After reading Paul’s analysis in the Irish News on how Gerry Carroll is taking the people of West Belfast for a “short-cut” over his new -found love of the EU, I really had to have a good chuckle at what happened next. People Before Profit released a statement, planted about social media as if it was a decree of a King, by their usual darlings. In it, they explained that they would swear an oath to the British Monarch by taking their seats at Westminster to assist Jeremy Corbyn and the socialist cause against Brexit (even though most socialists backed it) including the progressive forces within Westminster.
Now unlike Bernadette Devlin, I don’t know if Gerry Carroll, Fiona Ferguson and the other “Politburo apparatchiks” actually understand how the British Parliament really works; how the British “constitution” really works. For one, there is no written constitution; all power is vested within the office of the Prime Minister, who ruled by patronage. Once the Prime Minister kisses hands with the Queen upon their appointment, they then hold power over the “Royal Prerogative” – which allows them to sign treaties (like the one which will address Brexit), to go to war, to enter into alliances and international bodies, to appoint peers and bishops (and Archbishops); all without ever having to ask permission from Parliament. It is not a normal democratic parliament; it maintains the trappings of an imperial era, when democracy was regarded with derision. So sending Gerry Carroll, Fiona Ferguson and all these other Trotskysist revolutionaries to the House of Commons is erroneous when they may never even get a vote on the issue at all. It will have the impact of two crows cackling in the wind.
But what’s even more astonishing than their lack of constitutional and legal foresight is their lack of mathematical foresight. The Scots elect far more MP’s than we do in the North and even they cannot stop Theresa May’s Brexit plans. Yet Gerry and Fiona et al., believe that they, being less than 1% of the members, will keep the Red Flag flying in a chamber dominated by British capitalist interests and British MP’s. There won’t be a large concentration of progressive forces for them to caucus with after the election, the Tories will command a sizeable enough majority. And I couldn’t see them swinging a good punch like Bernadette did, if any Conservative MP’s override their concerns. But even Bernadette herself outlined that the British ruling elite have no regard at all for Irish best interests.
Whatever you think of Paul, at least he has been consistent. I myself actually voted to Leave the European Union. But now the people who told us to vote Leave (People Before Profit) are telling us that actually they really want to Remain. That, given their new desperation, they didn’t believe all the rhetoric they were espousing at the time of the referendum. Well Gerry and Fiona, why should anyone ever believe you again?
I think you have a bit of an obsession with PBP, Dónal.
pbp have a bit of an obsession with this blog or rather had until their oath swearing to queen Lizzie was mentioned whereupon they got swiftly offside!
@ Michael.
No, what is actually happening is that Jude is freezing out comments that he doesn’t approve of.
It called Censorship. Sinn Fein used to be against it.
I think you should seek help, Kevin. Seriously.
@ Jude.
I’ll presume that you are in no way qualified to identify Mental Illness.
As a qualified Youth Counsellor, I am aware that no professional would ever presume a Mental Illness simply from a contender expressing contrary political opinions.
That is the modus operandi of Stalinism, and other totalitarian regimes.
I trust you don’t aspire to the “Re-Education Camps” in your vision for a United Ireland.
In all seriousness, i think you are demeaning only yourself when you indulge in entirely ad hominem attacks.
Play the ball, not the man.
If you want to concentrate on the factuality on anything I claim, then i will be delighted to back up my arguments with those facts.
That is how normal political discourse works. It completely breaks down if one party hysterically shrieks abuse at the other.
In the last few days, I have been.labelled as dissident / lunatic / MI5 / Stickie / loyalist / provo trot, for the crime of daring to challenge the dominant narrative.of Sinn Fein on your blog-page.
Now, you have TWICE questioned my mental health – once as above, the other was on your facebook page. That’s an incredibly abusive way to conduct yourself on a public page. And the complete antithesis.of democratic debate.
Kevin, if you had bothered to read the author of this blog you would note, I think, that it was written by one Donal Lavery & not Jude…………………..do you do apologies or just rant………………………..
