This article first appeared on the Socialist Democracy (Ireland) website at:-A shared future in the North of Ireland? There is no mistaking the bookend manoeuvre inflicted on the Northern Irish administration at the start of May. At one end the British Secretary of State, Teresa Villiers, made threatening noises about cutting back the flow of…
Offensive Behaviour And The Independence Referendum
In the following two articles, Jim Slaven of the James Connolly Society shows that SNP government’s Offensive Behaviour Act represents the latest attempt to create a ‘sectarian’ smokescreen to avoid tacking anti-Irish racism in Scotland, whilst the Labour Party’s ‘opposition’ is nothing but the rankest opportunism from a party that has long upheld the UK…
The Crisis In The SWP:- The failure of the Central Committee’s ‘recruit, recruit, recruit’ tactics
This article examines one aspect of the current crisis enveloping the SWP. The SWP has not had a programme, so it has no real strategy for achieving the socialism it claims to support. Instead, the SWP leadership concentrates on the tactics it thinks will bring it new members. In the SWP leadership’s thinking, socialism will come about…
Belfast – “the carnival of reaction” continues
James Fearon has sent the following article to Socialist Democracy (Ireland). We are reposting it here as a follow- up to our other articles covering the Belfast flag riots. These riots have exposed the continuing sectarian nature of the Northern Ireland statelet, and the UK state’s role in maintaining Loyalism as a back-up defence for…
Better Together – With Friends Like These!
WAR CRIMINAL SAYS HE’LL SAVE THE UNION FOR US-BRITISH IMPERIALISM BELFAST LOYALIST RIOTERS BIGOTS UNITED TO SAVE THE UNION JOHANN LAMONT HOLDS UP HER FUTURE UNIONIST PROMISE LABOUR AND TORIES WILL UNITE TO END UNIVERSAL BENEFITS
Belfast Flag Riots
John McAnulty of Socialist Democracy (Ireland) writes about the Loyalist rioting in Belfast over the council’s decision to restrict the number of days the Union Jack flies over the City Hall. UNIONISTS UNITE TO REJECT CONCILIATION FOR SECTARIAN DOMINANCE “They are taking everything” proclaimed a Belfast loyalist, marching back from the trashing of the city…
Terry Liddle, 1948 – 2012, Comrade
We are reposting the following tribute to Terry Liddle by Andrew Coates. A number of RCN members met Terry in a variety of political organisations, and we can agree with Andrew that “Terry’s contribution to the left was outstanding. He was a great bloke. He will be much missed.” Andrew’s tribute was first posted on his own…
Why we oppose the Pope’s State Visit to Britain
Taken from Peter Tatchells site Pope Benedict preaches intolerance & rejects key human rights Even most Catholics oppose many of his teachings London – 13 August 2010 Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, who is also a spokesperson for the Protest the Pope campaign, spoke at a public meeting in Richmond, London, last night. In his…
Half truths, mistruths and anything but the truth— a brief history of a century of wartime propaganda
Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. —Voltaire The government of the United States had a major problem. It was April 1917, and on the sixth day of that month, eager to get into the First World War, they declared war on Germany. Their big problem was this. Although the…
The Defiance Of Science
Rod MacGregor looks at science, secularism and the role of religion In his book about oil depletion, Half Gone, Jeremy Leggett, one-time oil company high flier and former chief scientist with Greenpeace, tells of a particularly bizarre conversation he had with a lobbyist from the Ford Motor Company at a conference on climate change. The…