New Year message from the Irish Republican Socialist Party Ard Comhairle
The Ard Comhairle of the Irish Republican Socialist Party wishes to extend its gratitude to our membership, supporters and friends for their determination, support and commitment to the Republican Socialist struggle for Socialism during 2012. We would like to take this opportunity to send solidarity greetings to all those activists currently incarcerated for their actions in opposing imperialism in Ireland and abroad. We would like to extend a special comradely mention to all Irish Republican Socialist political prisoners currently on E4 Landing Portlaoise internment camp we take strength from your selfless sacrifice for the struggle.
2012 has seen a strengthening of the global neo-imperialist agenda. All across the world the forces of neo-imperialism walk the well trodden path of divide and conquer. In the Middle East Imperialist powers are destabilising the entire region bringing untold hardship and death to the Arab working class. In Africa the neo-imperilist resource grab is well under way. African nation’s natural resources are being stripped bare all across the continent. The privatisation of African resources by Western capitalism is causing poverty, hunger and death to many millions. In Europe national sovereignty is eroded with crippling debt. Cleptocracey reigns supreme as corrupt slavish governments bow down to capitalist debt that will never be, was never meant to be, paid in full.
The Irish Free State establishment is a prime example of national sovereignty denied. The ever changing terms of surrender to the European Central Bank the International Monetary Fund and the European Union are plain to see in each austerity budget. With each Fine Gael/Labour coalition austerity budget essential public services are stripped bare. The working class of Ireland are driven deeper into the poverty trap, forced from their homes whilst the Irish reserve army of labour grows by the day. Another generation of Irish youth is being encouraged to emigrate to survive.
In occupied Ireland the situation is as dire as across the border. Once sworn enemies now form an alliance in Stormont which implements a right wing Tory austerity agenda. In many working class areas, Protestant and Catholic alike, public services are being cut back, jobs are non-existent and poverty is rife. Sectarianism is used as a propaganda tool by those in Stormont. Instead of tackling the serious socio-economic problems faced by the working class Nationalist and Unionist politicians are content to bicker over which jingoistic flag flies over Belfast City Hall. Dissenting voices are quickly silenced with internment by remand.
As we look over the horizon into 2013 we can all identify the many different socio-economic problems the Irish working class will face. As Marxists the IRSP believe that the cancer of individualism needs to be highlighted. Individualism is a by-product of our current mode of capitalism whereby the individual is put before the community, before society. It effects the way we interact with each other, it effects the way we see the world, it effects everything we do from our conscious to our subconscious, it is an all permeating state of mind that feeds off our socio-economic contexts which mould our perspectives which we then carry into the world perpetuating the growing cycle of individualism.
Always the individual is given paramount importance and all else is subservient to this including what once was community and what is now decaying society’s around us. The raising of the individual has all served in the pursuit of materialism and the waste in society we see around us today. To create a truly equal society in Ireland we must smash the concept of the needs of the few over the needs of the many. This is no small task as essentially we need to bring the pillars of the old society crumbling down and rebuild an Irish Socialist Republic.
During 2012 we seen the Free State establishment scapegoat a few parasitic capitalists in the vain hope the working class might be fooled into blaming the likes of the Sean Fitzpatricks and Sean Quinns for the economic collapse. People like those are culpable of the worst type of class crime and should face extreme punishment. But these individuals were merely by products of the overall economic system we see today. These men did not create this system; they are merely the logical by products of its existence. It is understandable that many people including leftists would attempt to personalise this disaster and the problems with capitalism. But personalising the problems with capitalism is a futile act. Indeed it is a direct result of the individualistic mind set we see across the world where all individuals are pulled out of their respective contexts and judged by standards independent of their contexts. Its why in today’s world things like crime will never be adequately addressed since individualism tells us things like criminality are a personal choice and not a direct result from a certain collection of socio-economic contexts.
The financial crash was not some anomaly or oddity on an otherwise upward trajectory of capitalism, the financial crash is a logical outcome of the boom bust nature of capitalism. As Marxists we must move away from the cushy liberal agenda of asserting blame towards individuals and educate people in the systemic failings of capitalism. It is at odds with the majority of peoples perspectives due to the contexts which moulded their perceptions but understanding that is essential to effect real change for if it is indeed down to mere personal culpability and the scape goats are attributed the blame but the economic system remains constant it will be the same circus just with different clowns.
At the IRSPs Ard Feish in October, held in our new Dublin offices, a new Ard Comhairle was elected. The new Ard Comhairle has been hard at work since then opening up another office in Derry City centre and setting up new Cumann in areas the IRSP were not traditionally represented. The first of these Cumann, in Omagh CoTyrone, will be officially operating in January. The growth of the IRSP will continue in 2013 and we look forward to working with you all again over the course of the next 12 months in our fight for National Liberation and Socialism in Ireland.