Kevin ,
I’m only reading what you’ve been writing and seem to be the one who constantly plays the man !
You accused Jude of Censorship and then gave a litany of how you’ve been described by various people over the last number of days !
Yet there’s no defence of The PBP change of policy re Brexit or swearing allegiance to the queen argument ?
It seems to me that you must be carrying a very large anti Republican chip on both shoulders …..a Chara ?
Paul maskey isnt the greatest to be fair. A better SF candidate might have stopped more voters drifting to Carroll. Carroll himself seems like a nice genuine guy but his policies are all over the place. Will be intetesting to see if the PBP vote continues to drop or not here.
@ Boondock.
There is no question that Gerry Carrolls vote got squeezed in the last Assembly election.
I would put that down to the perfect storm that Unionism created for itself.
Arlenes “crocodile” comments, the Liofa cut, and of course the backdrop of McGuinness’ illness ensured Sinn Fein would be the main beneficiaries in a tribal headcount.
But, let’s be in no doubt, the discontent within Sinn Feins ranks continues. Many have placed the SF leadership on their final warning, no more rollover republicanism. Hence the lack of any enthusiasm for Stormont.
That dilemma has been kicked down the road for now, but it doesn’t go away forever.
Jude,could you give us a clue as to what Kevin went over the top about? For you to lose your patience with him ,it must have been totally infantile!
@ Michael C.
Whatever happened to the presumption of innocence?
Ps. I would be more than happy for Jude to highlight any comments that he felt he needed to censor….
Michael C – I think it should be obvious. I’ve expressed doubts about Kevin’s mental state, since that seems the kinder of two options. The other is that he is a liar. He has repeatedly declared that I am censoring/blocking his comments. I am not, as should be obvious from his many comments. But I don’t like people telling lies about me – i.e., that I’m censoring his comments – so I’ve given him a choice (on Facebook) and I’m repeating it now. Either withdraw the lie about my blocking his comments or I will, um, remove his potency to come on the site at all.
@ Jude.
By your own admission in our Facebook conversation, you unfroze TWO of my comments that were “Awaiting Moderation”. And i thanked you accordingly.
I then pointed out there remains a much larger number that are still “Awaiting Moderation” and asked you to clear those.
Some of them have been frozen for over a week.
Now, I accept that it might be a technical problem at your end
If that’s the case, clearly we have made some progress in releasing TWO postings.
And my more recent postings (post-4pm today) are all going through fine.
Thank you.
The only issue outstanding is therefore those remaining postings that are “Awaiting Moderation”.
By its very nature, the accusation of Censorship by omission disappears as soon as those postings are cleared.
And ill happily apologise for any slight on your integrity.
@ Bridget.
In your haste to attack me, you have confused yourself.
I was referring to Judes comment about “seeking help”, hence why I addressed my comments to him.
There’s no apology due from me.
And there was certainly no ranting.
I suggest you take the time to actually read the flow of comments before launching into an entirely pointless “contribution”.
You have until tomorrow, Kevin. Do give it a good hard think. I’m open to every point of view but I’m not open to lying accusations.
@ Jude.
Strange how you react so strongly to that accusation, but are happy for your page to be used as a platform to brand me a “dissident lunatic”, a theme that you have merrily continued with by THRICE questioning my mental state.
Is there a heirarchy of victimhood that we need to made aware of?
kevin
It is none of my business of course but I doubt if Jude has been censoring you. In all the time I have been commenting here I have been insulted patronised,wrongly accused, and misunderstood,but never, I think, censored.
There are few enough dissenting voices here and you seem to have plenty to say so it would be a shame if you got yourself barred due to a misunderstanding.
I agree the suggestion of mental health problems is entirely uncalled for and is typical of too many here who clearly know nothing about mental illness.
Now more importantly…Jude is on Facebook?? Blow me down!
@ giordanbruno.
Thanks bud.
I’m not just randomly throwing around that accusation of Censorship around lightly.
