A Defeat Not A Peace Process

In groups

Why is the British Army in the north of Ireland?

Is a peace on the imperialists’ terms ever durable?

How does one describe a government headed by the Democratic Unionist Party?

Starting point

Northern state is a colony Only principled position for workers’

movement in Britain is withdrawal It’s a defeat not a peace process

1921

Defeat of revolutionary nationalist movement

Northern colony created with pogroms and threat of war

Neo-colony established in south

1968

Prague Spring, US Civil Rights Movement, France, Vietnam

Inspired rebellion against sectarian state Three strands of movement – non

Stalinist left, feminist currents, Civil Rights Association

First defeat

Labourism, CP, own programmatic weakness

Burntollet Unions incorporated into state Bloody Sunday

National Liberation Movement Strong unionist culture in northern

workers’ movement Republicans were autonomous from

workers’ movement Struggle to end British rule a legitimate

democratic struggle against oppression

Second Defeat

Hunger Strike 1981 Coalition of revolutionary nationalism Links created with Fianna Fail and

British that led to current settlement

New Ireland Forum

Irish bourgeoisie established programme of Good Friday Agreement

Renounced sovereignty claim End of national question Some rights for Catholics in north

Third defeat

Sinn Fein in government – normal for defeated movements to be incorporated

Now has programme of former foes SDLP

Rights are gained by belonging to Protestant or Catholic community

Unipolar world

South Africa, Gaza, Ireland Erosion of space for national liberation

movements Republicanism’s only ideology has been

militarist methods

Armed struggle

Bonded disparate movement Democracy subordinated to Army

Council Fantasy that 200 fulltime volunteers

could defeat British Army Sat alongside mass uprising

Free State

Republicans did not develop critique of southern bourgeois state

Its politicians indistinguishable from mainstream

Saw southern ruling class as part of solution

Good Friday and St. Andrew’s Colonial settlement – obliges Irish to

renounce claim over national territory Sectarian settlement – divides politics

and society along religious lines All decisions of assembly must be

ratified by Unionist controlled Executive

Why is settlement popular People have stopped dying Drop in unemployment – due to retail Expansion of Catholic middle class in

state sector

Limitations

No one believes settlement will lead to united Ireland

Power of the Catholic Church greatly increased.

Positions in public service earmarked for confessional groups.

Sinn Fein cadre of 'community workers' paid by the state. 

Loyalism

UDA and UVF represented on policing boards

Still involved in extortion, prostitution and drugs

DUP is party of hard right to which Republicans accommodate to stay in office

Dissidents or true believers? Minority of republicans have rejected

Sinn Fein and the settlement. Failing due to fragmented movement

and lack of support. Absence of any programme beyond

shooting “Betrayal” explains failure armed

struggle

What’s emerging?

Sinn Fein has clientelist, electoralist and reformist politics

Working class youth don’t see promises delivered. 

Growth of a new infrastructure of supporters

Riots are significant.

Conventional wisdom

The militarists have no support The political process in the North of

Ireland is secure.  Republican militarists have nothing to

offer.

Mainstream

Trade union demonstrations called for unconditional support for the sectarian status quo

Downgrading the political tasks of the working class in favour of purely economic struggles

Phony options of bloodbath or sectarian state

Future

Which state and which class rules Youth don’t remember past defeats Socialists raise separate, more

immediate and concrete demands Working class achieves liberation with

its own programme including democratic solution to the national question