A friend of mine, who happens to be very left-wing, and I were having food recently in a nice Indian restaurant when we got onto the subject of the upcoming election. This was someone who would have been supportive of the student-led People’s Democracy back in the day. I asked them why someone so left-wing was never attracted to the Worker’s Party, to which they replied with a giggle. They told me that from the 1950’s onwards it was abundantly evident that what became and remains the WP was dominated by a clique of Stalinist Technocrats – who opposed even the most basic reforms in the Soviet Union, long before Mr. Gorbachev’s leadership.
Of course what they mean by that is people of an extreme authoritarian nature who want to see the development of a siege economy, cut off from the rest of the world. The doctrine of “Socialism in One Country”; when Ireland has neither the land nor the critical population size for that sort of Marxist-Leninist experiment. Or so they say.
For let us not forget who spawned the neo-liberal class warriors within the Free State – people like Eamon Gilmore and Pat Rabbite, who inflicted ruthless austerity measures on the backs of the Irish people. Or those that now deem the leaders of 1916 to be “suicide terrorists”. Let us not forget who willingly and covertly cooperated with the RUC in attempting to destroy resistance to British tyranny in Ireland by their fellow Irishmen. Indeed, some former Worker’s Party personnel went on to become senior advisers to Unionist First Ministers; Yet now they are telling us they’re going to stand up to Arlene and the big bad Brits?!
These rancid Sticks are nothing more than political chameleons, with their comrades in Democratic Left ending up as part of one of the most right-wing “Labour” parties in all of Europe. For a party which talks so much about the working class, they appear to care nothing for ending partition – the very system which reinforces capitalism in Ireland by dividing the proletariat in both regions.
The simple fact is that no Western European country has ever successfully emulated the sort of economic methodology which the WP advocate. They can’t – we live in a continent of market forces, which allocate goods and services accordingly. We need to import a substantial number of these products as we cannot create them for ourselves. Therefore, it stands to reason that the best economic model for Ireland is that of the ‘mixed economy’, like Germany, Norway and Finland – who have the highest living standards in the world.
To hear them talk, you would think Stormont was a sovereign government with its own central bank and currency. Like People Before Profit, they aren’t too familiar with the definition or implications of “Devolution within a Union”, where economic power lies with their friends at Westminster. Both of these parties spend more time attacking republicans than they do the Unionists, including in ways and insults which even Richard Needham would have balked at. When you read WP manifestos, you can almost imagine their own members laughing to each other at the content and saying “you don’t really believe any of this, do you”. Given the number of votes they attract each time, it ultimately appears as though even the people in the Worker’s Party don’t vote for the Worker’s Party.
Is ‘Sticks’ not a bit abusive?
No doubt Jude will be on to tell him never to call the WP Sticks as he told me never to call the other party to the split Provos. He never did explain why not.
fiosrach
Only if preceded by an adjective such as ‘rancid’!
You’re on the ball tonight Ó Bruno.
I live to serve!
Mmm – not sure, fiosrach. It’s a nickname but not an abusive one. I think it deserves a pass. But thanks for mentioning it – I lingered over it for a bit myself…
How would you describe Sinn Feins position on socialism Donal?
There seems a lot of words bandied about, particularly on the far left with no apparent understanding of what they mean or what impact they would have on Irelands economy.
In my own view, we are in the end game stages and words are no longer sufficient We need the business community to support unity, we need to have a clear strategy of where money is coming from initially, how the state will manage and encourage our economy to grow while delivery huge investments in public services, social housing, and welfare.
I disapprove of how previous governments have sold off infrastructure such as roads to Germany and am a supporter of social democracy where the state guarantees the best interests of its people but does not go so far as to stifle the economy and do more harm than good.
Socialist states such as those derived from soviet experiments are proven failures. Marxism is invariably wrong in just about everything and even in the current upsurge against globalisation is still not going to be an accurate rebound to the left he predicted but a new economic ideology entirely that incorporates a global virtual economy mixed with the internal geographic economy and the preservation of nation state.
The conflict is over and it is time to talk seriously about how we build a strong unified all island economy to lead us into a prosperous future. And it needs to be in words the population can comprehend.
The time for bullshit politics is over.
I like Indian food and good conversation. Talking with old friends about the past and catching up on news and reminiscing about the old days can be great fun. But the thing that I enjoy the most about these nights out is dropping a load afterwards in the toilet. Whether it’s the slow plop plop or the quick spray release it feels really good. I never fail to come out with a sense of relief and readiness to kick on with the rest of the night enjoying the atmosphere of nice pubs and convivial company. And then, if the mood takes me go on to a night club and further delights. The bad old days over I can look forward to a bright future in good company with faithful comrades. I’m determined to read more conflict books and build up my knowledge so I can prattle on and become a full time commentator on our troubles. I’ve bought “Killing Rage” by Eamonn Collins and I intend to start with it. Then I intend to move on to, don’t laugh, “The Informer” by RDE’s friend followed by “South side Adventurer” by some lawyer.