I’m.looking at a host of postings, I’m guessing about 8-10, dating from last week which all carry the message “Awaiting Moderation”.
I’ve asked Jude on his Facebook page for his email address so I can send him a few examples. He hasn’t responded to that request.
Jude himself has now questioned my mental health THREE times.
He doesn’t challenge the accuracy of anything i say.
He just attacks me for being in some way mentally unwell.
Let’s imagine for a second that i do have a history of Mental Illness.
I cant imagine that such persistent bullying would be in any way therapeutic.
And it’s way below the standard of normal civil debate.
Jude himself chastised Donal Lavery for branding me a “dissident lunatic”a couple of days ago. He now seems to have adopted the same attack-dog mentality with some considerable enthusiasm.
If I do suddenly drop off this blog, you can rest assured that it wasn’t because i have been out-thought. It’s because they between the lot of them
mt. was censored for putting a p in front of an s and f.
billy
sssshh! We don’t talk about that!
Any reply to the “solemnly swearing alliegance” to the British queen which your party is itching to do,Kevin?
@ Michael.
Repetition in your echo chamber doesn’t make it fact.
PBP are anti-Monarchist, always have been, always will be.
Can Sinn Fein say the same? No.
Fact – pbp are prepared to swear unqualified alliegeance to Lizzy,her heirs and successors,no ifs or buts about it.
@ Michael.
And Sinn Fein were happy to swear allegiance to not one, but bizarrely TWO monarchs.
And they now bow and scrape to Her Maj in the 21st Century.
Surgeon, heal thyself.
fact=prepared to swear unqualified allegiance to rome rule in the dail prayer.
@ Eddie.
I’ve detailed several responses to the oath issue, both here and on Judes Facebook page. It’s not an issue that i would even consider dodging.
On the Brexit issue, there has only ever been consistency from PBP.
We have always opposed the EU superstate.
We advocated an Out vote.
We have always opposed the Tory elite.
We will fight them every step of the way in their Tory Brexit.
On the other hand , Sinn Fein opposed entry into the EEC.
Opposed the Nice Treaty (twice).
Opposed the Lisbon Treaty (twice).
Yet now they are the most europhilic party on the island.
Why the U-turn ??
Absolute and utter bull Kevin.
Your Party Bosses in SWP in London always supported Brexit – just as your ( then ) two representatives did in Stormont , by abstaining on a Border Post Vote – thus ensuring that The Unionist motion was successful in relation to post Brexit.
Your Party – with AAA -Solidarity in the 26 County , have been shown to be both fiercely Anti-Republican and Pro Brexit.
Their decision to take the Oath , if in fact they did get someone elected to Westminster , is so unsurprising in the light of the instructions of your bosses in London !!!
Now cut the bull please? – you’ve blown it completely – credibility wise, North & South.
Your attacks to Jude here is that of someone, who is on a complete rant and you’ve completely lost it – just as your Party have completely been exposed for what they are in The Six Counties – a poor Replica of Loyalism gone wrong !!!
@ Eddie.
I’m afraid youre wildly wrong.
The word “Brexit” didn’t appear on the referendum ballot paper.
The simple question was about leaving the EU.
The word “Brexit” is a media invention.
It means many different things to many different people.
So it entirely consistent for the Left to oppose the EU superstate. And then to oppose how the Tories have grabbed the Brexit ball and claimed that it was in fact a referendum on Immigration. Angela Rudds speech – a speech that has been referred to the police as incitement – to the Tory party conference gives you a glimpse of what we mean by a Tory Brexit, and why we need to fight it every step of the way.
17.4 million people did not vote on the sole issue of Immigraton. A great many voted against the inexorable slide into.a single state dictated to by German and French bankers. One Flag. One Anthem. One Army.
In the eventuality of a Remain vote, be in no doubt that would have used as a weapon to attack the working classes as the Establishment tightened it’s noose around our throats. TTIP would have been the weapon of choice, or some other contrived construct used to attack rights, democracy and living standards.
