Irish Trotskyist: no. 6, 27 February 1973

Paper of the Revolutionary Marxist Group (Belfast branch) 27th February, 1973. two pence phat att Lynch seeks mandate to smash Resistance "The incoming Government, in its appr:isal of the British White Paper will need the unequivocal support of the people to deal firmly with the new situation as it developes", With those words Jack Lynch announced the Free State's General Hlection. The reason for it is clear - Fianna Fail want a fresh election victory, a recent indication of popular support so that they can’ launch a new, unparalleled waive of represcion against Republicans and Socialists, and do it in the name of the people. iynch knows that the White Paper will contain nothin; for the anti-unirnist population of the North. The British, their political “initiative” having fsiled to break the spirit of Resistance will then fall back on their usual answer - military force.

in this, 2s always, they will be supported by their trusty lap dog, the Irish Government.

iynch want® to be returned with a hefty majority, for while Fine Gael supports the same basic policy of repression they have tended to slow up the passing of legislation in their anxiety to appear as an opposition, It took two bombs to hurry Fine Gael into the voting lobbies to support the amendment to the Offences Against the State Act, but lynch cannot try that trick again without serious questions being asked by the people in the South about whether “honest Jack" is quite the innocent he makes out to be, Therefore he called the election.

But it has become clear that Lynch miscalculated his support and when a Fine Gaellabour Party alliance victory looked possible he promised improved welfare benefits.

it was obviously a panic election gesture.

It was remrkable that after 16 years ol eontinucus ofiice, Mianns Pail a ovld tesome interested in working class welfare just a week before the elections.

It will make litile difference to the wotking class which group forms the next Government, Lynch is not the "m:n of the people" his election propaganda sugyests, but neither are Cosgrave or Corish. They are all servants of the capitaliete and imperialists. Tuey have striven hard to break the resistance to imperialism in the North, they have been selling Ireland's mineral wenlth te the Americans, enceuraring the collapse of the Irish language by nezlectiny the Gaeltacht, and encouraging capitalists, both Irish and foreign, to exploit the Irish worker.

What then should Socialists and Republicans dovin such 2 situation? Elections set clear tusks for revolutionary groups, They focus the attention of the working class on political issues. Therefore, under normal conditions, it is the duty of revolutionaries to take advantage of this situation and put their policies before the people and, if practical, to participate in the election, In a revolutionary situation, on the other hand, it ia the clear duty of revolutionaries to mount a boycott.

Yormlin: clase otiontion should then be turned away fram the bourgeois mockery of democracy and towards the building of the workers’ own orgine of power, peoples!

assemblies, sovietsa. Obviously the Free State ia not ina revolutionary situation, What then has been the reaction of the Republican Move- : 7 Ld ment to the elections? /ontined Seuss

OMASH PHASE 2!

After all its pious mouthings about the low paid, the British Government hae initiated a campsign of propayanda and repression against those under-paid sections of the working class who have dared to stand up against the.pay freeze. Ard the JUC has refused to build a united movement im opposition to the measures, they have allowed the Government's plan to pick eff one section of the workii: class at 2 time to be started, The task now before the British working class is to unite in strupgle against the freeze. If the TUC will not organise action then it will be for the workers themselves to prepare such action. And workers in the six counties mst not shirk their respnsibilities, they too mst fight the freeze. Some are already doing so.

From March 1, hospital ancillary workers in the north of Ireland will operate a ban on overtime and a campaign of noncooperation with management. Selective strikes in hospitals throughout the North are also being planed. They mist be supp -orted, The Confederation of Health Service Employees his asked that students and children should refuse to be brought into t-e hospitals as blackleg voluntary lebour.

But the fight againat the freeze can only be effective, for workers in individual industries, whether hespital workers, civil servants or gas men, and for the working class as a whole, if a resolute and united stand is made. Civil servants in the six counties have decided to be "responsible" and not to strike in the present situation. But "responsibility" ¢doesa not win improvements in pay or conditions. It is the Government that has forced workers to take action, it is the Government that mist carry the can for the effects of that action. public sector 4t present it is workers in some of the most ill-paid occupations that are putting up the fight against the Tories, These, auch as the hospital workers and in Britain the gas men, have also tended to be employed But workers do not strike and lose pay for fun, It is the refusal of employers to offer workers a fair wage t at Teaves people with no alternative but to strike. The hospital workers have mide it clear that they will not place lives or health ir danger - bit that will not stop the propaganda.

poverty-stricken Gas workers in England are already feeling the effect of the Press's poison pen. The "Red Mole", paper of the International Marxist Group, British Section of the Fourth International, made these comments on the Bress campaign - "fhe Daily Mail called the tune for 2 well orchestrated Bress hysteria by shrieking 'this etrike could kill', Charity orgarisstions urged gas men to ‘search their hearts’ and sugrested that half a million might be killed off by the gas strike! This means that half a mliion people in this country are so poverty stricken that they will freeze to death. Who is reseporsible for that scandal? Millions of people are finding themselves priced out of essesntials, are the gas workers responsible for that?

