When James Connolly died the Irish labour movement died with him. It can be argued that following the sacrifices made in 1916, that Ireland entered a crucial period in its history. As we moved forward two distinct models presented themselves, one of course was Home Rule and the other was to further the aims of the men and women of 1916 and seek an Irish republic.
Had Connolly lived there is little doubt that he would have fought on to achieve the Irish Republic but of course in Connolly’s vision this was to be a 32 county socialist republic. When one revises the history of the period it is little wonder that Irelands possible first leader a committed Marxist was tied to a chair in 1916 and shot---it is important to remind people that at this time Ireland was one of the poorest countries in Europe—and Dublin housed some of the biggest disease infested slums in the World. Connolly and Jim Larkin had led the workers in a vicious fight against the employers during the great lockout of 1913-14, Connolly founder of the Irish citizen army was as they say a marked man.
But what of his ideology can one imagine an Ireland where Connolly’s thesis had risen to the fore—how different a place we would live in now, of course our entire history would be different and if it were not in the light of what is taking place in Ireland today, it would be a fruitless exercise to even consider its implications.
Yet what concerns me as an individual and as a citizen of this state is the roaring question as to why within a supposedly democratic system did Connolly’s doctrine go unheard, or if heard then why unheeded. Historians may point to a very conservative church dominated society the very church who were persecuted in other socialist regimes, is it understandable that the church should have feared talk of equality and the individual taking a stake in the collective?
Again if one uses a casual revisionist approach could there have been any institution more totalitarian than the catholic church alright they didn’t take people out and shoot them [not in Ireland anyway.] but how many people suffered horrendous abuse at the hands of these clerics—to whom the state mindlessly handed over power in areas of health and education and in the area of imprisonment such as in the industrial schools.
Other reasons that Connolly thesis was ignored after his death was the advent of the Irish ruling class. There was always an Irish upper class whom were educated at the best schools either here or in England. These people saw themselves as the natural inheritors of fiscal power--they included both the catholic and protestant ascendency, and were mainly composed of professionals like lawyers and Doctors and medical consultants.
The war of independence made the option of home rule redundant and the watered down version gave us the Anglo Irish Treaty of 1921. As a result this was probably the only time in Irish history that ideology over pragmatism set the agenda---many on the republican side still believed in the all Ireland 32 county socialist republic—but shamefully and with the help and support of their former British masters the free state as it was now called, entered into a bloody civil war—whereby 3000, people were killed. In all wars there are atrocities carried out by all sides—but the systematic executions of over 77-republicans in 1922-23, tells its own tale.
So the new state evolved in the most divisive of circumstance but not on the grounds of ideology –the differences were easily categorised as one side yearning for a united Ireland and the other wanting to go with what was conceded and make a fight for it later—with this simplistic explanation many an Irish child passed through our educational system.
Nobody asked the relevant question what the hell happened to socialism or even social justice, the labour party minus a leader like Connolly became the conscience of the centre right—and Ireland grew as basically a two party state—both with centre right leanings and one which even had some far right elements in the mid – 1930’s.
The modern labour party under Eamonn Gilmore had an opportunity never before trusted on to the Irish left. After the last general election it had won the most seats to Dail Eireann in its history. Faced with a critical choice that was to enter government in coalition with the neoliberal Fine Gael—or align with fellow 'left wing' elected TD,’s and Sinn Féin and form a decent and noisy opposition to the criminal monetarism that is enslaving our citizens. They chose to enter government and I as a committed disciple of social justice wonder why?
Perhaps when we examine the labour party and seek to understand their motives we would best take a long hard look at ourselves. Who votes for labour is it the working person on low income who lives in social housing or who maybe is out of work and is actively seeking same—or is it the retired school teacher who started life modestly but now can sit back each morning with a copy of the Irish Times—and spout armchair socialism to anyone who might listen.
The labour vote has changed, and in essence labour is in fact representing those that voted for them by staying in coalition with the neoliberals. The average labour voter is middle-class or on the fringes of the merchant class—[By class I am not only referring to financial status but even more so to a specific mind-set]these people do not do ideology as they were not raised or educated to do so, they solely exist to maintain an acceptable standard, many of these people did come from humble origins—but it is not out of any loyalty to a miserable childhood that they vote labour over FF OR FG. They vote labour because they see no difference between the three and if there is no ideological difference then the only thing separating them is spin and personality.
We should take a long and hard look at ourselves we the citizen the inheritors of a state that was formed dubiously with outside influence from God knows where—we have arrived at a very difficult place and what we choose to do now, will have a major impact on our children and their children. I am not bowing to economics here but I am pointing to an examination of what it is we are—us the citizens of the Irish Republic what values do we hold—what is it that we cherish, are we willing to sacrifice things to create a more equal society.Are we willing to act like citizens within a state that in its definition is a collective for the common good. Or as this present government insists –are we going to promote individualism—greed, and base our prosperity on the volatility of the market place—the question remains and all that is left is our choice of ideology.
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