And similarly, we would have opposed a Tory Remain.
That is consistent.
What is entirely inconsistent is Sinn.Feins about-turn on the EEC/EU.
I’ll ask you the same question as I’ve asked many Shinners…..but i never get an answer.
If Sinn Fein voted against joining the EEC in 1973, against Nice (twice), against Lisbon (twice), why are they suddenly so europhilic?
I look forward to your response…..
The road map to Irish unification is ultimately one which is wholly intertwined with the EU, with this having become particularly apparent since the vote for Brexit. Indeed, the thaw beginning some 20-odd years ago in Sinn Féin’s opposition to the EU was in effect a recognition of this reality.
In this context, I therefore wouldn’t consider Sinn Féin’s advocacy of a vote to remain in last year’s referendum as a sudden bout of europhilia, rather it was reflective of the party’s more eurocritical approach towards the EU as opposed to their pre-thaw overt euroscepticism.
“entirely pointless contribution” alas, it was you who brought Jude into this, whilst I attempted to point out that Jude had not written this blog, however, your bullying tactics will not deter me from giving my opinion which I have done from time to time on this blog. Perhaps you need to stand back and ask yourself why you are so angry………………
@ Bridget.
I haven’t made any comment about Donal Laverys article.
Jude came onto the thread to question my mental health. its that that I’m responding to.
That’s is perfectly obvious if you read through the exchange.
And that’s why your correction of me pointing out that Jude didnt write the article is clearly pointless. Ay no stage did i suggest Jude wrote the article.
Ps. You are not bring “bullied”, you are being corrected.
Bridget,ignore him .He’s typical of the college boy “pseudo revolutionaries” whose greatest political victory consisted of passing some motion in the students union.Meanwhile I vote for people who spent decades in prison in the worst possible conditions,appeared on British wanted posters and broke out of British jails.The greatest danger the Kevins of this world faced was their mummy seeing them on some of their daily “protests”!
@ Michael.
Pat Finucane was my solicitor. He represented me following my arrest on the Chelsea Girl strike picket line alongside 16 others, in the 1980s. The cops charged me with assaulting two of them. And a public order offence. It’s was all balls of course. One of them had fallen out of a landrover in Royal Avenue and cracked his skull against the roof when he jumped back in the wagon.
Pat told me to plead.guilty. I told him i was innocent. He told me of the realities of so-called Justice in the 6 Counties for a Catholic teenager. I said i was innocent.
He said i was going against his legal advice nut he would get me a barrister.
I fought the case and got a conditional discharge. The barrister was delighted. I appealed it. I got an Absolute Discharge.
On both occasions 5 RUC stood on oath and lied their arses off. I didn’t exactly win, but let’s call it a score-draw, eh?
Last week i was at the Jobstown Not Guilty protest in Dublin defending the Right To Protest. There wasn’t a Shinner to be seen.
It seems to me that some people have long since abandoned the fundamental Rights to Unionise, to Strike, and to Protest.
And it’s not the Left.
lol Michael, yes, over my lifetime I’ve met many Kevin’s, passionate but their own opinions are the only “right” ones………………….arrogance comes to mind
@ Bridget.
I’m more than happy to listen to your opinion – do you have one?
Sorry Kevin,I did’nt realise you were NEARLY a prisoner one time.Good job your mummy could afford a barrister!
@ Michael.
I was entitled to Legal Aid as a young worker paying National Insurance from the age of 15. My job paid for my upkeep through my A Levels. Believe me, there wasn’t a lot of money or optipns floating about in Dunclug for a young Catholic male during the 80s.
There certainly was no Mummy to finance any university education.
I recall the Appeal cost me £25 from a giro of £26.05 per week. But I remember that i had a burning sense of injustice about it all sufficient for me to fight it.
You sound scornful of such resistance.
How very entitled of you.
The point I make is a very simple one.