Do you think anybody is even remotely interested in your toiletting?
I believe it was one of a few so called attempts at humour, however that was particularly nauseating reading
No more than they are in anyone else’s “toileting”. But why resurrect the WP to attack the PBP and what does it say about the quality of political debate here in the face of all our problems.
It must be nauseating for people looking in to see all the good will and money given to us wasted because we can’t work together. Hopefully it will be nauseating to the electorate and they will be motivated to vote for something less nauseating.
Cant see that approach doing the SDLP any favours Dominic.
You are disgusting, literally
: )
Dominic
It is ironic that Donal accuses the WP and PBP of spending their time attacking republicans (I presume he means SF) when he spends so much time attacking them and the SDLP.
So much for positive campaigning.
As has been said before there are two separate elections going on,one for the nationalist vote and one for the unionist vote.
You could nearly add a third in the campaign to get the non voters out.
So SF attack SDLP/PBP/WP and the DUP attack the UU/Alliance.
It will be interesting to see if Mike Nesbitt’s support for transfers to the SDLP will shake things up at all.
Let’s hope so.
vote colum, you get mike.
I think it is pretty much guaranteed to have an impact.
Not sure if it will be the one he expected though.
Couldn’t agree more Gio. If this election doesn’t dent the status quo and bring real change then we have what John Hume predicted: A very ugly backwater.
Was anybody actually going to vote WP? The CPI looks comparatively healthy compared with them.
I had never heard of them before.
It is amazing that they keep going. Irish communism, indeed Marxist-Leninism generally, is a very strange subculture. I think it needs to be understood more as a kind of religion than an ideology. These WP stalwarts have much more in common with the street preachers of some obscure sect than with normal political candidates. Thank God they have zero purchase, though.
Education is still important though.
They are feeding into real neglect and as we have seen with trump, there are limits to electoral complacency – though we still wait to see if that is the case within unionism which is also more towards some obscure sect than normal political candidates.
The WP imploded in 1992 when they could no longer keep up the pretence that the “official IRA” went out of business in 1972. Anyone who worked on a building site in Belfast for several decades after 72 would be well aware that the “officials” were very adept at fundraising for a certain political party!
What’s socialism?
That is actually a good question BG.
I seriously don’t think many republicans here in particular understand exactly what it is.
It is a political ideology to counter capitalism through the state and community controlling all business. Basically the state becomes the employer and manages directly or indirectly all industry, production and services which are run for the benefit of the community, providing the state uses any profits for the community at all which isn’t guaranteed and when it runs low on cash simply increases taxes.
Currently Ireland is going through a jobs boom, there has never been as many domestic incorporations and entrepreneurialism is bringing in more tax revenue then FDI and employing far more people. Plus we are doing it off our own bat without any real support from the state. It is a testament to our people not our political leadership.
Can you imagine what would happen to Ireland if there was even a hint that a socialist state was on the cards.
FDI would disappear along with the tens of thousands of high paid jobs it brings.
Domestic business would simply give up, including myself. I would probably leave Ireland altogether and let all jobs go to start somewhere else.
The economy would crash basically, Ireland has too much debt to even consider such barmy economic ideology.
The debt should never have been there, right wing conservative governance is just as bad but that it another story.
To state that entrepreneurial is creatingoing wealth without state help is simply untrue.
Brian, compared to the money thrown at multi national corporates, the return of state investment in terms of creating jobs and wealth within this island is blatantly skewed.
The majority of people do not want hand outs, but they do want fair treatment. The money wasted on corporates and multi nationals could be far better spent investing in local business who would create more jobs through many small enterprises rather than focusing on a tiny number of larger headline job creation enterprises who inevitably pick and choose where they want to offer the jobs and are not always long term committed though I accept some have been loyal.
I am not against encouraging FDI but you wont see many multi nationals heading for the more deprived areas and there should be parity or better control over how much is spent developing local communities compared to what is allowed to go out of the country. Only need to look at how Apple benefited at the expense of the people to see where the disparity lies.
I agree with you absolutely Jessica. But the fact remains that private enterprise is overall hugely dependent on state subsidies.
“the fact remains that private enterprise is overall hugely dependent on state subsidies.”
That would suggest that private enterprise is not profitable, yet the companies which benefit the most from such subsidies have been recording record profit margins.
Apple gained the most tax relief in Ireland by far, (for want of a better word), yet it is the most profitable company on the planet.
