The long war did not bring about a political settlement that
remotely represented republican objectives. The resultant
so-called long peace has developed a politics that’s entrenched in
the belief that British involvement in Ireland is intrinsic to any
long-term constitutional settlement.
So where is the voice of Irish republicanism today? What are we
saying that is impacting the daily lives of our people and
communities? What ideas do we possess to advance the objectives of
Alan and Vinnie at rest here?
The political reasoning behind partition alters and adapts to the
differing needs of the British establishment to preserve it. And because
the Good Friday Agreement does not oblige the Twenty-Six County State to
pursue the ending of Partition those British needs will go unchallenged.
This British strategy is clearly audible in the language and
actions of constitutional and establishment nationalists. Gone is
the language of sovereignty and self-determination instead
replaced with terminology such as ‘Agreed Ireland’ and ‘Shared
Island’ couched in the emotive rhetoric of peace and
reconciliation.
The relentless assault on the policy of neutrality, to enmesh
present and future Irish Armed Forces in Western Military
Alliances, further underscores Westminster’s long-term intentions
and nationalist compliance with the same.
This is precisely why the British retained complete control over
that aspect of the Good Friday Agreement which deals with
constitutional change. The primary purpose of a Border Poll is not
what establishment nationalists hail it to be, but rather a
mechanism by which the British can determine the nature of any
state that results from such a poll.
It is imperative that Irish republicans must build strategic
alliances with other political and protest movements to clearly
demonstrate that the restoration of Irish national sovereignty is
absolutely essential to the objectives of these movements.
Irish neutrality is at the mercy of British involvement in our
country. There is no question that long-term British interests
have their sights on Ireland in a western military alliance. The
demand for an increase in military spending by EU member states,
the constant undermining of the Triple Lock mechanism for peace
keeping intervention and the spineless reaction of this State’s
political class to these relentless pressures all point to an
inevitable conclusion.
Our solidarity with the Palestinian people is equally linked both
to neutrality and national sovereignty. By default any western
style military alliance, like NATO itself, will be pro-zionist
because the State of Israel is the primary representative of the
political interests of NATO leaders in the Middle East region.
Even in the face of a deliberate policy of famine and genocide in
Gaza by the Nethanyatu regime the foot-dragging by Parliaments
such as Westminster in response to this televised terror clearly
reflects the over-arching political mindset of the western
military powers.
Ireland’s only chance to secure a true and active policy of
neutrality and to deliver practical solidarity and support for the
sovereignty of the Palestinian people is through the establishment
of a sovereign Irish republic free of British interference in our
democratic affairs.
If we apply our republicanism, if we enact our sovereignty, we can
revive the Republican Movement into a position of relevance. There is no
other way forward at this time. Let us keep the memory of Alan Ryan, and
all our patriot dead, as an inspiration for the long road ahead.
