We Shall Rise Again
4th January 2011, 15:59
éirígí extends New Year greetings to its members and supporters across Ireland
and beyond and thanks them for their tireless efforts on behalf of the
socialist republican struggle in 2010.
As 2011 begins, éirígí remains fully committed to the struggle for a British
withdrawal from the occupied Six Counties and the establishment of a 32-county
socialist republic.
The last year has been a devastating one for working class communities across
Ireland. The Dublin and London governments, aided and abetted by Britain’s
puppet parliament at Stormont, have commenced unprecedented attacks upon public
services, jobs and benefits that will condemn generations to come to a life of
exploitation and poverty
The budgets unveiled at Leinster House, Westminster and Stormont in recent weeks
have deliberately ring-fenced the profits of the wealthy while driving the rest
of the population into misery and despair. In this regard, the ruling class
are simply accelerating the rate of implementation of the same neo-liberal
policies which created the current economic crisis in the first place.
The last 12 months have also seen the first, welcome signs of mass resistance to
the policies of the right-wing coalitions in Belfast, Dublin and London.
Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets demanding that
working people are not made the sacrificial lambs for the failure of
capitalism.
In 2011, workers and communities across Ireland need to come together in the
building of a coordinated campaign of uncompromising opposition to the slash
and burn agenda of those in power. If this fight back is to be successful it
will need to move beyond occasional street protests and angry rhetoric.
éirígí firmly believes that a period of intense popular resistance in the form
of mass street protests, general strikes and acts of civil disobedience has the
potential to stop the cutback agenda of the ruling political parties in its
tracks.
The organised labour movement, with its unequalled organic and financial
resources, represents the most obvious vehicle for the organisation of such a
campaign of resistance. If the current trade union leadership is incapable or
unwilling to take the necessary actions, then it must be replaced by one that
is.
Now is the time for actions that will force those administering the cuts to
reflect upon their own anti-social actions. éirígí will not be found wanting
in this regard. In the year ahead, éirígí will be stepping up its own
socio-economic campaigns across the country, both independently and through
working with other progressive individuals and organisations.
While recognising the importance of the politics of protest at this time, éirígí
also recognises that protest alone will not deliver the type of society that the
people of Ireland deserve. Opposition without a viable alternative will not
address the underlying causes of injustice and inequality in our society.
Those organisations which oppose the agenda of the right have an obligation to
explain what they would do differently were they in power.
For its part, éirígí recently published its From Socialism Alone Can the
Salvation of Ireland Come policy paper. This document sets out succinctly the
malign role of capitalism and the need for a humane, socialist system to
replace it. éirígí will be promoting the politics contained within From
Socialism Alone Can the Salvation of Ireland Come throughout 2011.
As it has done since its foundation, éirígí will continue in 2011 to highlight
the inter-related nature of the socio-economic struggle and the struggle for
national independence.
éirígí has consistently taken the demand for a British withdrawal onto the
streets and into the faces of the occupiers, the year ahead will be no
different. The presence and activities of the British army, the PSNI and MI5
in Ireland, the mistreatment of republican prisoners and British royal visits
to Ireland are but some of the issues which éirígí will be actively campaigning
on in 2011.
In doing so, éirígí will also work within working class communities in the
occupied Six Counties to unlock the great potential of people power in
challenging the occupation.
The building of the cultural revival, the popularisation of the Irish language,
the promotion of Gaelic sports, along with the emergence of alternative social
and economic structures within working class communities can radically alter
the nature of the relationship between Irish citizens and the British state.
Working people themselves can potentially destabilise Britain’s Irish colony and
shake the occupation by moving their lives outside the remit of the state. By
refusing to speak its language, interact with its police force, frequent its
schools the people can advance the re-conquest of Ireland by the working people
of Ireland.
The British government has invested a massive amount of energy and money into
its normalisation agenda over the last two decades. However, normalisation has
now peaked. It is time to roll back that agenda.
Through the coordinated use of national, social, economic and cultural struggle
throughout 2011, major progress can be made towards the achievement of the
socialist republic.