You may well sneer at our ‘daily protests’ but it was the Left that held a thin Red line during the 80s. It was us that proudly raised the money for the Miners to take on Thatcher whilst the Shinners couldn’t be seen to help anyone remotely British.
It was us standing on picket lines to resist paramilitary threats. Your lot were the paramilitaries issuing the threats
Resistance comes in many many different forms, We have a TD.in Dublin now that is charged with false imprisonment that carries a Life sentence tarriff. That’s why we defend the Right To Protest.
You may have congratulated yourself for the monumental effort you put in voting for prisoners.
But, really, what have you ever actually done to change or defend anything?
Kevin ,as I said before ,would you please desist from fake newsas it is getting very tiresome.Go to Sean Crowe’s twitter account where you will see the the SF TD adressing the Jobstown protest today.He will be hard to miss as he is on the platform!
@ Michael.
The Shinners and Right2Change were certainly nowhere near the March through Dublin last Saturday before the trial started.
Eirigi were there. Saoradh were there. NIPSA were there. The Fermanagh Trades Council were there. The Labour Party of Narnia were there.
But not a Shinner to be seen..
Not even in a personal capacity.
Nowhere.
It’s only because Joan Burtons case fell apart in the witness box this week that Sinn Fein suddenly smell a band wagon they can jump on and claim they led.
The Shinners are renowned for leading from the back…
SF supported the miners and Scargill addressed SF meetings on numerous occasions. SWP which makes up the vast bulk of PBP membership were “critical supporters” of the armed struggle and would never have even labelled the provos as “paramilitaries.Bernadette Devlin who launched both McCann and Carrolls election campaigns famously declared that the “good guys lost” when the IRA ceasefire was declared in 94.McCann delivered the oration at Dolours Prices funeral And Dolours was totally opposed to the ceasefire.So please drop this “opposing paramilitaries ” charade.It’s simply not true.Even the other half of AAA/PBPA admit that SWP support for the Provos was the defining difference for decades.
@ Michael
I’ve googled both Scargill and Sinn Fein, but nowhere can i find any link about him addressing any SF meetings during the MinersStrike – I’m seriously doubting the veracity of your claims because considering how toxic that SF were, it would have been a huge propaganda own-goal at the time.
So, respectfully, have you any link that confirms your claim?
Ps. Eamonn McCann did indeed give the oration by virtue of the time he knew Delours in Peoples Democracy and her efforts in the civil rights movement.
He at no stage gave any endorsement of her paramilitary involvement, and to suggest otherwise is disingenuous.
By the way, Paul Maskey MP was in attendance, but Gerry Adams didn’t make an appearance for his old comrade. Strange that.
Kevin,
I don’t think Jude mentioned mental illness never mind trying to diagnose it. Your paranoia is extreme and your hatred is not healthy. I was honestly going to ask you a question about how you are travelling in life, but thought better of it, considering the stigma attached to mental illness. If anyone is struggling and feels the world is against them then they really should seek professional help. Regardless of your mental health it is clear to everyone that you have some unresolved issues from your past that you probably need to work through.
You consistently call out abuse but dish it out more than anyone- I am surprised you have not been banned. (you claimed someone called you a hood, I asked you to clarify but you ignored me. I knew noone called you a hood which make me think you are making up the other accusations as well). Ever heard about the boy who cried wolf?
Your sexist remarks and denigration of females is completely unacceptable (If that is your real opinion then I am afraid your socialism is only skin deep). Socialism is not about protesting against the status quo it is about bettering the conditions for everyone.
On one of your rants about SF talking to Likud (something I don’t really agree with) I asked you which part of the motion they broke- you didn’t answer and TBH I don’t think even the BDS bar talks with political parties.
I asked you to clarify your praise of the 1916 violence, but condemnation of the Anglo-Irish war, you ignored and hurled abuse.
You referred to people who disagreed with you as pigs and use derogatory names for Sinn Fein members and accused me of being a Sinn Fein zealot- I pointed out I didn’t even vote for Sf at the last election, again silence not even a hint of an apology.
