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.…
An Orgy Of Orange Bigotry And Unionist Hypocrisy
Since the Flag Protests, beginning at the end of last year, there has been a rising tide of Loyalist violence. Sometimes this has been criticised by leading Unionist spokespersons, but in many cases they have encouraged these Loyalist protests behind-the-scenes. This is because they have the same aims – the reassertion of Unionist supremacy and the relegation…
Behind The Unionists’ ‘Project Fear’, The UK State Mask Slips
Allan Armstrong (RCN) analyses two recent developments in the Scottish referendum campaign. The SNP government’s referendum on the future constitutional status of Scotland – ‘Yes’ for ‘Independence-Lite’ (or as Michael Russell terms it ‘Independence within the Union’), or ‘No’ for acceptance of the UK status quo – is still over a year away. However, two events…
Riding The Unicorn
Recently there has been a nostalgic turn amongst the Left in the UK. In England (and Wales) it has looked wistfully back on the ‘Spirit of 45’. In Scotland, it has taken the form of the ‘Common Weal’ proposals, emanating from the Jimmy Reid Foundation. These look to the Nordic social democratic model. The RCN…
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…
The Perils Of Unity
Eric Chester (RCN) takes a critical look at the proposed Left Unity Party. The Crisis of Capitalism has led to a polarisation of political viewpoints, as a widening segment of the working class feels the devastating impact of the downturn in decreasing wages and benefits, and the rapid deterioration of social services. The Labour party…
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…
Ireland – Union Strategy, Keynes And The Debt
This article, by James Fearon, is from the Socialist Democracy (Ireland) website. It highlights how the Irish Congress of Trade Union’s (ICTU) support for Keynesian reforms is tied to a strategy to make workers pay for the ruling class’s debts – only more slowly than the incumbent Fine Gael/Labour coalition government. In the UK, Ed…
Socialist Unity
In the aftermath of the collapse or declining support for recent socialist unity projects in Scotland, England and Wales, and Ireland, there have been renewed discussions throughout these islands about the possibilities of achieving socialist unity. The negative role of organisations like the Socialist Party and Socialist Workers Party in the Socialist Alliance, Respect, the…
A Shared Future In The North Of Ireland? – The Emperor’s New Clothes
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…