Resistance, Summer 2011

Many thanks to the person who donated this to the Archive.

This edition of Resistance from the Irish Socialist Network joins others in the Archive. The front-page article argues that:

Enda and Eamon obviously do not know the difference between kicking ass and kissing ass. During the election campaign, our aspiring Taoiseach and his would-be deputy were talking tough with Europe. Talk of burning bondholders abounded. The electorate soon learned that these were the rantings of two leaders from a disease known as ‘election fever’. As soon as the votes were in Doctor Olli Rehn ordered his Irish patients to shut up and take their austerity medicine.

It concludes:

Labour’s legacy will be the near-complete globalisation of the Irish economy. Manufacturing export &, banking, our soon- to-be privatised utilities and our off-shore natural resources will all be in the hands of foreign multi-nationals. The “Ireland For Sale” sign can come down now to be replaced by the “Sale Agreed” logo. Labour’s acquiescence in the sale of our semi-state companies ends any pretence that it is committed to even a modest social-democratic agenda. Multi- national companies and our own vulture capitalists must be wetting themselves with glee in anticipation of the fortunes to be made asset­stripping the nation’s last public-owned institutions. Despite all the savage cutbacks and the fire-sale of our national assets, a default on the nationalised bank debt is inevitable. The next stage of the crisis is only a matter of time.

Other articles include one on Hezbollah, Socialists and the Environment, and a piece on Sinn Féin – a tale of two parties.

This argues:

Sinn Fein has always condemned the partition of Ireland. But it seems to have divided itself into two different parties following the partition line between North and South. South of the border, Sinn Fein has taken the radi­cal high ground, condemning the EU-IMF ”bail­out” that is pushing the state towards bankruptcy, opposing cutbacks and defending working-class people against austerity. That stance took Sinn Fein to their highest vote since the 1920s.

Stronger than the United Left Alliance and left­wing independents, more credible than Fianna Fail, Sinn Fein is in an excellent position to make further gains as the new coalition government continues with the same disastrous economic poli­cies.

Once you cross the border, however, Sinn Fein presents a very different image. It has just com­pleted a full term in office with the Democratic Unionist Party. There was little trace of radical or even moderate socialism in the programme of the Northern coalition government. Martin McGuin­ness took a trip to Wall Street with Ian Paisley soon after becoming Deputy First Minister, ring­ing the bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

The document asks people whether…

Interested in the ideas and views you’ve read? would you like to help to increase the circulation of Resistance? We are looking for people to distribute the Resistance freesheet throughout Ireland. If you can regularly put copies in a shop (or two) near you, or if you want some copies to give to your friends, then please contact us.

There’s also a piece on the results of the then election which notes:

The new Dail will have the largest-ever group of TDs to the left of Labour, with Sinn Fein, the ULA and left.independents belonging in this category (the latter group is a mixed bunch, of course, but even the most moderate left-independent TD is still to the left of the Labour Party). Sinn Fein has certainly presented a radical face to the electorate in the last couple of years, ditching its pre-crisis efforts to fit in with the mainstream consensus. Yet its shaky commitment to left-wing politics – discussed in more detail elsewhere in Resistance – mean that we should be ready for another lurch towards the centre if Sinn Fein gets a whiff of government office.

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