Below are three articles from the Socialist Democracy (Ireland) website highlighting the role of Loyalism and mainstream Ulster Unionism, aided by the UK government in pushing the Good Friday Agreement further to the sectarian right. Underscoring the UK state’s own declining imperial role, Richard Haas, the unofficial US representative has been drawn in to help…
Nelson Mandela – Two Views Of His Legacy
MANDELA WILL NEVER BE YOUR MINSTREL Dear revisionists, Mandela will never, ever be your minstrel. Over the next few days you will try so, so hard to make him something he was not, and you will fail. You will try to smooth him, to sandblast him, to take away his Malcolm X. You will try…
2nd Radical Independence Conference ‘Emancipation & Liberation’ Special
Our Emancipation & Liberation Radical Independence Conference Special will be available at the conference on Saturday, November 23rd. CONTENTS Editorial(also posted below) Scottish Self-Determination: For a Scottish Wannabe Ruling Class or for Scotland’s People? – RCN Why is Venezuela relevant to Scotland’s Radical Independence Movement? – Ewan Robertson Women and Independence –…
Haas Talks: The illusion of a progressive role for imperialism
We are posting two articles from the Socialist Democracy (Ireland) website. The first addresses the current Haas Talks concerning the growing Loyalist challenges to the Peace Process in Northern Ireland. The second highlights Peter Robinson’s sectarianism and capitulation to Loyalist base, something Haas, the British and Irish governments will accept. 1. THE HAAS TALKS The…
US Hands Off Syria!
We are posting this statement from Socialist Action (USA), which takes a principled stance on US intervention in Syria. It also refers indirectly to the UK government’s failure to provide backing for an immediate US-led attack on Syria as part of the “coalition of the idling”. The Barack Obama-led march to yet another “war” suffered an…
Republican Socialist Alliance
Below is a report of the meeting of the Republican Socialist Alliance held in London on 6th July, written by Steve Freeman. This includes a summary of the address given by Allan Armstrong (RCN) on the political implications of the unionist nature of the UK state. It is followed by the unedited version of this talk.…
Egypt, The Army And The Muslim Brotherhood – Two Reactionary Forces
Below are two articles on the new situation in Egypt. The most recent one is a statement from the Socialist Party of Malaya on the violent military suppression and killing of unarmed Muslim Brotherhood protestors in Cairo. The second written by Yassamine Mather of the CPGB-WW, in response to the arrest of Morsi-led Egyptian government, whilst highlighting…
G8 Summit At Enniskillen
The G8 summit was held in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland, from June 17th – 18th. It is eight years since the G8 summit held at Gleneagles in July 2005. Emancipation & Liberation covered that summit quite extensively in issue no. 11 (see Emancipation & Liberation Issue 11). Little has changed. The first article by John McAnulty…
Allan Armstrong (RCN) replies to David Jamieson (ISG) – part 2
Since I wrote the first part of my reply (Allan Armstrong (RCN) replies to David Jamieson (ISG) – part 1) I have met David for the first time. Face-to-face discussions are a better way of trying to understand the thinking and positions that others hold. They can also help to overcome some preconceived notions. In the…
NATO, Nuclear Weapons And Scottish Independence
Eric Chester (RCN and IWW) exposes the contradictions of the SNP’s anti-Trident, pro-NATO stance. The Scottish National Party has insisted that an independent Scotland would be free of nuclear weapons. This position reflects the fact that Scottish popular opinion is overwhelmingly opposed to the stationing of the Trident submarine system at Faslane. These subs, a leftover…