féin have overtaken the SDLP as the largest party representing the Republican/Nationalist community in the north, and are the third largest party across Ireland, demonstrating popular support to our republican strategy for re-unification.
The politics of the north have been transformed from conflict to nation building, with Republicans now heavily involved in community struggle and outreach to the unionist community with even the former biggest block to the peace process, the DUP, sitting in power sharing government with Sinn Féin.
It is not perfect, struggle never is, and at times testing scenarios are thrown up, but progress and popular support for Sinn Féin and Irish unity is constantly on the rise.
At this time of huge economic decline and the re-alignment of support to the left, Sinn Féin are focussed on challenging the massive budget cuts in the 26 counties, and making the most of a limited budget in the North.
They are ensuring that working class families, and the most deprived in society needs are met, and are constantly highlighting the failings of a partitioned arrangement in the north, especially on the lack of economic sovereignty and ability to set our own taxation.
Great hope and expectation reverberated from the last Ard Fheis as Gerry Adams key note address appealed to Labour and the Greens to form a Left Wing alternative and coalition that could challenge the mis-governance, incompetence and brown envelope negligence of Fianna Fail.
Fianna Fail have tried on numerous occasions to sort the current economic down turn out, and things have gotten worse each time, and so has their support. Their failure to accept any responsibility for the terrible state of the 26 County economy has alienated them from a large section of the electorate who are now considering voting left for the first time ever.
If Sinn Féin can open constructive progressive alliances with Labour in advance of the local and European elections, this could mean even bigger and better things for the next General Elections – a progressive Left Coalition, with a real opportunity of success, and a Left Republican Government.
I note all the above progress because, Sinn Féin’s All Ireland Agenda, and strategy for Irish Unity is being worked on, and gaining popular support all the time. Massive gains have been made and huge opportunities are there for the taking.
Sinn Féin have demonstrated their commitment to achieving our republican objectives consistently and many Sinn Féin activists have paid the ultimate sacrifice, in the ongoing struggle for Independence.
Sinn Féin have defended the right to armed struggle in the past, but always said that it was a last option when all other means had been exhausted.
Today, a peaceful and democratic means of achieving our objectives exists, it is a clear strategy (The All Ireland Agenda), it is being vigorously worked on, and is gaining massive popular support.
There are many opportunities for us in the time ahead, we are close on the road to freedom, now is not a time to be deflected from achieving what so many who went before us died for.
A corner has been turned, and freedom is on the way!
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Comments (5 of 5)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5I think the above statement is a clear rebutal of the past few day's events. And showing the success of the Peace Process.
I am content with the Good Friday Agreement too, and feel that those fringe republicans who voted against it were overwhelmingly outvoted by "the plain people of Ireland". Devil's advocate says "...but people in the North want a seperate identity". Agreed up to a point. There are two identities in Northern Ireland, the Ulster British (mostly protestant) who cherish the link with the UK (and the UK identity is in a state of flux prompted by Scottish and Welsh nationalism and regionalism); and the Ulster Irish (mostly catholic) who believe themselves to be part of the wider Irish nation, but most of whom are aware that the benefits of the British welfare state came to the north in the late 1940s long before the poorer south was able and willing to construct something comparable. The GFA more or less says these two identifying communities will continue to live cheek by jowl in NI with "parity of esteem" for the two identities. The GFA incorporated the Principle of Consent (now enshrined in the articles which replaced the old Articles 2 & 3 in the constitutional referendum of the republic) and this gives the Ulster British a security against incorporation (a daft 'southern take-over', which hardly anybody in the 'south' envisages) against their will.
So let's make positive use of the island-wide agreed new basis for Norther Ireland and the Totality of Relationships on 'These Islands'. And nuts to the fringe unrepresentative republicans.
Yes, we all want peace and have wanted it for many years and I do not view the use of such language as the British War Machine as helpful or positive or forward-thinking. This is the type of language that continues to influence young men to commit and justify cold-blooded murder in the name of a United Ireland.
You may argue that support for Irish Unity is on the rise. I believe many people are in favour of a United Ireland but do not consider it worth one person's life. If it happens, fine; but I don't see it as a major concern for most people. One must question whether the bitterness and anger caused by the IRA murders and bombings of the past thirty years had any real outcomes besides the elevation of Sinn Fein. There is a considerable school of thought which believes that the same outcomes could have been achieved in less time by the non-violent civil rights road of the SDLP. Taking the Church out of education and the stopping of the practice of the segregation of children at a young age would be a good start.
Ogra Shinn Fein may look forward to Sinn Fein in government in the south. I most sincerely view the prospect with absolute horror. Whilst I might be able to overcome my initial distaste for persons with "at least shady pasts" in government, I view your party as even more populist than Fianna Fail with no economic philosophy except to play to the gallery of "no cuts" and "no to Lisbon". Can you even begin to imagine what the "Speculators" would have done to an independent Irish currency? Oh, but of course, you're not anti-Europe, just anti-Lisbon; but you've never supported any EC referendum??
I would love to see a real alternative left-wing group, but sorry not your lot. I don't even regard you as having a left wing ideology. Your party is built on hatred and the use of gun-enforced power to gain your own ends. You do recognise that your support is most likely to come from the marginalised in Irish society and you appear to play to their tune. I'm sorry but I'm not convinced. I see "Egos" and "Our Party"; and "Our Republic" ; not an ideology of justice or fair play or equality or plain old goodness.
Convince me.
"It has witnessed the early release of hundreds of republican political prisoners, ..........yes but on license and not with an amnesty which menas they are political hostages of the state and do not have full access to rights to employment, adulthood and travel because of their political convictions.......
it has ensured a peaceful stable society..............not true, if the killings of the last few days didn't prove that already. The 6 Counties are and always will be divided along sectarian lives and sectarian murders continued over the last ten or so years ,.............. it has opened up massive cross border co-operation, ..........nonnsense. Fisheries, benefit fraud prevention? All minor insignificant cross border tokens. Anything that smacks of unification is subject to a Unionist and British Government veto..........it has ensured the right to referenda for a United Ireland, which now gives Irish Republicans the real opportunity to achieve freedom and equality through democratic means..........Given the triple lock system, please explain how?
This is the problem with PSF and its members. They all rhyme off party rhetoric like a pravda journalist and fall flat when it comes to political substance. It's this very failure to explain their unification strategy that has given the militant groups space to flourish and execute the actions it has over the last few days.
If PSF would leave the Stormont governmental partnership and forge a broad front alliance in oppostion at stormont and begin to argue for a National Self Determination mechanism perhaps in the form of periodical referenda, then the reasons for armed actions just wouldn't be there.
If it walks like a duck and quacks.............
To quote a friend of mine.....there are no corners on a roundabout.
Oh yes nearly forget about the supposed 'all Ireland agenda' which consists of no steps forward and 6 steps back .. The only 'traitor' is McGuiness, the only set back is his little trip with the begging bowl to Cali and all the feigned emotionalism coupled with foreign capital and labour in the world will stop PSF's demise and it is a pity the OSF poster boys and girls along with the wannabe statesmen, the stoops, will not start looking at the socialist alternative that is eirigi. Go to the protest against the return of British dirty tricks 2pm their embassy or the debate in Dublin the day after St Pats..
For what it is worth and it is all bear with your crowd's new hypocrisy.. but a reminder to the free staters and peace processers is surely called for..
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