We must do this together as one class and one people. Ar aghaidh linn le
chéile.
www.eirigi.org (http://www.eirigi.org)
and beyond and thanks them for their tireless efforts on behalf of the
socialist republican struggle in 2010.
As 2011 begins, éirígí remains fully committed to the struggle for a British
withdrawal from the occupied Six Counties and the establishment of a 32-county
socialist republic.
The last year has been a devastating one for working class communities across
Ireland. The Dublin and London governments, aided and abetted by Britain’s
puppet parliament at Stormont, have commenced unprecedented attacks upon public
services, jobs and benefits that will condemn generations to come to a life of
exploitation and poverty
The budgets unveiled at Leinster House, Westminster and Stormont in recent weeks
have deliberately ring-fenced the profits of the wealthy while driving the rest
of the population into misery and despair. In this regard, the ruling class
are simply accelerating the rate of implementation of the same neo-liberal
policies which created the current economic crisis in the first place.
The last 12 months have also seen the first, welcome signs of mass resistance to
the policies of the right-wing coalitions in Belfast, Dublin and London.
Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets demanding that
working people are not made the sacrificial lambs for the failure of
capitalism.
In 2011, workers and communities across Ireland need to come together in the
building of a coordinated campaign of uncompromising opposition to the slash
and burn agenda of those in power. If this fight back is to be successful it
will need to move beyond occasional street protests and angry rhetoric.
éirígí firmly believes that a period of intense popular resistance in the form
of mass street protests, general strikes and acts of civil disobedience has the
potential to stop the cutback agenda of the ruling political parties in its
tracks.
The organised labour movement, with its unequalled organic and financial
resources, represents the most obvious vehicle for the organisation of such a
campaign of resistance. If the current trade union leadership is incapable or
unwilling to take the necessary actions, then it must be replaced by one that
is.
Now is the time for actions that will force those administering the cuts to
reflect upon their own anti-social actions. éirígí will not be found wanting
in this regard. In the year ahead, éirígí will be stepping up its own
socio-economic campaigns across the country, both independently and through
working with other progressive individuals and organisations.
While recognising the importance of the politics of protest at this time, éirígí
also recognises that protest alone will not deliver the type of society that the
people of Ireland deserve. Opposition without a viable alternative will not
address the underlying causes of injustice and inequality in our society.
Those organisations which oppose the agenda of the right have an obligation to
explain what they would do differently were they in power.
For its part, éirígí recently published its From Socialism Alone Can the
Salvation of Ireland Come policy paper. This document sets out succinctly the
malign role of capitalism and the need for a humane, socialist system to
replace it. éirígí will be promoting the politics contained within From
Socialism Alone Can the Salvation of Ireland Come throughout 2011.
As it has done since its foundation, éirígí will continue in 2011 to highlight
the inter-related nature of the socio-economic struggle and the struggle for
national independence.
éirígí has consistently taken the demand for a British withdrawal onto the
streets and into the faces of the occupiers, the year ahead will be no
different. The presence and activities of the British army, the PSNI and MI5
in Ireland, the mistreatment of republican prisoners and British royal visits
to Ireland are but some of the issues which éirígí will be actively campaigning
on in 2011.
In doing so, éirígí will also work within working class communities in the
occupied Six Counties to unlock the great potential of people power in
challenging the occupation.
The building of the cultural revival, the popularisation of the Irish language,
the promotion of Gaelic sports, along with the emergence of alternative social
and economic structures within working class communities can radically alter
the nature of the relationship between Irish citizens and the British state.
Working people themselves can potentially destabilise Britain’s Irish colony and
shake the occupation by moving their lives outside the remit of the state. By
refusing to speak its language, interact with its police force, frequent its
schools the people can advance the re-conquest of Ireland by the working people
of Ireland.
The British government has invested a massive amount of energy and money into
its normalisation agenda over the last two decades. However, normalisation has
now peaked. It is time to roll back that agenda.
Through the coordinated use of national, social, economic and cultural struggle
throughout 2011, major progress can be made towards the achievement of the
socialist republic.
We must do this together as one class and one people. Ar aghaidh linn le
chéile.
www.eirigi.org (http://www.eirigi.org)