Socialist Republic statement, reprinted in Intercontinental Press vol. 16 no. 13

DOCUMENTS

es Intercontinental Press Vol.16, No.13, 3 April 1978 ee Iteland— Statement by Editors of ‘Socialist Republic’ [Socialist Republic, the new monthly newspaper of the Movement for a Socialist Republic (Irish section of the Fourth International) and the People’s Democracy, was launched at a public meeting in Dublin on February 3. The speakers included Bernadette (Devlin) McAliskey; Michael Farrell of People’s Democracy, one of the leaders of the Northern Ireland civil-rights movement; and Tarig Ali, editor of Socialist Challenge and a leader of the International Marxist Group, British section of the Fourth International.

[The publication of a joint paper by the MSR and PD is a step in a process of fusion between the two organizations.

McAliskey is a member of neither organization, but has spoken in favor of the greatest possible unity among the organizations adhering to revolutionary Marxism. [The statement of purpose of the new publication, printed in its first issue, dated February 1978, is given below.] * * * The struggle for national liberation in Ireland stands at the crossroads. Almost ten years after the first civil rights marchers swarmed onto the streets of the 6 Counties to sound the death knell of the corrupt, sectarian Northern statelet, the whole 32 counties of Ireland remain dominated and controlled by British Imperialism. In the North, British Imperialism blatantly increases the repression of the anti- Unionist minority with the aim of destroying every remaining remnant of resistance. In the South, the bourgeois nationalists of Fianna Fail (who represent the interests of the Irish capitalist class) fill the prisons with republican and socialist militants while cynically pleading that Britain should go. Britain and its Irish collaborators together seek to thwart the democratic aspiration of the Irish people for the unity and control of Ireland.

Clearly, the Irish capitalist class have not got any interest in helping finish the national revolution. Indeed, the whole history of the 26 Counties shows that a capitalist Ireland cannot exist independent of imperialism. In reality this means that a capitalist Ireland cannot be independent of Britain, as Britain is the major imperialist power here. National independence, then, will only be achieved through a struggle which will challenge the existing class and economic relationships here, in other words—through the struggle for socialism. April 3, 1978 Such a struggle should champion the cause of all oppressed sections of society, but it must be based on and led by the working class. Only the working class has no vested interest in maintaining the present system. Only the working class has the economic and mass power to change the system. But for historical reasons the Irish working class lacks a revolutionary leadership, which is vital if a socialist revolution is to succeed. It is a part of the process of creating that revolutionary leadership that the present fusion between P.D. and the M.S.R. is taking place. Both P.D. and the M.S.R. represent a layer of those who became involved in radical politics during the worldwide upsurge of the 1960s, and who have become Marxists. We have developed by different routes to a point where we have a high level of common experience and a common method of struggle. There is not at this point final agreement between the two groups on all areas but there is a principled agreement on fundamental matters of central importance, Over the next few months we will be spelling out in detail the specifics of our agreement. Here we give a brief outline of the points on which we believe agreement exists, We are agreed in our acceptance of the central role of British imperialism in the oppression of the Irish people. We are agreed in our acceptance of the centrality of the need for resolving the national question through the achievement of reunification, national and economic and political independence. We are united in our rejection of the “2 Nations” theory [that is, that the Protestants are a nation with the right of selfdetermination], in our rejection of the claim that any lasting solution to the problems of the Irish working class can be found within a 6 County framework, and in our rejection of the right of the Loyalist minority to continue partition.

We believe that a crucial area of capitalist oppression is the oppression of women, and that this is especially so in Ireland given the history of clerical power here.

While we believe that an end to this exploitation will only come through socialist revolution, we don’t believe that women should wait for this or see the question as a side issue. Thus we support the right of women to organize independently to oppose their exploitation, Socialist Republic aims to become a weapon for militants in the antiimperialist ghettos, in the trade unions, in the student and women’s movements. Not only will it report their struggles but it will draw out the lessons of these experiences for the benefit of those militants now fighting on the streets, who are the nucleus of the broad mass movement which will have to be built for further success in the anti-imperialist struggle.

Socialist Republic is an internationalist paper that will fight to build solidarity with the struggles of workers and oppressed peoples throughout the world. Ata time when the imperialists and capitalists are uniting in defense of their stolen privileges it becomes extremely important that we too unite across countries and continents to put an end to all oppression.

We are Marxists and we believe that a social revolution is necessary to overthrow capitalism and imperialism, that the capitalist state must be smashed and replaced by a workers state, and that only the organised working class can provide the motive force for doing this.

We believe that it is necessary to be involved in both the political and the economic struggle. We believe that the most effective weapon that the working class has is its ability to organise politically on a mass base combining its economic power and its strength of numbers. We believe that the mobilisation of the power of the organised working class is superior to all other methods of struggle— including armed struggle.

We believe in the building of an organised and experienced leadership in a Marxist party based on the Leninist theory of party organisation. We are internationalists and believe that Irish workers should actively support struggles throughout the world and learn from them. The M.S8.R. are members of the 4th International, an _ international Trotskyist organisation. P.D. has not such a clearly defined position, although we informally agree on the theory of permanent revolution, and on the fact that the Russian Revolution has degenerated.

This is one of the major issues around which discussion will take place during the fusion process and within the fused organisation. The Socialist Republic will report these discussions as well as other aspects of the fusion process. This is then the basis on which the Socialist Republic is founded.

The Socialist Republic stands unequivocally for an end to British interference and control in Ireland. It asserts the leading 405

role of the working class in the antiimperialist struggle. It proclaims the primacy of mass action over all forms of struggle including the armed struggle.

Socialist Republic aims to be all this but something more. The forces of revolutionary socialism in Ireland are weak and divided. In many cases, differences of tactics make them hostile to each other.

The proposed fusion of People’s Democracy and the Movement for a Socialist Republic shows that tactical disagreement is no obstacle to principled unity. Socialist Republic will report on the development of our fusion, on the setbacks as well as the advances. In this way, we hope to promote the regroupment of revolutionary socialism that is so required by the big responsibilities that face us in the present phase of the struggle for a United Socialist Ireland.