Sectarian Killings Increase Catholic Ghettos Need Defence

News bulletins-on almost every morning for the last two weeks have carried news of sectarian assassination attempts in Belfast. NO FEWER THAN TWENTY ONE SUCH ATTEMPTED KILLINGS HAVE BEEN RECORDED IN THE LAST THREE WEEKS AND FIVE OF THE VICTIMS SO FAR HAVE DIED. ALL HAVE BEEN CATHOLICS.

In some of the more gruesome murders the victims were horribly _ tortured — and their bodies sadistically mutilated before they were killed. A doctor’s statement after examining the body of one ‘youth was that “would have taken an abbatoir worker or else someone who works at cutting up bodies to have had the mental resistance to inflict the tortures without getting sick’”’.

Evefy election campaign in the last couple of years, every period leading up to major political events, has brought with it its gruesome spate of sectarian killings. Each period of killings has served always as a reminder of the terrible reality of life in the sectarian Northern Ireland State, and each has been ~ claimed as the work of such Loyalist organisations as the Red Hand Commandoes or the U.D.A. organisations based and operating from behind the lines of the Loyalist areas in many parts of Belfast.

These groups have been allowed to operate with the obvious knowledge and consent of the British Army. It needs little speculation from that, that the British are using the Loyalist campaign ‘‘to keep the Catholics in submission’’ for it has always suited them to have a cowed and terrified Catholic community.

CIVIL WAR COMING Peoples Democracy have been saying for some time now of the imminent danger of Civil War in the North — of another take-over by the Loyalists on the lines of the UWC strike. Such a seizing of control will be accompanied by massive murder and intimidation of Catholics. The events of the last two weeks, the nature of the killings themselves serve as the grimmest reminder yet that this is going to be how things will happen in the North. We will be faced with a Fascist takeover and the introduction of a state, mild by comparison.

26 Co. WORKERS MUST PREPARE TO TAKE ACTION have little faith in the 26 Co.

last Monday Cosgrave, O’Brien & LEADERS OF THE VERY _ MOVEMENT THAT CLAIMED ‘ RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DUBLIN AND MONAGHAN BOMBINGS DURING THE UWC of the very organisation from bhind whose lines the assassins of must continue to prepare for defence of their areas. But there is little chance of them surviving a will depend on the workers of the.

O’Brien, but on the republican working class of the 26 Cos. It is to organise that support and solidarity now. which would make the old Stormont The anti-Unionists of the North can government to help them — for only Cooney, had talks with UDA leaders LOCKOUT LAST MAY, and leaders the Red Hand Commandos operate.

The workers of the six-Counties Loyalist onslaught unaided — they South — NOT on Cosgrave or Cruise the duty of socialists and republicans

——————— eee force and wil! launch 2 reian of terror against ail opposition elements.

Meanwhile because of their weak and muddled politics Provisional and Official Republicans and almost all socialist groups have been thrown into utter confusion by the rise of the U.D.A., U.V.F. etc. They have been fooled by the Loyalists’

‘working-class’ image and phony radicalism, into seeing their deadliest enemies as friends. The Officials called for joint patrols with the U.D.A. _and Daithi O’Conaill praised the “‘discipline’’ of the U.W.C. Lockout in May. P.D. alone has for 4 years warned consistently of the danger of Fascism in the 6 Cos. and argued that there can be no compromise or alliances with Loyalist para-military groups.

Trotsky in the early 1930's warned time and again of the dangers of Fascism only to be scoffed at hy the Communist Parties who actually collaborated with the Nazis in Germany. The R.M.G. claim to be Trotskyists but faced with the serious danger of Fascism in the 6 Counties they can only quibble and argue about definitions like the Stalinist hacks Trotsky denounced.

Why the R.M.G. say the Loyalist | are not fascists | The R.M.G. produce only two | arguments to prove that the Loyalist , | | groups aren’t Fascist: (A) ‘Classical’

| Fascism (i.e. Hitler & Mussolini's | brand) had its base in the petty bourgeoisie, the Loyalists have theirs among the ‘Labour Aristocracy’, the | Protestant skilled workers;

{don’t appear to have read Trotsky who, writing about Fascism in 1932, | described the ‘Labour aristocracy as {the new petty bourgeoisie’ (Leon | Trotsky: Fascism, What it is and How to | Fight it). Appear to forget that \Italian big business didn’t back {Mussolini until after the workers’ jrisings of 1920 and that big business in Germany didn’t back Hitler until 1927-8. British Imperialism in Ireland backed Sunningdale until ~ May. They have wavered since then and now seem more and more likely to back the Loyalists.

