Provisional Sinn Fein must lurch to the Right wing if it is to hold the balance of power in both Leinster House and Stormont's Parliament Buildings. So maintains guest writer, Radical Unionist and ex-Blanketeer, Dr John Coulter.
Will the real Sinn Fein please stand up? King Gerry’s Louth invasion is sending out mixed signals to potential republican voters. Most Southern voters see the Shinners as a hardline Left wing outfit, to be regarded with even more suspicion than the almost now defunct Stickies, namely the Workers’ Party. To kick the rival moderate SDLP in the nuts, Northern Sinn Fein has got to boast how it is ‘Proud To Be A Provie’.
So are the Shinners saying one thing in the Republic, yet totally singing to a different tune in the North? Is Sinn Fein socialist first, or nationalist first?
King Gerry needs to avoid the fatal pitfall that befell his arch rival – Ian Paisley senior – and become branded as the Grand Old Duke of York who led his men up and hill and down again.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Big Paisley’s first major outing as
the Grand Duke. He was to the fore in forming the loyalist vigilante group, The
Third Force. It flopped. This year also sees the silver jubilee of the forming of another Protestant paramilitary group, the red-bereted Ulster Resistance – again with Paisley senior as a key supporter. The DUP eventually abandoned the Resistance when the chips got too hot.
The end result was that when Paisley himself did something very positive –
forming the Chuckle Brothers with the Shinners – his once DUP faithful turned
traitor and forced him to quit as First Minister, DUP boss and Free Presbyterian
Moderator. If the Shinners, north and south, are not singing from the same republican hymn sheet, King Gerry could find himself de-throned as party president come May.
Gerry has only one option. He must do what former First Minister David
Trimble of the now almost defunct Ulster Unionists should have done – swing Sinn Fein to the Radical Right. Irish Labour will only become a major player in the Dail because it is not Fianna Fail. The SDLP is bashing the Shinners at every turn just as Jimmy Allister’s TUV are thumping Robbo’s DUP. The SDLP and TUV have no chance of becoming a significant force in Stormont. Their shouts and rants are to cover up their lack of constructive policies.
Gerry needs to resurrect the famous General Eoin O’Duffy’s Blueshirts. Ireland needs a disciplined party capable of bringing economic stability and law and order to society. Ironically, Sinn Fein should take as its example two 1930s movements it was once bitterly opposed to – Cumann na nGaedheal, once protected by Blueshirts, and O’Duffy’s own organisation, the National Corporate Party. Ireland needs all-island discipline and security on the social and economic fronts. A hardline Right-wing Sinn Fein party can deliver this.
Former Orange Order boss and MP Rev Martin Smyth once branded Sinn Fein as a fascist movement. In an interview, he told me: “Basically fascism is a right wing dictatorship with a government controlled economy and no opposition. That mantle of fascism belongs in Ulster more to Sinn Fein than to loyalists.”
In 1918, Sinn Fein was once the dominant party on this island. Eighty years
later, the Good Friday Agreement set the stage for an all-island agenda.
If the Shinners want to realistically dictate policy in both Stormont and the
Dail, they must mothball the ‘RA, dump ex-jailbird candidates and become
Ireland’s new Blueshirts.
Sounds a radical solution – but if Sinn Fein can run the North with the DUP,
it must become a Right-wing version of the late John Turnly’s Irish Independence Party.
AM
ReplyDeleteI may sound like MichaelHenry (god for bid) but to be fair, i am not a PSF supporter.
However the vast majority of activists in PSF are exactly that activists.. They joined the movement out of British oppression etc, not out of economic know-how..
In saying all of that the master has made a show of himself again in south about the economy..
At least he didnt turn the march today into an election rally!
Interesting, but is this not already happening? SF have long since jettisoned socialism, which they only ever payed lip service too anyway.
ReplyDeleteAdvice from a idiot-
ReplyDeleteDump ex prisoners as members or
election candidate's
Become blue-shirt nazi's like some
of the royal family were in the 30s
Marty and Larry are going to love reading this
Mickeyboy the psf is already well on the way mo cara!Ruairi the vast majority of activists joined the psf out of British repression, I think ya need to take another look at "the activists" you talk about because mo cara from what I see and know the vast majority of activists who were part of the struggle have long since wised up and dumped psf ,yes a few remain either out of misplaced loyalty or sheer greed, thats why the kids call those activists cease fire hero,s there,s no Maura Drums left in whats becoming a fascist right wing party.