You have made outlandish statements on numerous topics and have not replied with a coherent answer- to a point where I can only see 3 explanations 1- you pedal lies 2- you have very little knowledge or 3 you are not really connected to reality.
I tried to engage in a constructive discussion on FB when you said you were PBP and not SDLP but I could not get any sense out of you just vitriolic attacks despite my neutral/sympathetic or inquiring stance.
@ Emmet.
“Jude never mentioned mental health…..but your paranoia is extreme”.
Please feel free to share your professional qualifications that enables and entitles you to diagnose Mental Illness……
Ps. Campaigners continually talk about the stigma of Mental Illness. And yet here we are with three, count them THREE Shinners – Donal Lavery, Jude Collins, and now you Emmet – using it as a stick to batter down political dissension.
You really should be appalled at yourselves.
You won’t be, of course.
You’ll congratulate yourselves on your unquestioning loyalty to the Party and Lord Gerry of Ballymurphy and trot along.
Where, oh where, is the “Respect, Integrity, and Equality” in any of that?
Dear oh dear.
Kevin, I have not tried to diagnose mental illness anywhere in my post. I have commented on your paranoia- this is another example of it. I can see no evidence of anyone trying to stifle debate based on accusations of mental illness.
Again with the insults and referring to people as animals.
I do have some training in Brain Theory and emotional coaching as well as having taken several courses in working with people dealing with PTSD.
I will say this one again- I am not loyal to Sinn Fein. I have never shown any disrespect to you but look at all the disrespect you have shown to others. Are you this disrespectful to people face to face or do you save it for when you are online?
@ Emmet.
I think, from memory, that it was in fact you that said “People Before Profit were now looking for the Hood vote”.
I had dared to point out that it wasn’t just the British Army that dragged young fellas up alleyways to beat them into social compliance.
I did respond to your absurd comment, but it remains “Awaiting Moderation”.
I’m sure Jude will be grateful for you pointing this out, and will unfreeze my comment forthwith.
Thought so- so you admit I wasn’t calling you a hood- as you claimed in your post.
@ Emmet.
Sinn Fein.signed up to support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions campaign, from memory it was from an Ard Fheis resolution in 2013.
Sinn Fein then held meetings with Likud, the party in power of a despotic Apartheid regime.
BDS state that this is a clear breach of their campaigns aims.
They say if they had known about these meetings in advance, they would have protested them.
If you have a problem with either their aims, or their analysis, I suggest that you write a strongly-worded letter directly try o
Kevin, I read this reply already and posted a question asking you directly, please point out the line in the motion (or the BDS Statement) that calls for a ban on talking to political parties? It is clearly not mentioned in the campaign. The boycott is an economic one as far as I can tell.
Ps. If you re-read the list of insults and smears levelled at me by the attack-dogs on this page, you’ll notice that I never mentioned the word “Hood” in my substantial list.
You did.
Only you.
You’re actually arguing against yourself now.
Something strange is happening here, is this 2 or more people posting as Kevin Connolly?
You definitely complained about being called a hood. I questioned it because I used the word hood (but I wasn’t calling you a hood).
Can you really not remember the post?
The last of the angry young ? men. What nationality are you
Kevin?
What flag is yours? What is your national anthem? An bhfuil Gaeilge agatsa? Is Elizabeth your sovereign? You sound like all the 18 year olds I’ve ever known. And I don’t think Jude is casting aspersions on your mental health. He is maybe suggesting anger management classes.
@ Fiosrach.
You are now the FOURTH uber-republican to try to diagnose me with Mental Health problems, as opposed to actually engaging in real political discussion.
That’s an appalling way to try to stifle legitimate discussion.
You should be ashamed of yourselves.
Kevin- again you are claiming someone is trying to “diagnose me with Mental Health problems”. Fiosrach is saying maybe you you have ‘anger management issues’. This is not a mental illness. You should be ashamed trying to play the victim card here.
