Forum sell-out

mare 19

THE FORUM SELL-OUT

A reading of the other sections of this journal should convince miltants that the effects oi EEC membership are to increase the exploitation of ireland by the major capitalist powers. .{ should be evident that: a policy collaboration with: impeftialism is & concious strategy of irish capitalism which prodates membership of the EEC and that ins has meant'a steady erosion ot the limited political indepencence gained in the 26 counties by the war of indepsndence. it may not be quile so evident that the recent report of tha new lreland Forum represents a chinax to that strategy. in fact it represents a final retreat by irish capitalism from even token leadership of the atruggie i unity and nationai independ once The debates of the Forum gave plenty of warning that this would be the dutcome. ~ It oxctuded, | Sinn Fein, the major organisation a ge a ‘for, ay unity. jt rushad tha Northern minority: ‘the consistant Cenial of thelr rig} ts under the carpet. it Invited Unionist and Loyalist Racks . to Dublin and treated with grave consideration their denunciations © of trish unity @nd ignored reports by its,own secretarin, on the disasterous . © occromis consequences of . partition, in favour ‘° the -«sonomic impressionism of flr Chartes Carter, head of the ferthora lraland Economic -Caunecil, vzi>came the Oybin to .tell the Bs do ‘trish Unity simply won't (The fact that Sir Charis ws unable ° to gat ‘Northern tretand: to work @5 an ecqnomic, entity does not appear te effect me qualifications as an aapert)..

The heavy stress 0 ihe unitary state In the repor}-has caused some confusion but “Garret Fitz~.

gerald was a pains to- ftigp! this.

within. hours of the reports * publication... }t. etek that this was ‘at oe represent! vague asp arations which co help S.

of 2: “hidden agenda’ . coniuse public opinion and retain rigss support the National Parties. in prectica = trish capitalists were to join with Britain in aseer*anes of the Unionict vets anu support for escterian reaction in the North.

Press leake give’ Fitzgerald's unitod roprecsion united. laws and united exploitation of workers Nerth and South.

"FIANNA FAIL SPLIT

Karl Marx said thet ‘Histery repeats itcslf, the second time as farce’. Haughay’ 8 act as De Valera to the Forum’s Treaty and hie ineistence on @ unitary state might convince -gome that a section of trish capitalism holds firm to the call for national unity. in fact the division is much amaliler. Fianna Fail betleve that they muat hold to the rheteris of unity if they ere to.

retain their mass base. in fact this insistence on a unitery state is now - found. Haughey is on record a3 prometing other options and his record of callaboration Is equally 43 bed O6 Fine Gaels.

Mare impo; tently tie practical aspssts, of the Forum report have basen with up for some time; Refuer! of dc »ocratic rights to Sinn Folia iy excurTity collaborstion, extradition anda new ‘Crimina! ustice’ oll which sociea al! the worst aspects of regrcssl 70 'egistation in the Morth (iaciuding the Informer system) and desis e death-low to domocratic righie. . Flanna- Fall have either topt sifcnt about these measures or cnthusiast- ‘ jcally supported them.

BRITISH CONTEMPT

_ che. Unionists have greeted the “report with - abuce and the Gritteh (Criticised in the report for ‘crisig management’ but not .tergeted asthe prima cause of the Northern violence) with contempt ‘ system Unity meant ‘they can membership of NATO. However.

historically they have nct been minimal concessions and the security of» They appeer to be considering minimal concessions(such as an Angio-Irish talking shop) in return for firm support for partition and the effective extension of the British a sae: .

th all counties. . ¥Y are also interested in seeing how close push the South to hout to grant even their base amongst the Unionisis remains paramount. Further negociations carry great risks, especialiy for the Irish czpitatists, and the fact that their ucity around the forum report has proved to be a sham will further weaken them. No-one can doubt that a new tevel of political capitulation to Britain at a time when irish capitalism is trying to force major cutbacks in the standard of fiving of the trish working class will lead to massive confrontation and accial convuision.

LEADERSHIP

The final outcome of this battle will depend on the teadership and political conciousness that anti-imperialists and socialists are able to provide. tmmediaigly this meéans being able to providea political alternative to the Forum.

We in Peoples Democracy believe that the cali for a Constituent Aasembly od the ‘inain element, of such an alternative.

This presents an immediate series of tasks; the unifying of ali the democratic, anti-imperialist forces in lreland, gaining mass support for-these forces, bringing ‘ogather a Constituent Assembly and er «Alf a campaign of a action +o push out the tish and bring down the ortiiniel assemblies in both partsofireland. °», .

page 20 The best groundwork for Such programme would be substantial victories for Sinn Fein tn ¢he European elections. Gut it vould be uniy a groundwork. -Sinn Fain have.not presented an a!ternative: political strategy to ihe Forum, have effectively opposed united action and have yet to link their electoralist strategy to g strategy of mass action. However victories in the election weuid ful the teftward drift and Increase the pressure for mass action.

SOCIALIST ROLE

' Sociaiist have 2 sposific role to . play. . wOuld be largely an atiiance of A Gonstituent Assembly oe petty-bourgois and working-class A I RRR | se RT a would and independsnt, to the fortes require en a A eT AA aS | organised power of the working class. The task of socialists Is to unify the political and economic struggles of the class and in the process create a real inderendent anti-imperialist party of the working class. British imperialism and trish capilalism are determined to ‘faunchn cecisive attacks against irish workers. ‘ut the attacks smack of desp.retion after 15 years in which they have been unable to crush the asperation for unity and national independence.

They themselves are caught in {ie crisig to such ean exient that irish capitalists are unable to present a common front nor is Gritian easily able to to offer even formai concessions to ease their taak, new peoples democracy pamphiet

UNCLE —

SAMS

ROAD

FO WAR

“, Central American Revolutionaries answer Reagan Available fram: Plorizon Books, Avoca Park. Belfa 28, Clanawley Roed, Killester. Dublin haANes df 109, O’Mailey Perk, Limerick.

The anti-imperialist movement has to swing into action itself and fight for a Constituent Assembiy. The Irish people remain .unbowed and = are increasingly moving towarcs the anti-imperialist movement. The Repubt movement has begun @ remarkable political evolution but revolutionary socialist movements like Peoples Democracy, because of their programme, can play a pivotal role by fighting for unity and mass action and working with other sections of the working-ciass movement to bring together the strands of tha mass revolutionary party, These are not tasks for the next 10 or 20 years. They are tasks for today! price 35 pence