Broadly speaking the document is quite good and certainly gives the reader an outline of the party’s present political position. The first thing I noticed was the abandonment of the word ‘socialist’ in the party’s demands. It now calls for a “32 County Republic with the working-class in control.” What happened to the once vaunted “32 County Democratic Socialist Republic”? Who would be in control? The working-class or, on behalf of the working-class, the IRSP?
It begins with lines which could have been written by the so-called left-wing of any parliamentary Labour Party. It leaves the gate slightly ajar for a shift rightwards in policy should public opinion demand it! It wants the working-class to decide who can and cannot come into the country, so would some form of selection, like now, take place? What happened to the Marxist; ‘workers of the world unite’? The document, rightly states:
The movement of people throughout the world should be based on their own free will, not them being pushed from their home country due to poverty and war to be used by exploiters elsewhere, and not with the view to being used in undermining the working-class of other countries.
True, and such a system of exploitation must be fought by a strong trade union, including or especially migrant labour, rank and file. Reducing rates of pay is one method: employers increase profit and the far-right blame migrants working for the lower rate. If an employer is paying below the minimum wage; €13.50 from 1st January 2025 in the 26 Counties for workers aged 20 and over they are breaking the law. The trade unions, which it must be assumed IRSP members are active within, have an obligation to take the employers, the bourgeoisie, to task and not allow migrant labour to be scapegoated for these below the legal minimum wages. If it were not migrant labour, it would be some other scapegoat: for example the disabled or people with low educational standards, anything but capitalist lust for greater profits.
In the days gone by it was trade unionists who were blamed for the cause of workplace problems, for causing too much trouble. So much so that governments legislated against such unions through the Combination Acts of the late 18th and early 19th centuries on behalf of the employers. Capitalism has always needed handy scapegoats and migrant labour are and, to a lesser extent, have been for decades the modern scapegoats. Some of us will remember Enoch Powells ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech in 1968. This must not be allowed to happen.
Discrimination in the workplace against ‘the other’ usually begins with Antilocution, a term coined by Gordon Allport to describe the initial stage of prejudice. These prejudices and ridicule in today’s world are often aimed at, in many cases, migrant labour. Back in 1903 James Connolly campaigned against the ridicule leading to hatred of Jewish people in Ireland even going as far as having his 1903 local election literature translated into Hebrew so these people could understand his socialist message. After ridicule comes shunning the migrant workers, ignoring and expelling them from conversation, followed by assault both verbal and physical, then exclusion say, from the works canteen, then their right to earn a living and in the case of Nazi Germany extermination. There is no reason why, in any country, these basic ridicules cannot finish up, if unchecked, with extermination.
Discrimination in the workplace against ‘the other’ usually begins with Antilocution, a term coined by Gordon Allport to describe the initial stage of prejudice. These prejudices and ridicule in today’s world are often aimed at, in many cases, migrant labour. Back in 1903 James Connolly campaigned against the ridicule leading to hatred of Jewish people in Ireland even going as far as having his 1903 local election literature translated into Hebrew so these people could understand his socialist message. After ridicule comes shunning the migrant workers, ignoring and expelling them from conversation, followed by assault both verbal and physical, then exclusion say, from the works canteen, then their right to earn a living and in the case of Nazi Germany extermination. There is no reason why, in any country, these basic ridicules cannot finish up, if unchecked, with extermination.
I think the IRSP document could have concentrated on such issues as well as emphasising the importance of trade union membership for the newcomers, many who may have linguistic difficulties. There should be more of an appeal to those who are naively thinking of joining the far-right groups, explaining these fascist groups are not the answer. The threat to working-class communities comes not from ‘International Protection Seekers’ but the far-right who are exploiting the situation!
The IRSP Policy Document takes a pragmatic, if limited, approach to what society perceives as ‘the problems of immigration.’ Offering an alternative selection programme, this time carried out by the “working-class,” is not the best way forward in my view. Working-class problems are caused not by immigration but the private ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange. It is the capitalist class who cause a scarcity of resources by pricing certain necessities out of many people’s pockets. These price increases have little or nothing to do with immigration but the capitalist class do their utmost to use this as a cause of ‘finite resources,’ and price rises. Their argument that resources are limited does not hold water because these resources are artificially manufactured into scarcities by the private ownership of said means of production, distribution and exchange. Even when the Covid crisis was haunting the planet many less well-off countries were denied the right to manufacture the vaccine, despite having the personnel and resources to do so. Western capitalism refused them the right to manufacture their own vaccine using ‘Intellectual Copyright’ legislation. This means that the big pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson, AbbVie and Merck and Co, who own the ‘Intellectual Copyrights’ to these antivirals created a shortage in poorer countries for a vaccine, by charging huge prices out of these countries budgetary reach, for a covid vaccine which was in real terms plentiful. The apparent acceptance that resources are ‘finite’ offers no real answer as to how we can ‘de-finite’ them! The IRSP appear, like Sinn Fein before them, to be advocating the entryism strategy opposed to socialist revolution?