No one hates you, but if you abuse people they will lose patience with you- eventually someone will say something they regret. Why don’t you try to be calm and remove the emotionally charged attacks from your analysis? Most people don’t like bring abused so try to engage on a basis of respect.
Maybe you could start by saying you weren’t trying to demean women when you attacked Mary-Lou, but hatred of Sinn Fein led you to the outburst?
@ Emmet.
You yourself claimed “your paranoia is extreme”.
Does that not qualify as trying to diagnose Mental Illness?
No Kevin, saying someone is paranoid is not diagnosing Mental Illness. Paranoia can be a symptom of mental illness, can simply be a character trait, or can be brought on by conditioning.
Forgot to mention- republican is an absolute. You can’t be very or uber republican or slightly republican, you either are or you aren’t.
@ Emmet.
I’m afraid Republicanism is like Beauty, it’s in the eye of the beholder.
And your uber-republicanism is ugly.
Very ugly indeed.
Sorry don’t follow you. Republicanism simply means you don’t want a monarch as your head of state. No degrees. If you are republican you are republican. If you aren’t you aren’t. No in between in this one I’m afraid.
I find chauvinism ugly.
@ Fiosrach.
Sorry.
That’s a glitch on my phone.
@ Fiosrach.
@ Fiosrach.
I’m very proud to say I was born in the Rebel County of Cork. My father is buried in St Finbarrs, that’s where the big Republican plot is situated including of course their Hunger Strikers from the 1920s. I’m glad that he sleeps among the brave.
I had a cousin that tried to blow up De Valera in the 1960s. He limped round Cork for the rest of his years. But never a word of complaint apparently.
I’m not into flegs in a big way. But id say the flag i would give allegisnce to would be the Irish Republic flag that James Connolly fought and died for.
Ps. I really don’t know why you asked me about my allegiance to any monarch.
That’s a ridiculous thing to say to any socialist. You’re obviously trying to characterise Gerry Carroll saying he would represent the people of West Belfast in Westminster as some significant betrayal or act of fidelity to a monarch. It is no such thing.
Countless Socialists and Republicans have grunted their way through the same ceremony to get on with the business of representing their constituents in a forum that actually makes decisions.
Marty famously stood for God Save The Queen, both in a professional and a personal capacity.
No hint of criticism from you, presumably?
Give it a few years, maybe less, and you will be slavishly telling us that the right thing to do is drop Abstentionism. And you won’t even have the good grace to acknowledge the massive U-turn from Republican orthodoxy.
Surgeon, heal thyself.
Scargill addressed SF meetings since the strike in recognition of the support given by… SF at the time.With regard to Jobstown,43 TDs and senators signed a support statement for the Jobstown defendants on 21 April. Of these 30 were SF TDs and senators who were publically thanked by no less than Paul Murphy AAA TD. So much for your “fake news” that SF onlyjumped on the bandwagon when they saw how the trial was progressing.As Jude as already stated ,lying seems to come naturally to you.
@ Michael
So i was correct, Scargill didn’t address any Sinn Fein meetings during the 1984/85 Miners Strike. And presumably, Sinn Fein didn’t officially raise any money in solidarity with the miners.
We did.
Narnia raised more per head than any region of Britain, apparently, even though we don’t have any miners.
Sinn Fein were spectators, and presumably critics, whilst the Left just got on with the business of defending workers in struggle.
Ps signing a supportive statement in an ivory tower is a long long way from putting yourselves literally on the front line, toe-to-toe with the police.
That’s what Paul Murphy and two elected Socialist councillors done, and they’re now staring down the barrel as the State tries to crucify them.
Where is the campaigning by Sinn Fein?
Where are their activists at the protests, the fund-raiders, the matches?
Nowhere.
SF may “support” Jobstown on paper, but it would be electoral suicide not to. Labour are finished in the area, and Sinn Fein smell votes. That’s the only thing that motivates SF nowadays.
Not struggle. Not militancy. Not radicalism.
Cold-blooded electoralism dominates everything.
