Ireland and the Fourth International

Papers, journals and pamphlets of the Fourth International's supporters in Ireland, 1969–1996

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In Free Citizen: Vol. 2 no. 11, 11 December 1970 · scan page 4 · about 607 words

No public scan is online for this item; the text below was read from a privately held copy.

Machine-read text, not corrected. Cut from the scan by machine, by the size of the headline type. Where columns were set close together, lines of a neighbouring article can run in, and a headline can be missed so that two articles share a page. For anything you quote, read the scan.

Scan page 4

Every barrell has its bad apple and the R.U.C. is just 'unlucky' in having more than its fair share. Recently some of the R.U.C. have become worried about this and have suggested to us that some publicity would help keep in check these forces of 'anarchy and chaos' within the ranks.

In our columns previously we have mentioned the unfortunate case of 425 Trevor Lyttle - known to his brother officers as 'the beast’. His punch drunk efforts with the riot squad in Ardglass have already drawn applause from connoisseurs ol the psychotic - and from those who love to see perjury badly done. Last Friday evening passers-by in Royal Avenue were startled to seea vanload of agitated policeman disembark and run round and round the G.P.O.; heading them was the beast, capless, snarling and incoherent. Within 10 minutes they returned to their wagons, without apprehending anyone. Onlookers thought it was merely a false alarm. A more sinster explanation could be that from his rugby days Trevor has had too many kicks on the head and is now prone to lose control - so it was really the beast they were chasing? Anyway the beast is still alive, well and kicking, in the R.U.C.

The columns of the so called "Ulster Gazette and Armagh Standviews. The Editor ever wrote to say he would print their letters "provided they don't say anything nasty about the government, any organisation or any person". So much for free speech. However, a P.D. member wrote a detailed letter covering all the points raised about where P.D. stood.

Next week the following appeared in the gazette: -“* CURIOUS ** REMAINS—CURIOUS !

The “ Ulster Gazette’ would inform the Belfast P.D. supporter who has replied by letters to “ Curious ” and “ Former P.D. Supporter,” who were critical of the Peoples’ Democracy Organization, that the “ challenge issued, was to Armagh People’s De- | mocracy and was a request for constructive comment on the P.D.'s proposed ‘ Workers’ Socialist Repab lic,” and how it would work. We have /heard nothing from the local P.D. leaders although this is the second letter from a Belfast address “not for publication,” that has been handed in at the “ Gazette "' Office. —kUlster Gazette and Armagh .Stangard THURSDAY. 3rd DECEMBER, 1970, Augustus Harland, 12, Boyne Villas, Belfast, describes himself as a moderate. He is a bigot, a fool, and a dupe. He is also the "hero! of an extremely funny book "A Little Bit British" by Martin Waddell (Stacey 35/-d.). Set in 15 day last August the buffoon Harland goes from ‘moderation' to 'fenian burning' in the space of a fortnight. Despite the serious intention and the tragic background of 'Diary of | a nobody', the diary of this boring stupid little man makes hilarious reading; included are the 'Papal Democracy’, ‘Michael Gun-barrell', 'Burn-a-debt Devlin', John Inhume| ane' and a host of others.

The trouble is that the Harlands of Ireland exist, and that laughter alone won't rid us of them. Mat Martin Waddell is a member of the | N.I.L.P. (more out of desperation than anything else) but until he gains some political education he will merely remain what he is - a very able and funny writer. This is a pity. Just as the foul Harland ends by discovering that the toilet in his own house is being secretly used as an illegal radio for the P.D. so Waddell may find that his laughter will not protect him against a totalitarian take-over. Supported when it succeeds by ‘left-wing moderates'. JOHN McGUFFIN.

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ard'' recently contained lengthy 'challenges' to P.D. to explain their

← “This weekend the Irish Labour Party holds special Conference…”

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