This is exactly what the gas workers are fighting against and whst the espitalist class which the Tory Government leads has created. Soon we will hear ahout desths.

Why haven't we heard chout then before?

They are an outrare and they herve been going in the public sector and in essential servic-on all the time. They occur because every es. Because of thie they are doubly oppressed government this country hss had puts the Being in the public sector, the Government hes had the power to clamp down directly on their pay demands. This power the Government hag not hesitated to use. Secondly, as essential service workers they have the full power of the Press propaganda michine turned against them - “they endanger lives by their reckless actions" ete etc, |

SOLIDARITY WITH THE HOSPITAL

be.’ WORKERS! % SmASH THE FREBZE! xt. itl ee profits of the capitalists before the eafety and living standards of the workirg class", In Britain, workers are preparin? for a General Strike. Workers in the six counties mat five them fullest support. HinaTH AND THE IYPERTALISTS

MUST BE OPPOSED ON ALL FROMTS!

DMASH THE FREEZES

——— eee ts Boyeat! the Propaganda Pall The British Government continues to upholae the system that allows tae Unionists to dictate the future of the mincrity in the six counties. The Eorder Poll's result is obvious, there could be no other cutcome in a state thats very existance is a gerrymander. But the Poll will previde an important propaganda source for Unionists.

They want to wave the result like a flag tc show how "demeeratic" the six county Statelet is. But the will of the people of the Irish Nation must take precedence over that of an artificially created majority. Self dctermination for the pecple of Ireland a5 awhole is the only real democracy, but it is a @ mocracy imperialism rejects.

This is why the Foll must be boycotted, anti-unionists must refuse to take part in imp..rialism's divisive games.

It is = favourite trick of bourgeois "“Gemocratic™ Governments to put big issues ‘Their views were attacked, All discussions should be between the Parliaments, on which they are confident of public supportthey were told, plebiscites might mean to the vote and prenounce the conclusion democratic. Thus, in the Republic, Lynch knew moat of the +lectorate supported LEC entry and a referendum was held, In Britein, however, most peaple opposed the LEC and no such vote was organised. Polls, the Government stated, were not in the British "tradition of democracy", they were not Constitutional. Sonehow they have managed to tear themselves away from such principles to "benefit" their Irish colony.

The helding-of feriier British pelicy. The 192 Treaty put forward the ides of a cemmission te determine “in accordance with the wishes of the inkebitants...the boundaries between Nerthern Ireland ard the rest cof Ireland".

The Government appointed Chairman of the.

Cottmission decided that in law this did not title the Commission to held a poll. Had h. decided otherwise, consid rable areas of territory might have bken transferred Scuth.

the Eorder Fell centradicthat there can be no change in the dismembering of the U.K, Lord horrison, Leader of the House of Com:ons, said, "this is not a simple issue thet can be put to the people which can be answered by yes or no", His arguments convinced the House. Only 26 u.E.s supported the amendment, all Conservatives and Unionists supported Morrison. Today they have found it convenient to do an about turn. Whitelaw has atoted that the purpose of the Poll "is to provide the constit— utional position of Northern Ireland as part of the U.K. unless by the will of the majority ++. of the people of Northern Ireland, ™ 4 yes or no vete is ealled for, Bourgeois standards of law and order and of democracy change with the recuirements of the ruling class, Twent ears o -Oll was geemed unconsti etone for then it would have threatened the position of the imperialists. Today the Foll is a useful In 1949, the Ireland Act, recognising theet@vice te reassure their Unionist supporters, republican status of the South was under consideration at Westminster. It contained a sub-section declaring that the North would not cease te be part of the U.K. "witheut the consent of the Parliament of Northern Irelancu", Some h.t.s reasoned that with gerrymandering , the existence of the Senate, which only reflected the composition of the lower house after a period of time, and the fact that the Crewn , the British Home Sceretary in other words, could veto any parliamentary decision, that a vote by the people for a change and the ability of Parl- Ff bat 12 4 latent to carry this out were very different, Therefore they argued that the Treaty should be amended sc that it should read that the people rather than the Parliament had the power to make the decision.

