James Connolly

[Andropov]

What are your opinions of James Connolly and the Irish Citizens Army which took part in the 1913 lockout and the 1916 Rising? IMO Connolly was the greatest Irish man to have graced our presence.

[Leo]

Well, here's an article which might be interesting as it deals with the Irish Citizens Army, Connolly, the 1916 Rising and Sean O'Casey: http://en.internationalism.org/wr/292_1916_rising.html

[PRC-UTE]

What are your opinions of James Connolly and the Irish Citizens Army which took part in the 1913 lockout and the 1916 Rising? IMO Connolly was the greatest Irish man to have graced our presence.

Connolly was great indeed. He had flaws but understood the connection between national liberation and socialsim in Ireland. He was a student of Marx on the Irish question, and a worthy answer to the Unionist tripe which is dominant here on RevLeft.

Seamus Costello was an even better organiser, imo. Remember Connolly failed in the north, cos he was with southern union (this was pre-partition, something ultra lefties ignore).

[Die Neue Zeit]

"Unionist tripe," comrade (care to clarify)? :confused: Or are you referring to typical support for the IRA?

[Holden Caulfield]

he saw the dialectical link between nationalism and socialism in Ireland,
he had a nationalist group with a plan other than nationalism for nationalisms sake,

he said that freedom from the Union isn't enough as the Irish would still be enslaved by English capitalists,

and he gave the ultimate sacrifice for his ideas, so i think that he was a great man, and could have been the greatest Irish leader of the epoch if he wasnt murdered by the british,

(good song on him...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n81pIwGSGcY&feature=related)

[Andropov]

Seamus Costello was an even better organiser, imo. Remember Connolly failed in the north, cos he was with southern union (this was pre-partition, something ultra lefties ignore).

Im impressed.
Seamus Costello was indeed a great organiser.
A great political man of his time and a shame that he is still relatively unrecognised in Ireland or abroad.
The officials did a great disfavour to Ireland and Socialism as a whole by their assasination of this man.
Costello is a prime example of making Socialism relevant to the people.
He knew how to do this, and still has many admirers.

[Niccolò Rossi]

he saw the dialectical link between nationalism and socialism in Ireland,

Please tell me how Connoly's nationalism and socialism where linked "dialectically". It's not some buzz word you can toss around when you feel like it...

To the topic in question, I know squat about Connolly and prefer not to speak out of my arse.

[Holden Caulfield]

nationalism, as in the freedom of a nation to govern itself,

then the next dialectical step for their progression to freedom would be

socialism, where the majority have control of the government

(please feel free to correct me if i am wrong, but i wasnt tossing it around like a 'buzzword', my favourite buzzword atm is 'Condescending' )

[Herman]

James Connoly, one of the best socialists that have ever existed.

[Andropov]

Please tell me how Connoly's nationalism and socialism where linked "dialectically". It's not some buzz word you can toss around when you feel like it...

To the topic in question, I know squat about Connolly and prefer not to speak out of my arse.

I suggest you read 'The Life And Times Of James Connolly' by Desmond Greaves. Its seen as the definitive book on Connolly and is a good read.

[Niccolò Rossi]

nationalism, as in the freedom of a nation to govern itself,

then the next dialectical step for their progression to freedom would be

socialism, where the majority have control of the government

How the hell is the "next step" dialectical in any way! Your just using the word for no apparent reason! Please explain to me what the hell "dialectics" has to do with this!
Answer: Nothing.

[PRC-UTE]

"Unionist tripe," comrade (care to clarify)? :confused: Or are you referring to typical support for the IRA?

The common attitude that the Union with Britain represents progress and irish Republicanism is the product of backwards nationalism, irrationality. This argument runs that national liberation is the product of ethnic identities, not the struggle for self-determination and democratic rights. It's become more and more an accepted position, despite how ahistorical and unMarxist the idea is.

[ComradeOm]

The common attitude that the Union with Britain represents progress and irish Republicanism is the product of backwards nationalism, irrationality. This argument runs that national liberation is the product of ethnic identities, not the struggle for self-determination and democratic rights. It's become more and more an accepted position, despite how ahistorical and unMarxist the idea is.To put it in its Central European context, which Jacob seems to be more familiar with, the typical attitude on RevLeft is, and always has been, that of the social-imperialists of the early 19th C SPD. Its the assumption that nationalism is inherently reactionary and unionism (virtually always between a small and large, historically dominant, nation) is in turn progressive. This was a major issue with Poles and German/Russian socialists and it also dominated the relationship between Irish and British (the distinction only beginning to appear) trade unions during the Great Lockout

[thejambo1]

connolly was a great socialist, and was scottish by birth being born in edinburgh in 1868 and doing a lot of his finest work in scotland. so try not to steal him as a born and bred irishman!!

[PRC-UTE]

connolly was a great socialist, and was scottish by birth being born in edinburgh in 1868 and doing a lot of his finest work in scotland. so try not to steal him as a born and bred irishman!!

True, some green nationalist types would claim he was Irish born.

[Andropov]

The common attitude that the Union with Britain represents progress and irish Republicanism is the product of backwards nationalism, irrationality. This argument runs that national liberation is the product of ethnic identities, not the struggle for self-determination and democratic rights. It's become more and more an accepted position, despite how ahistorical and unMarxist the idea is.
Spot on.

[Andropov]

connolly was a great socialist, and was scottish by birth being born in edinburgh in 1868 and doing a lot of his finest work in scotland. so try not to steal him as a born and bred irishman!!
Indeed I am aware of that, some great work being done with the SDF.

[Die Neue Zeit]

To put it in its Central European context, which Jacob seems to be more familiar with, the typical attitude on RevLeft is, and always has been, that of the social-imperialists of the early 19th C SPD. Its the assumption that nationalism is inherently reactionary and unionism (virtually always between a small and large, historically dominant, nation) is in turn progressive. This was a major issue with Poles and German/Russian socialists and it also dominated the relationship between Irish and British (the distinction only beginning to appear) trade unions during the Great Lockout

Not exactly "early 19th C," comrade, since the SPD was formed in 1863. ;)

You have to keep in mind that this position of the "social-imperialists" that constituted the SPD was due to the German unification process going on that time, which unified the multitude of "principalities." A similar unification process was unfolding at this time in what would become modern Italy.

[ComradeOm]

Not exactly "early 19th C," comrade, since the SPD was formed in 1863. ;)My mistake, it should read early 20th C


You have to keep in mind that this position of the "social-imperialists" that constituted the SPD was due to the German unification process going on that time, which unified the multitude of "principalities." A similar unification process was unfolding at this time in what would become modern Italy.It was, as I said, a school of thought also common in Britain and Russia. Imperial regimes, regardless of their formation, do tend to spawn such social-imperialists

Incidentally Italy actually saw one of the more interesting expressions of this unionist thought with the emergence of Mazzinism which, in common with pan-Slavism, stated that political union was an economic necessity. I'd actually be interested in reading how this later fed into the later development of irredentism