How does that sit with your statement?
I simply cannot accept that 13 billion of Irish tax should be squandered this way while thousands of children are homeless or living in hotels.
And do you realise that 90% of jobs and over half the total tax revenue raised in Ireland are from small businesses who receive virtually no such subsidies.
And this percentage is growing, so domestic business will soon if not already be the highest revenue income for the state yet most state funding is still going to multi nationals.
The only reason I can see is for this, is for publicity as headlines mean votes and that we appear to be a media driven or led state.
May I ask how you come by that conclusion that private enterprise is overall hugely dependent on state subsidies?
I have a few businesses and I don’t receive any subsidies.
“…the fact remains that private enterprise is overall hugely dependent on state subsidies.”
That’s true, but entrepreneurialism is still hugely important, and needs to be nurtured.
“That’s true, but entrepreneurialism is still hugely important, and needs to be nurtured.”
I agree billy.
Unionism has also already done a great deal to prevent and stifle economic growth on top of the waste over scandals such as RHI.
The Maze project has huge potential
Had it gone ahead, the stadium could have been used to host the Garth Brooks concert over a week long period and there would have been so much follow on development projects in this area it would have paid for itself in no time.
The A5 and A6 roads will open up job opportunities to many deprived areas. These cannot be delayed any longer.
The Narrow Water bridge funding was squandered over unionist bigotry and this project would also have opened up trade and jobs.
Their fear over embracing all island projects is stifling our economy.
Areas of deprivation are cross community and entrepreneurialism is the best way to address this in those areas.
We cannot scrimp on peace building and more encouragement and support is needed in those communities who need to see further tangible improvements.
Rather than even considering a new customs border through Ireland, Dublin must insist that further progress is made in removing the impact of the purely legislative and jurisdictional border and ensuring more economic development is invested in along the border counties in both states by both states and that public services gradually bridge the divide along with the all island electricity and energy network in 2019.
Unification is already well underway and must not be undermined over a foreign brexit based on the needs of another island.
By the way apologies for the typos in my first posting caused by a particularly idiosyncratic predictive text. And my failure to monitor.
Jessica, I stated that private enterprise is hugely dependant on State subsidies. How you could think that this equates to defending the cosseting of Apple and its multibillion tax break I cannot fathom. Go figure.
Well Brian, perhaps you would be so kind as to give some examples of the state subsidies that you claim private enterprises are hugely dependant on.
I would be particularly keen to learn what is available in the small to SME sector who make up the majority of the employment workforce.
Since we are apparently hugely dependant on these subsidies I am sure it wont be that difficult for you to give examples but I would certainly appreciate some substance to backup your statement.
It would certainly be informative and valuable knowledge to me so hopefully you can assist.
“Well Brian, perhaps you would be so kind as to give some examples of the state subsidies that you claim private enterprises are hugely dependant on.”
Most obviously they benefit from an educated workforce, schooled at public expense. Many employees have also been trained in skills by the state. A state health service also supplies healthy labour and enables employees to be treated and return to work quickly when they are ill.
Private companies also benefit from public roads and communications that greatly facilitate distribution and exchange.
They benefit from public order, the deterrence of crime by the police and criminal law, and also.from the whole civil justice system that facilitates an equitable business environment where trade can be conducted in confidence.
None of those are subsidies for private enterprise MT
It is the taxes raised from private enterprise which pays for them as well as all public services, health, education etc…
Over 50% of all tax revenue raised comes from small businesses.
Almost all of the rest comes from large corporates, financial services would be the largest in the UK, pharmaceuticals and other multi nationals.
The majority of public money comes from small businesses who get no state subsidies.
I am sick to death hearing how the state is subsidising private businesses as well as paying for public services.
The socialist money tree that allows this fantasy to perpetuate simply doesn’t exist.
My businesses don’t get any support from the state, they pay a lot of money to the state however as well as providing employment.
It is time these myths were challenged.
“None of those are subsidies for private enterprise MT:”
Really? Private enterprise educates its own workforce and pays for their health care from birth and uses only private roads and exists outside the criminal and civil justice system?
I don’t think so.
“It is the taxes raised from private enterprise which pays for them as well as all public services, health, education etc…”
No. It’s all the taxes raised that pay for them.
“Over 50% of all tax revenue raised comes from small businesses.:
No it doesn’t.
“The majority of public money comes from small businesses who get no state subsidies.”
It doesn’t.
“My businesses don’t get any support from the state, they pay a lot of money to the state however as well as providing employment.”
Really? They exist in a vacuum? Do you raise your own children and look after their health with your own money and educate them yourself? Use only private roads? Exist in a crime free and law-free utopia?
I don’t believe you.