The British are risking nothing with this poll. It is net a referendum, where decisions are sent from Parliament to the pecple for ratification, nor a plbiscite, whereby the decision of the people is final.

ft is merely a poll, n= one is bound by it.

The Border Poll is a hideous pretence , put forward by the imperialists as if it would effect cur lives. The British Government has the power to decidé on U.K. territory and if alone, ind it will be the British Governemtn that decides when it has had enough, when it will be time for imperialism to relinguish power cver the six counties. SELF LETERMINATION FOR THs IRISH NaTION!

A Chara, i regularly read the "Irish Trotskyist" and I was "All dressed up and nowhere to go..." (I.7, Ko.4).

ant. evolution has tal, fore militant cum rather surprised by the article As far as I'm concerned, an nm place in the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis, under the pressure of ainn, of the more politically conscious rand and file, importthe This current , even not eryetellised, dominated the Ard Fheis not by its victory in the votes but by its systematic oppos-— ition to the reformist Wing.

Your critiscism about the sticky conception of work with the U.D.A. or any other fascist orgenisation is correct, but you don*t mention that on the vote dealing with this matter, the Ard Fheis was split down the middle (137 votes against 137!) showing a huge confusion in terms of the all-Ard Fheis delegation, but also the birth of an Opposition to the traditional Ard Comhairle line! The same thing can be said sbout the denunciation of the Communist Party of Ireland as reformist, of the two satges theory, and that if Official propaganda slanders the Provisional Alliance , sev ral Cumainn heve proposed to cease these attacks, stress— ing thet the real enemy is British Imp: rialism, Apart from that, the fact that the book- Stall was dominated by Trotskyist literoture, &. Mandel, J. Novack... , and that a member of the French "Communist League (Fourth International) was applauded when coming into the Ard Fheis, ar: revealing the turn of a con- Sistent fringe towards Revolutionary Socialism. Finally, all "were dressed up" and “some had somewicre to go" but to succeed they need a compass, whet you Trotskyists call a Centralis.d Combat Party!

fraternaliy, J. NcA (Ardoyne). £ LOUGH BUOKoLAVICLF LOUGHBUL Kos AVICE PLOUGH BOUASEKVICEELOUCHBOOKSERVICE |they were ashamed of their policies and jwere not prep | The Officials, in marked contrast to | their policies in the North, reacted | & Sigeable clection | Group has been | active part in catpaign, | to boyeett, to not expest Lumch's position] to the working class to nat Lt way owards workadae class altbrnatives, ; Strat gies, Lynch's Mandate; from front page/ The Brovisionels first hesitated, then decided to boycott. They reacted as if ed to put their beliefs before the el.ctorate, fearing failure at the polls. with confidence against the manoeuvres of the capitalists. They have mounted campaign putting forwar’ their policies. Because of this, and because a vote to the Republican Movement is a vote against repression, the Revolutionary Marxist Supporting ang taking an the Official's election is to invite defeat by the capitalist-s’ dtIsH TRITSLYIST Ro. 6 e7th February, 1973. Frinted and published by the: KHelfast branch of the Revolutionary warxist Group.

—— For all your socialist literature - Plough Book Service, 72, Castle Street, Eelfast. - hayner Lysarht 18p THELARL UMFRLE - Bop Furdie 30p eERD FUR FREE CATALOCUE. AN IMTauULUCTICN TU wiAbaiol bu uulOs ; - irnest mandel 555 warx, L enin, Connolly, Trotsky, wandel, Cannon, Novack, etc, ete.

/'4

Craigs Dominion FC —————— ltt ts~—“‘“SC~S ia a On Wednesday, February 7, the forces of reaction tested their strength, Industry and business was brought to a standstill, intimidation and sectarian violence was widesprend as loyndists rampaged. But Craig and eumpan found Tess support thor he expected.

got their fingers badly burnt. Craig He found that few middle class people, whose support is essential to every fascist, were behird him. He retrented and five days later was talkinj; about t ¢ things protestants and catholics had in common, about neighbourly relations. He even refe.red. to the previous Wedresdzy's violence as "senseless and stupid" - as near to a condernation of loyalist violence ever to come irom Craig. A Dominion of Tlster was suggested.

Craig envisaged 2 tre ty between "Ulsterfof easing some confusion among the most ad the U.K. safegucerding “vital British interests". In other words, the basis of British Imperialism - ownership of industry and a virtually couplete control of the economy would rerain,. The only difference would be that Craig and his crories would be free to "police" the six counties as they wished,

SDLP

There cai be no mistaking what lies beneath Craig's talk of a common allegiance to Ulster. He made it clear that his Dominion would be no place for those who did not shure his narrow loyalties, Fower sharing would only operate as lon: as "minority groups have an allegiance or some other relationship with tjority elements".