ReplyDeleteP.S."The Party" is already well on the way to becoming blue/brown shits Mickyboy,the new Broy harriers, they are proud to inform on republican activity,i,e Connor Maskey last week on tv re,. the bomb scare on the Antrim rd another cease fire hero doing as requested by the bearded ones second in command on the A.C. Marty Mc Guinness that great republican who so honourably declared his Britishness on the steps of Stormont and called on people to become informers,yip Mickeyboy the transfomation is well on the way!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDr John,
ReplyDeleteInteresting idea. Not impossible to imagine now that the old idealistic membership of Sinn Fein are leaving (in the south for sure) in droves, to the political wilderness or to left wing groups like Eirigi.
In a desperate attempt to find a political platform from which to oppose the Lisbon Treaty I canvassed for one night with psf during the 2007 general election in the south. As a lifelong revolutionary socialist I was very dissapointed by the uttter lack of left wing idealism displayed the candidate or my fellow canvassers. I didn't stick around.
Sinn Fein continues to claim to be socialist but the reality is that there are very few socailists left among the party rank and file. As far as I can tell, the exact same type of person who would once have joined Fiann Fail is now joining Sinn Fein.
I am writing from a southern perspective but up north, with the party imposing British rule and cutbacks as well as as encouraging the public to inform on republicam activists, I am reminded of the behavior of Fianna Fail when they came to power in the Free State. They had no qualms about interning and even executing their former republican comrades.
Rory
GaryCrow, that sums it up perfectly in my opinion. Anyone calling on people to squeal to the RUC cannot call themselves a republican
ReplyDeleteYip Graycrow there was more socialism in larry,s wallet than in psf and I had to squeeze very hard to find that the other night!
ReplyDeleteJohn,
ReplyDeletean interesting piece. I have felt for many years that SF would go to the right to battle for the FF vote. The leftist posturing at the minute is just that. Adams is in the South because he does not want the more leftist element there operating autonomously and carving out positions that preclude a possible coalition with FF or even FG. It is the politics of control
Ruairi,
ReplyDeleteI think at one time they were activists but the party is vastly different from what it was in its activist days. As Adams claimed it is an establishment party.
Do not worry about Adams and his merry men.They live on borrowed time.From what i am told they are worried,and rightly so.A deal with the Dup on Long Kesh,means no shrine to are fallen.They can have as many secret meetings as they feel is needed.The men they talk about do not fear them.
ReplyDeletewillie-
ReplyDeleteWe all live on borrowed time-
but Sinn Fein will always be about
Can't see any major problems with
the election's
You are doing a lot of man talk
willie- maybe thats why you are opposed to Sinn Fein- the woman and man party.
A receiver as been appointed to the
sunday tribune newspaper to-day
whats MartyDownUnder going to do for a Quote now- the truth always wins.
Alright Michael guess I'll have to go back to Pravda, sorry APRN, no lies there
ReplyDeletesaw Adams at James Connolly's statue in Dublin there on TV and it just makes me cringe. DUP asswipes in STORMONT trying to be Socialists in Dublin. Anyone swallowing that needs mental help.
ReplyDeleteNot activists in SF it's more akin to joining the local youthclub for a hobby. I see them at University. No harm to them, not impressive.
Marty amego, i'm broke after my Belfast excusion, may end up bankrupted, thank God I rent this house and dont own it...
Larry be thankfull you didnt run into our Nuala you really would be a broken man mo cara !
ReplyDeleteAntoin Mac C
ReplyDeleteI was very sorry to hear about Mise Eire and his premature demise under a pile of snowballs.
I thought he might of been helping himself to a few freebies at Christmas and got caught.
Was he a friend?
Leo Martin one of the founders of the PIRA has died, I met this man a few times and found him to be as dedicated to the republican cause as when he first grasped that nettle,unlike his predecessors he never deviated ,bent the knee or used the prm fo personal gain or profit,as his funeral makes its way to Milltown I hope that when his cortege passes Thatcher house those Quislings within hang their heads in shame,we have lost another true republican,Fuar se bas ar son saoirse na h-Eireann
ReplyDeleteA very well written piece about the party of fairness and equality, but I might ask fairness and equality for who.
ReplyDeleteI have listened to all the parties remedies of how to get us out of this quagmire , and to be honest they all seemed to be singing from the same hymn sheet .
But not the second youngest party Sinn Fein no they had a very different consensus from their members altogether , now from my humble working class background and my unsuccessful attempt to get into 3rd level education I still feel I can get past with the basics needed in getting thru life .
Sinn Fein is going to put our country back on the road to recovery by the following,
Run the people who can help us most namely IMF and ECB
Burn the bond holders
Get everyone back to work
Keep blaming everyone else.