In general it is true that the U.D.A. and U.V.F. show some differences from ‘classical’ fascism but the R.M.G. forget that even in the 1930's there were fascist movements in a fozen countries all of them jomewhat different. Trotsky himself jalled the Pilsucski regime in foland Fascist though it was very lifferent from Hitler and Mussolini.

flost importantly the European fascist movements were in fetropolitan countries where there Jas a fairly straightforward conflict tween capital and labour and the Fascists’ main.targets were the trade unions and working-class organisations. The North is under British Rule and the conflict here is between British Imperialism and its local agents and anti-imperialist forces. The Fascists here devote their energies to smashing Republican and Socialist groups and terrorising the Catholic population rather than destroying the trade unions — though they are attempting that too. The parallel is closer with the OAS in Algeria. Even the R.M.G. would The P.D. have characterised the Loyalist para-military groups as Fascist for good reasons. It helps to hardly deny that the OAS were Fascist. clear away the confusion caused in the revolutionary movement by the Loyalists’ pseudo-radicalism; it alerts the anti-Unionist population to the tragic seriousness of a Loyalist take-over and the need to resist to the length of civil war; and it helps to clarify the situation for the socialist movement in other countries confused by British propaganda about ‘religious’ war in N. Ireland.

The R.M.G. had earlier charged P.D. with crying ‘Wolf’ too often about the Fascist threat. The trouble in Ireland is that most of the Republicans and the Left believe that wolves are extinct and wouldn't recognise one until they ended up ‘U.D.S. para-militarv readblock in its belly. This is no time for arguing over academic niceties. The RMG should stop quibbling, get down off the fence and join in the fight.

On the same page of the ‘Plough’ as the article about Fascism there is an article condemning the equivocation of the Southern intelligentsia. It says ‘It (the intelligentsia) can afford to sit back and ponder the finer points of Loyalist ideology. It is welcome to do so. But the workers of Ballymurphy, the New Lodge and Ardoyne,must fight tooth and nail against Loyalism to survive. Unlike the intellectuals we Marxists are not afraid to stand on their side... ’’ The R.M.G. should practice what it preaches.

Powell, Smith, Craig and West — the new Fascists? :

- Treland’s highest unemployment in years There was a time when only Marxist economists predicted an ihevitable slump in the capitalist world. Capitalist apologists could see no end to the long lease of prosperity begun after the 2nd World War. The workirtg class in the western world were politically inactive as they enjoyed “ relative full employment and a rising standard of living.

But in line with Marx’s prediction of slumps and booms due to over-production the western capitalist governments now face severe economic crisis. We here in Ireland, who are so heavily dependant on the British market for the sale of our exports, suffer doubly when recessions take place in Britain: There’s an old saying as true now as ever:

“‘When England catches the cold, Ireland catches the flu’.

The 26 Coun. establishment are expressing severe concern at their economic plight., Inflation, the steady ’ rise in prices, is now at a rate of 18%. ‘ For those on fixed incomes or with small savings this is disastrous as it means their real incoine is being reduced by this rise in prices.

There has been a steady increase in the numbers unemployed. It now stands at 70,000 which is the highest September figure for five years. Most experts believe that it will rise to 90,000. The social and economic ill effects of unemployment are incalcuable. There are now 70,000 people unable in any way to contribute to the wealth of the people of Ireland because of the anarcy of the capitalist system.

The balance of payments position has rapidly got worse in the last six months and it is estimated that the current deficit will ke about £300 million compared to a deficit of £86 million in 1973. The balance of payments shows the difference between imports and exports and a deficit means more imports than exports.

The imports are goods coming into the country and in Ireland they are chiefly industrial goods. The exports are when Irish made goods are sold abroad.

So in other words foreign resultant squeeze on credit. industrialists are increasing their sale of goods to us — thus increasing their possibilities for profit.

Irish made goods — mainly agricultural are not expanding their sales as fast as they could. The result is, and has been now since at least 1958, the gradual takeover of most of 26 Co. industry by foreign interests, attracted by the pool of unemployment which keeps wages relatively low.

But even the rate of foreign investment has slowed down due to a combination of reasons; the uncertain political situation in Ireland, the slump in the world market and the To maintain the attractive rate of profit the capitalists will have to stabilise for a number of years, wages, and to do so they need to slow down the rate of inflation. But part of the present rise in inflation is due to factors beyond the control of capitalists operating in Ireland. Crop failures reduce the amount of cereals available, thereby pushing up the cost of flower. (Hence the rise in head prices). Although some of these crop failures took place in widely separated countries they have affected the living standards of Irish workers. This clearly indicates the internationalism of capitalism and shows that ultimately socialism will be international.

Another important reason for inflation was the huge increase in oil prices, caused by the policies of the oil-producing countries. This intra-capitalist conflict could lead to a sharp decline in world trade. The resultant slump would undermine confidence in the stability of bourgeois capitalist governments.

So just like the early 1930s the bourgeoisie would be caught between fascism and socialism. In other words the objective situation indicates the possibility of socialism being triumphant.

In Ireland given the weaknesses of the bourgeoisie caused by the war of . National Liberation in the 6 Counties any serigus economic crisis ¢ ould trigger off a massive workers response which would transform the present struggle into an ongoing struggle for socialism. Speed the day.

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| (B) ‘Classical’ Fascism was linked | with and financed by heavy industry {and finance capital. The R.M.G.