These artificial shortages created by the capitalist system should have been exposed. Such an exposure would also take the wind out of the arguments of the far-right who are, after all, capitalisms insurance policies. Hitler ridiculously blamed the Jews for all Germany’s problems just as far-right groups in Ireland blame immigrants for Irelands economic and social problems. People from Coolock, in Dublin, have been seen linking arms with union flag waving right-wing loyalists in Belfast against immigration. Such actions should have been mentioned and opposed. Problems such as a lack of housing have nothing to do with migrants! For example since the formation of the ‘Irish Free State’ in 1922 a housing problem has been a constant factor in the 26 Counties. Yet not one migrant had stepped foot on Irish shores! Fascism and racism is something the capitalist class and their executive agents have to fall back on if they ever hit real crisis and the working-class stop listening to this crap spouted by the capitalist agencies. It should also have been pointed out in this document that many if not most ‘International Protection Seekers’ fully intend returning home once it is safe to do so. Despite this wish to return by many emphasis should have been given that any form of forced repatriation will be opposed by the IRSP.
The paragraphs in the IRSP document; “Foster divisions” and “False opposition” are very good and should have contained more detail. The capitalist class and their agencies do on a daily basis give the appearance of welcoming immigrants then, a day or so later, be making laws to restrict such migrations and cutting their benefits. Following the governments false welcoming the newspapers, if a crime has been committed, will headline, often falsely, blaming immigrants. When this assumption turns out to be untrue, we hear nothing of the error, but the seeds of hatred have been sewn. Once the media have paved the way, far-right elements will do the rest cultivating such prejudice. I have seen it first hand – immigrants being blamed for crimes carried out by indigenous people. The rape of a woman by an Irish Taxi Driver comes to mind. A punter in my local immediately blamed, “foreigners” and “fucking immigrants” for this crime which had nothing to do with people from elsewhere. When the truth was pointed out to him, he almost burst into tears!
As far as the fictitious shortage of resources are concerned, the only class which can liberate said resources are the working-class. It is this fear of a unified proletariat which has the capitalists in a permanent state of alert. The last thing the capitalist class, or system, want is a unified working-class irrespective of colour, creed, religion, sexual orientation or ethnic origin. Country of birth is of no consequence, remember James Connolly’s song; “Our demands most moderate are – we only want the earth”. The earth belongs to all of us and that is the ultimate aim of international socialism leading to true communism. “An injury to one is a concern to us all”
It is the job of the revolutionary Marxist party not to shift following right-wing populism but to combat such thinkings. It is the job of Marxists to argue against such folly, not offer solutions which could be perceived by some as akin to such rubbish. It is the role of such a party to explain to the masses the errors and folly of following the fascists. Documents such as this IRSP ‘Policy Document’ is a golden opportunity to explain why immigration is not the bogey man the fascists and racists would have people believe. The people of East Wall in Dublin, for example, have a tradition of fighting the employers dating back to the 1913/14 Dublin Lockout. This fighting spirit has been hijacked by the far-right groups into opposing immigration. Perhaps the Dublin IRSP should have been present in East Wall in the early days to offer an alternative to the fascists reminding these East Wall people of their tradition dating back to James Connolly.
The end of the document cites the ‘Democratic Programme of the ‘First Dail’ January 1919. At the time this was a revolutionary programme in a time when ‘liberal democracy’ as we know it was in its infancy. The IRSP Policy Document has potential but seems to me trapped in a reformist straight jacket, it needs to be more explanatory about its political position and has the scope to do so. With some more clarity it has the basis of a good document outlining an anti-racist policy on immigration.
