War is a continuation of politics by other means, as defined by Carl Von Clausewitz, the 19th century Prussian general and military theorist. We Republicans should never forget that maxim because we did for a long while prior to the emergence of the Brexit debacle for Unionism.
However, in military terms, we have managed to regain the initiative and get the "armoured columns" back on the road, allowing us to spearhead toward our ultimate objective - an end to partition and finally secure freedom for the whole island of Ireland.
From a strategic point Unionism and all its forms, needs to be broken down for it to be rebuilt. The earlier policy of appeasement should not be entertained or countenanced as it merely encouraged the entire Unionist monolithic bloc to become even more intransigent and dug -in. So revisiting 2017 when the policy ended, should not be an option at this late stage of the struggle.
At the moment the new leader of the DUP, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, is contemplating his next move, wondering how the next stage in the battle should play out. He knows that he, along with his parliamentary colleagues at Westminster, has unintentionally delivered a hammer blow to the cause of Unionism, thanks to their fixation in seeking a hard Brexit, basically forcing them into a cul - de -sac. He will attempt to break out of the dire situation that he and Unionism find themselves in, but without forward thinking and a credible Plan B, a Stalingrad encirclement awaits them.
As my mentor and deceased comrade, Pat McGeown, taught us during the IRA military campaign, we as political Shock Troops should be capable of using the IRA as a vehicle to get us to our final destination. But if the wheels come off that vehicle then we change vehicles. Whether it be in the form of Sinn Fein or another - but we must keep up the momentum until we reach our goal.
By applying Von Clausewitz in reverse, Politics is a continuation of the war by other means, we can move forward strategically, adopting a policy of Political Warfare, not parliamentary democracy , thus advancing our cause through non violent means and achieving critical mass among the population. We are on the threshold of another momentous battle. We should harness the opportunity and not squander it.
However, in military terms, we have managed to regain the initiative and get the "armoured columns" back on the road, allowing us to spearhead toward our ultimate objective - an end to partition and finally secure freedom for the whole island of Ireland.
The enemy is in disarray at present but not defeated, and still possesses a sting in the tail. So we should not become too complacent; always respect your opponent no matter how bad they perform strategically. Their Achilles heel in this particular battle is Equality. So, hitting them over the head with it may ensure they move toward the end game and capitulation.
From a strategic point Unionism and all its forms, needs to be broken down for it to be rebuilt. The earlier policy of appeasement should not be entertained or countenanced as it merely encouraged the entire Unionist monolithic bloc to become even more intransigent and dug -in. So revisiting 2017 when the policy ended, should not be an option at this late stage of the struggle.
At the moment the new leader of the DUP, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, is contemplating his next move, wondering how the next stage in the battle should play out. He knows that he, along with his parliamentary colleagues at Westminster, has unintentionally delivered a hammer blow to the cause of Unionism, thanks to their fixation in seeking a hard Brexit, basically forcing them into a cul - de -sac. He will attempt to break out of the dire situation that he and Unionism find themselves in, but without forward thinking and a credible Plan B, a Stalingrad encirclement awaits them.
As my mentor and deceased comrade, Pat McGeown, taught us during the IRA military campaign, we as political Shock Troops should be capable of using the IRA as a vehicle to get us to our final destination. But if the wheels come off that vehicle then we change vehicles. Whether it be in the form of Sinn Fein or another - but we must keep up the momentum until we reach our goal.
By applying Von Clausewitz in reverse, Politics is a continuation of the war by other means, we can move forward strategically, adopting a policy of Political Warfare, not parliamentary democracy , thus advancing our cause through non violent means and achieving critical mass among the population. We are on the threshold of another momentous battle. We should harness the opportunity and not squander it.
⏩ James Kearney is a former Blanketman.
I don't believe it is war by other means in this case.
ReplyDeleteThe ideology behind the war was to usurp the consent principle in favour of the coercion principle, thus forcing the British out of Ireland and the unionists into a unitary state much sooner than the consent principle would ever permit. The Brits said:
No - you will acquiesce in the Consent principle and by doing so legitimise partition. After that you can have unity but only by consent.
Pretty much what has happened.
Nevertheless, it is important that ideas like those expressed by James are floated and considered om their merits and not shouted down.