The Grey Blur
6th October 2010, 23:11
http://irsm.org/history/leftrepublicanism.html
this may have been posted before. it's a reply from the IRSP to the weekly worker on the question of whether 'left' republicanism is capable of achieving socialism in ireland, with the WW criticising its lack of a formal programme or method .it's 5 years old now but i still found it interesting, mostly because of its materialist analysis of the 'british-irish' (as they were referred to in the original article) working class situation in the north and whether there is any hope they can be won to a left republican/socialist position (i personally think the two are the same in the irish context, the national question is the elephant in the room for groups like the SP). maybe this isn't anything ground-breaking but i enjoyed its analysis of the national question reduced to the individual level:
A left republican programme would accept the right of the 'British-Irish' to define themselves as they want. Social republicanism does not have a problem with people considering themselves to be British or believing in the Protestant religion. Everyone in Ireland has the right to hold on to his or her own identity, culture and perceived nationality. For example, there are Chinese people in Ireland who consider themselves to be Chinese and are holding on to their language and culture, the same with Polish or Nigerian people, etc. So if the Protestant people in the North consider themselves to be British and not Irish, republicans should have no problem with it.
...
There are lots of things in the British culture and history that left republicanism can identify with, think for example of the democratic tradition of the Levellers, the Chartists, etc. Many Protestants who consider themselves to be British only hold on to one aspect/expression of British identity: the monarchy, nostalgia for the Empire, etc. Left republicans would point that there are other ways of being British, why don't they explore and appropriate for themselves all the progressive British heritage?and also the talk of an encouragement a plurality of cultural traditions involves well-made points. maybe there's a hint of cultural superiority involved but then again it is almost certainly justified...it is not the fault of the average 'british-irish' worker in the north that their culture has been reduced to brain-dead sectarianism by a succession of manipulators and bigots. feel free to discuss or disagree (as i assume the left-communists, CWI members will) this question is highly relevant in the current context of a renewed dissident bombing campaign.
this may have been posted before. it's a reply from the IRSP to the weekly worker on the question of whether 'left' republicanism is capable of achieving socialism in ireland, with the WW criticising its lack of a formal programme or method .it's 5 years old now but i still found it interesting, mostly because of its materialist analysis of the 'british-irish' (as they were referred to in the original article) working class situation in the north and whether there is any hope they can be won to a left republican/socialist position (i personally think the two are the same in the irish context, the national question is the elephant in the room for groups like the SP). maybe this isn't anything ground-breaking but i enjoyed its analysis of the national question reduced to the individual level:
A left republican programme would accept the right of the 'British-Irish' to define themselves as they want. Social republicanism does not have a problem with people considering themselves to be British or believing in the Protestant religion. Everyone in Ireland has the right to hold on to his or her own identity, culture and perceived nationality. For example, there are Chinese people in Ireland who consider themselves to be Chinese and are holding on to their language and culture, the same with Polish or Nigerian people, etc. So if the Protestant people in the North consider themselves to be British and not Irish, republicans should have no problem with it.
...
There are lots of things in the British culture and history that left republicanism can identify with, think for example of the democratic tradition of the Levellers, the Chartists, etc. Many Protestants who consider themselves to be British only hold on to one aspect/expression of British identity: the monarchy, nostalgia for the Empire, etc. Left republicans would point that there are other ways of being British, why don't they explore and appropriate for themselves all the progressive British heritage?and also the talk of an encouragement a plurality of cultural traditions involves well-made points. maybe there's a hint of cultural superiority involved but then again it is almost certainly justified...it is not the fault of the average 'british-irish' worker in the north that their culture has been reduced to brain-dead sectarianism by a succession of manipulators and bigots. feel free to discuss or disagree (as i assume the left-communists, CWI members will) this question is highly relevant in the current context of a renewed dissident bombing campaign.