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Your
correspondent Marty Egan
declares that I am 99% wrong and 1% right in my contribution
entitled 'British Anti- Insurgency'. Well Marty is
intitled to his opinion- 100%. But at least he should
enlighten your readers and indeed myself about what
I am wrong about and what I am right about. With such
a bald statement one cannot see the hair.
Is
he implying that all Irish Americans from Catholic/Nationalist
backgrounds support the concept of a United Ireland. This
is contrary to my experience and I have been in New
York, Boston, Atlantic City, Pittsburgh, Cleveland,
Laredo, Chicago, and other places where Americans
of Irish descent live and work.
Some
do, some don't, others couldn't care less. And that's
their perogative.
But
I have met with those very vocal in support of the
'provos stroke unionists' but then again they were
equally vocal against integrated schooling with black
America. And I assure Marty that very few of them
would support a United Irish Socialist Republic. Which
I desire and work towards. Fenian socialism for ever!!!
The
latter was believed to be the objective of Adams and
co at one time but like all traditional republican
principles it has been discarded. Whereas once the
slogan was 'this is the year of freedom' now, its
'equal rights for all in the 6 counties'. Recognising
the so called 'constitutional legitimacy of the 6
counties' and, in order to con their followers and
the rank and file, they contend that their strategy
is a stepping stone towards the Republic.
Well
Michael Collins saw the Anglo/Irish Treaty of the
early decades of the 20th century as a so called stepping
stone, by which he helped to sell that treaty and
the partition of our country to nationalist Ireland. That
was over 80 years ago and where is the united and
free Ireland expected?It was a long step and it has
yet to fall. And like the former the latest step i. e.
the Belfast Agreement will also fail.
Perhaps
Marty will ensure that his descendents will recall
my prediction ( the O'Comain prediction) in the years
to come as they hopefully will continue to help to
write Emmetts epitaph.
Furthermore
in the republican movement of the past until the birth
of the Provisionals but more so the advent of the
Adams leadership Michael Collins was never mentioned. Yes,
it was acknowledged that he was a good soldier but
one who became a traitor by being one of those who
accepted the first British instigated treaty which
partitioned our country. And who was eventually killed
by the IRA because of that betrayal. Now, however,
books about him canbe bought in Provisional Sinn Fein
bookshops alongside portraits and allegedly there
hangs a portrait of Collins in the Provisional Office
in partitionist Stormont. Is this not proof of the
resurrection of the old free statism and its consequences
especially the neglect by numerous Dublin governments
of the national question.
There
are those in Irish America especially aware of the
period of 'no blacks, no dogs, no Irish need apply'
who agree with the type of 'con strategy' developed
by their ancestors in order to survive and as a result
con- manship has come to be respected by our American
cousins. Even to the extent that in reverse they like
to be conned. Well Gerry and Martin has had a field
day, no! a period, for to convince people that the
Belfast Agreement and their partitionist strategy
will bring about a free and united Ireland in ten
or fifteen years is some doing. Now I am not implying
that all Irish Americans like to be conned, nor am
I implying that the two lundies are brilliant, I'm
just stating that there are some of our American cousins
who like to be conned!!!
In
conclusion the Provo leader has written some books
as Marty states but how could he have had the time
to do so if he was earnestly involved in a revolution?
And you know thats what we are about, at least many
a brave volunteer died with this belief.
Also
can you imagine Che Guevara O'Loinsig (another transatlantic
cousin, but this time from Latin America) during his
participation in revolutionary activities being in
the position of having a holiday bungalow in some
part of the island of Cuba?
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