They’ll make the appropriate noises about supporting the Right To Protest, but at the same time they’ll get into bed with the very people that seek to quash it.
Going by some of the exchanges here, we are going to have some rip roaring political arguments in the future all Ireland democratic parliament. Can’t wait!
@ Another Jude.
Judging by the over-arching threat to ban political dissent on this page, I would respectfully suggest that there are a few of us that are going to end up in “Political Re-Education Camps” in this “Agreed” Ireland.
@ Emmet.
The Boycott is political, social, artistic, economic etc etc. in exactly the same way as Apartheid South Africa was isolated internationally.
If you , or Sinn Fein, needed clarification on it’s terms, they only needed to lift a phone to clarify directly with BDS.
They didn’t.
They chose to break their commitments to the campaign.
And then the leadership tried to justify it afterwards with this “It’s good to talk” nonsense.
If you don’t like that fact, i suggest you write to BDS directly.
But please don’t argue black is white.
You’re kidding no-one.
Ps. Yes. I am equally as opinionated in the real world.
I’ve challenged Donal Lavery to a public debate. He has shirked that challenge, despite initially claiming he “would wipe the floor” with me.
If he does find some Integrity, you’re more than welcome to attend and demolish me in public…..or not, as the case might be.
Kevin read the document, again I can see no where does it call for a ban on dialogue. Dialogue is the any way to fix this issue, so no it is not ‘nonsense’. Why to you think that talking is bad?
I am not arguing black is white- show me the evidence in black and white? I don’t agree with SF on the talks- when it comes to Palestine I am more of a hawk. I believe armed resistance is the only way to influence Israel. I am not living in Palestine and have nothing to lose by making that comment- so probably best to side with caution.
I can’t judge SF on the talks though as they are a party that has talked to people who were murdering their comrades and spying on them as they negotiated. I would be pure hypocrisy if SF refused to speak to Likud. I disagreed at at the time with people on both sides who criticised the Brits/SF for talking to their enemies.
@ Emmet.
This is now the THIRD time that I’ve told you that BDS state, categorically state, no ifs or buts, no hedging bets, no playing with words, that Sinn Feins meeting with Likud was in breach of the aims and methods of their campaign.
If you have an issue with that, take it up with BDS directly.
Stop flogging a dead horse.
It is a dead horse for the reason I have already mentioned. I am curious about where in the motion is the ban on talking to political parties. I can see no such ban. Can you show it to me?
Horse. Flogged. Dead.
No then? You can’t accuse a party of going against a motion when they clearly have not. If they have I would love to see evidence form the SF motion or the BDS statement.
I have read with interest a lot of open debate. Always a good forum for some opposite thinking from all those who are in my opinion on the right side – that is they are for the promotion, living out and working for socialist principals and opposed to capitalism. The means of how we do this will vary depending on pragmatism as an approach or principled rhetoric. When people get elected as SF and PBF have then they need to work it out. The left and the right have been on the same side to “no to Europe debate and referendums” for different reasons and the tragedy is the for the Brexit piece, the left needed to be a bit more pragmatic and less principled. But we are where we are and uniting, leading and giving positive vision to people against the drive of right wing, national capitalism is the challenge.
@ Emmet.
The insults i listed were included in my posting of 3:21 of yesterdays date – “dissident / lunatic / MI5 / Stickie / loyalist / provo trot”.
I didn’t claim i was called a “Hood”.
You’re arguing against yourself.
And losing.
Dear oh dear.
Wrong post Kevin! You have a few other lists of crying victim. So you just can’t remember or someone was using you profile.
No one is arguing- you are contradicting yourself- again. You must be difficult to live with.
@ Emmet.
This is tiresome.
Please feel free to highlight the specific post where i accused you of calling me a “Hood”.
Hi Kevin, you didn’t accuse an individual which is why I questioned you. You said you had been called a hood plus a few other things. I just dismissed them all as lies because I knew I hadn’t accused you of being a hood. Check your previous comments if you like.
Peace. Perfect Peace.