The reaction of the Ulster Loyalist Coureil to the SDLP's offer of talks illustrates this poi::t, The ULC said the SDLP did not represent the working clase - its policies were too extreme! But the ULC were riyht cn one thing. The SDLP does not represent np section of the working class. No organisation with the interests of the working class in mind would countenance talks witha fascist like Craig. The SDLP represents only the petit-boursecisie, the middle class, of the.minority, the people who ask only that there be a st=ble society in which they can get back to the serious business of mking money. It is upon these elements that fascists thrive.

law and order W.at promises does Craig give toa the working class None. His only prouwise is; "WlLster nust emerz:e from this crisis with a really svurung constitution; and and Government that carries out tough law and order policies". That needs no explanation. But the Press his chosen to ,ive Craig's speech a rosey glow of moderation - emphasising the mention of common links between protestants ad catholics. It gave a wholly false imoression but it did have the effect blindly sectari« of Craic's supporters, But Craig and the fascism he peddles is not easily destroyed. fascists ‘ascists feeds off the feurs of the petit-bourgecisie, the small business men, the middle class, and uses the lumpenproletariat, the thugs and the work-shy.

Craig's change of strategy was designed .

to win back middle clasa support lost it the excesses of the strike, but in doin; so he lost some of the lumperproletari:t support. But Craig is a skillful operator and his appeal to loyolists, b th middle and working class is strong.

While thit continues he poses a threat to the entire working class.

independence Recently Craig has been putting forward a collectior of fissures to show that an independent six counties could work economically. Hut his approach his been too simple. Yet Greig is a cumming politician and undoubtedly vot 2 stupid Tan. He paints only hakf the picture in his propagand. to the working class. The reason why is simple, If the protestont working class was to clerrly ubderatend the economic snd political relationship between Britain and the six cou ties, the capitalistic exploitation and the role of the unionist politici-ns, then they would reject Craig as surely os they would reject imperialism. That Britain takes between . 400m nnd 700m in profit from six county industries does not apeear in his figures, There is nothing in-his statements ahout the exploitation of the working class by i:dustrialists, nothin, zbout the poor conditions of the working class that form an intgral part of the capitalist system. For it is the capitalists that Craig represents. He is the man who promises them a new anpitalist stability so that they can exploit freely - he is the fascist/ continued next page:

raig's Dominion; from puge five/ put wh:-t would be the realities of riig's Uls ter Dominion. There are two ossibilities. Hither a ne, otintec indepenence with Britain, The six counties would hen become a neo-colony, controlled econor of 2n economic wreck. Sweeping coven ment control of every aspect of life would be taken in order to stabilise the econeny on behalf of the enpitalists. All workers' organisations would have to be amished for their would be ne room for protest in Craig's Dominion. That is how mically, and that menne politically as well,fascism works. Complete government control y Britain. Craig would assume the role f Britain's strutting governor.

ight leave "Ulster" to its own fate. an nstable region on the edge of the ERO, it jeht not be considered a grent loas,. With nveatment in industry drying up economic isaster would loom. Craig would be dictatin the intercsts of the espitalists. This Or Britain would be 1 likely development in the case of the first alternnitive also if stability were to be miintained. That is what Craic would hove in store for ua. That is why he is anti-working class why he and his ideology mist be smehed.

There is only one wey forward for the working class of the six and of the twenty six counties - the Workers’ Hepublic, free of eipitolist exploitation, organised for and by the working clasa.

Comrades! workers! It is necessary to read "TRISH TROTSAYIoT" -regularly? And see the FP1QUGH BUUR oELKVICe® stand in Castle Street every saturday afternoon! From Flough book service; WAHKTST hEVIEW NUL2 articles include; hire Nua - a critique. fennells' third Heich. The Two Nations Lopuia. anc a ducusent of the oocialistr Party of Ireland explaining the origins and politics of the group forwed with the of Cormnolly in 1904, also ‘lrotsky on nationel selfceteruwination ana published for the first tiwe in English.

cooperatio Le See we ee

THE |

REVOLUTIONARY |

MARKIST GROUP

Revolutionary socialist organisation in sali darity with Fourth International, | am interested in getting more information about the R.M.G, 23) Se ee + eked eee AED RESE hd. tl eee Send ta: The Secretary; AMG; 58, North Great Charles Street, Dublin, Of ASK AMY “ERESH TROOTSKYIST” SELLER