We have a 17 bn deficit how to get rid of same
Use up pension reserve of 6m
Bring taxes of 3m
We need another 8bn silecence shut up keep quiet they might forget
Then we will be in a stronger position to go back next year to the very people whom we have burned and get a better rate of interest on a new loan,
What I find scary about the above is that not only does Sinn Fein believe this but also thousands of others,
Gerry Adams is completely unaware of the workings of how to the Provo’s used to obtain money, that is they used intimidation and extortion to obtain same, my gut feeling is that he is being influents by people whom used to use similar tactics in the past and are now advising the vulnerable Gerry as to how obtain money from international bond holders even when we have just cost them billions i.e. intimation and thuggery come to mind,
This all bears out when listening to representatives of Sinn Fein debating with others on radio or TV, when asked a question about economics they mumble for 5 minutes then abuse everyone in the studio for 20 minutes, this my friends sounds very like bullying, maybe Gerry should make himself more aware of his advisors because the debates of “its my way or no way “will cut little ice with the chaps with all the money.
Interested ..What about if they follow the sticks lead and I must say here they have up to this point.and buy Sean Garlands old printing press and get Mickeyboy working and wheyhey the Tigers back,as the auld smokers used to say "nothing like rolling yer own"!
ReplyDeleteinterested
ReplyDeleteit takes 3yrs to get a degree. most of the TD's have been in the Dail 30yrs+. WTF were they learning? Now we're supposed to believe there's a difference between any of them and they've somehow overnight developed alternative economic policies. It's a pantamime and they all know there's NOTHING anyone can do about it, or THEM. Awee private club for life.
Marty
ReplyDeleteDont remember the Sticks telling us to vote for Stormont , bring back Stormont ,Stormont is great and the rest of the pure bile that is poured out day in and day out, the Sticks might not have been everyones ideal group but I for one cant remember any lies being told on the graves of dead Irish men ,sorry i cant go on or i will be sick
Marty,
ReplyDeleteBrilliant cara, you've just solved the psf economic policy dilemma, maybe you should call into Thatcher House (love that one by the way!) and share it with them. Don't think the ha'penny wicks would be keen on letting go of Garlands printing press though, bit like the guns they're sitting on.
Interested mo cara you must have been sleeping through the 70.s and 80,s the sticks used to be on the telly every other night calling on people to inform and doing their best to be a part of the establishment,its a widely held belief by republicans in this part of the world that that icon and soldier VOL Joe MC Cann was set up by the so called leadership of the OIRA, they lied at his graveside and many others mo cara,they taught the bearded one and his cronies how to lie with a straight face,the psf have morped into super sticks.
ReplyDeleteMartydownunder I called into Thatcher house on the Anytout rd to pass on my idea,but the bearded one has decided that if his psf get the reins of power he will impose a new tax on sex..,that,l hurt the church! any it goes something like this :kissing will be taxed @10%. hugging@20%.squeezing@30%. smooching@40%and full on sex@80% and typical of psf......wankers are tax free!!
ReplyDeleteMaybe Mickeyboy or anyother psf supporter who may happen to read this can explain the sculpture the psf,s Annie Armstrong has had commissioned and erected on the Stewartstown rd ,it depicts a number of children leaping across a gap or small ravine and its called a Leap of Faith, what I find bemusing about this is at the start of the leap the kids are green and as they cross to the other side they change to a shade of blue,is Annie trying to tell us somrthing we dont already know.
ReplyDeleteLOL my daughter just said it looks like a paedo chasing a load of kids,that sure would be Poleglass.I hope the Liamboy aint about.!
ReplyDeletemarty,
ReplyDelete' :kissing will be taxed @10%. hugging@20%.squeezing@30%. smooching@40%and full on sex@80% and typical of psf......wankers are tax free!!
You crack me up. I love the 'wankers are tax free'. Thanks for the laugh.
Just over a week after éirígí announce candidates to stand in local elections do the RUC/PSNI charge one of said candidates in relation to events surrounding last years protest in Ard Eoin. Political policing alive and well in the wee 6?
ReplyDeleteMartydownunder Pádraic Mac Coitir (thanks for the help with the fadas mo cara)was charged with obstruction at Ardoyne during a peaceful protest last year,yip my friend this wee place is the land where the more things change the more it stays the same!
ReplyDeleteIt seems that a lot of charges are arising from Ardoyne.
ReplyDeleteRumour has it that there are summonses being served in Tyrone ;)
Michaelhenry
ReplyDelete‘the truth always wins.’
But SF has been characterised by anything but. You seem straight enough, if likeably bonkers!! - so how do you deal with so much dishonesty?
Marty,
Leo Martin was a man I never got to meet. Brit officer Anthony Farrar Hockley named him in February 71 as one of the five leading Provisional IRA people in Belfast.
Yeah Anthony the dummy tits sometimes got it right.!
ReplyDelete