The IRSP Policy Document takes a pragmatic, if limited, approach to what society perceives as ‘the problems of immigration.’ Offering an alternative selection programme, this time carried out by the “working-class,” is not the best way forward in my view. Working-class problems are caused not by immigration but the private ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange. It is the capitalist class who cause a scarcity of resources by pricing certain necessities out of many people’s pockets. These price increases have little or nothing to do with immigration but the capitalist class do their utmost to use this as a cause of ‘finite resources,’ and price rises. Their argument that resources are limited does not hold water because these resources are artificially manufactured into scarcities by the private ownership of said means of production, distribution and exchange. Even when the Covid crisis was haunting the planet many less well-off countries were denied the right to manufacture the vaccine, despite having the personnel and resources to do so. Western capitalism refused them the right to manufacture their own vaccine using ‘Intellectual Copyright’ legislation. This means that the big pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson, AbbVie and Merck and Co, who own the ‘Intellectual Copyrights’ to these antivirals created a shortage in poorer countries for a vaccine, by charging huge prices out of these countries budgetary reach, for a covid vaccine which was in real terms plentiful. The apparent acceptance that resources are ‘finite’ offers no real answer as to how we can ‘de-finite’ them! The IRSP appear, like Sinn Fein before them, to be advocating the entryism strategy opposed to socialist revolution?
These artificial shortages created by the capitalist system should have been exposed. Such an exposure would also take the wind out of the arguments of the far-right who are, after all, capitalisms insurance policies. Hitler ridiculously blamed the Jews for all Germany’s problems just as far-right groups in Ireland blame immigrants for Irelands economic and social problems. People from Coolock, in Dublin, have been seen linking arms with union flag waving right-wing loyalists in Belfast against immigration. Such actions should have been mentioned and opposed. Problems such as a lack of housing have nothing to do with migrants! For example since the formation of the ‘Irish Free State’ in 1922 a housing problem has been a constant factor in the 26 Counties. Yet not one migrant had stepped foot on Irish shores! Fascism and racism is something the capitalist class and their executive agents have to fall back on if they ever hit real crisis and the working-class stop listening to this crap spouted by the capitalist agencies. It should also have been pointed out in this document that many if not most ‘International Protection Seekers’ fully intend returning home once it is safe to do so. Despite this wish to return by many emphasis should have been given that any form of forced repatriation will be opposed by the IRSP.
The paragraphs in the IRSP document; “Foster divisions” and “False opposition” are very good and should have contained more detail. The capitalist class and their agencies do on a daily basis give the appearance of welcoming immigrants then, a day or so later, be making laws to restrict such migrations and cutting their benefits. Following the governments false welcoming the newspapers, if a crime has been committed, will headline, often falsely, blaming immigrants. When this assumption turns out to be untrue, we hear nothing of the error, but the seeds of hatred have been sewn. Once the media have paved the way, far-right elements will do the rest cultivating such prejudice. I have seen it first hand – immigrants being blamed for crimes carried out by indigenous people. The rape of a woman by an Irish Taxi Driver comes to mind. A punter in my local immediately blamed, “foreigners” and “fucking immigrants” for this crime which had nothing to do with people from elsewhere. When the truth was pointed out to him, he almost burst into tears!
As far as the fictitious shortage of resources are concerned, the only class which can liberate said resources are the working-class. It is this fear of a unified proletariat which has the capitalists in a permanent state of alert. The last thing the capitalist class, or system, want is a unified working-class irrespective of colour, creed, religion, sexual orientation or ethnic origin. Country of birth is of no consequence, remember James Connolly’s song; “Our demands most moderate are – we only want the earth”. The earth belongs to all of us and that is the ultimate aim of international socialism leading to true communism. “An injury to one is a concern to us all”
It is the job of the revolutionary Marxist party not to shift following right-wing populism but to combat such thinkings. It is the job of Marxists to argue against such folly, not offer solutions which could be perceived by some as akin to such rubbish. It is the role of such a party to explain to the masses the errors and folly of following the fascists. Documents such as this IRSP ‘Policy Document’ is a golden opportunity to explain why immigration is not the bogey man the fascists and racists would have people believe. The people of East Wall in Dublin, for example, have a tradition of fighting the employers dating back to the 1913/14 Dublin Lockout. This fighting spirit has been hijacked by the far-right groups into opposing immigration. Perhaps the Dublin IRSP should have been present in East Wall in the early days to offer an alternative to the fascists reminding these East Wall people of their tradition dating back to James Connolly.
The end of the document cites the ‘Democratic Programme of the ‘First Dail’ January 1919. At the time this was a revolutionary programme in a time when ‘liberal democracy’ as we know it was in its infancy. The IRSP Policy Document has potential but seems to me trapped in a reformist straight jacket, it needs to be more explanatory about its political position and has the scope to do so. With some more clarity it has the basis of a good document outlining an anti-racist policy on immigration.
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| Caoimhin O’Muraile is Independent Socialist Republican and Marxist. |
