Fourthwrite ..........................Issue No. 12

Editorial

What Now?

With the collapse of the Stormont institutions, it is only natural that many republicans are asking themselves; what now? For the many Sinn Fein voters it is really a matter of waiting patiently until the British Government decides that the time is ripe for a renewal of a devolved administration in Belfast. Such people might well ponder on the value of a body that comes and goes with such regularity at the whim of London. No one should deny them their right to believe in the patently worthless but other republicans should not replicate this foolhardiness by attempting something equally bereft of strategic merit at this point in time. We refer to a blind pursuit of an armed campaign.

Some will argue that because the Provisional IRA is in the process of fundamentally restructuring itself, there is now an opportunity for some other physical force party to fill the space. This may be technically correct but the space is so dismally small that it won’t matter whether it is occupied or not. There is no significant support for an offensive military campaign at the moment and to pursue one is simply ‘throwing good money after bad’. The old question about defence and protection may arise but that is a separate matter and one that bears a very thorough-going discussion and one that is best conducted in as public an arena as possible. The lesson of the past is that public safety is best guaranteed when no one vested interest has a veto over communal defence. In the past some parties have measured their commitment to peoples protection from the standpoint of whether or not it was politically expedient for themselves at any specific junctions.

Elsewhere in this issue we publish a letter from Gerry Ruddy asking that socialists and republicans give consideration to convening a forum in order; to begin to be relevant to the hopes and aspirations of the working classes in Ireland. This is not the first time that Mr. Ruddy has issued this call but it is none the less valuable for that. There is merit in this call and serious activists should give it due thought.

While the most recent phase of armed conflict has undoubtedly run its course, there is emerging a new and fresh interest in radical, leftwing republicanism. At the core of this trend is a small but steadily growing group of activists determined to build a new programme suited to the 21st Century. Fourthwrite is at the heart of this platform building and is finding that an increasing number of people are happy to discuss and debate the project. It is essential that this process is given time and that small groups of armed elitists do not wreck its prospects. Revolutions are not made by acts of will but by carefully organising to answer concrete conditions. It is not an exaggeration to say that the future of Irish republicanism depends on recognising this reality.

Up the Republic

In a blinding flash of recall, England’s Queen Elizabeth remembered a conversation she had with the late Princess Diana’s butler. The essence of this little talk was, it appears, sufficient to secure the servant’s acquittal on a charge of looting the home of the dead royal. Hooraa, hooraa for British Justice’s ability to prevent a miscarriage of justice when it involves the Royal Court. Applause too for Paul Burrell on having the wisdom not to be Irish or Muslim when he appeared before a London jury.

On a more serious note, this charade deemed a trial illustrates the power and influence of the British monarchy. It also highlights the manipulative, anti-democratic control that the ‘Palace’ has over British life. Too often the role of the monarchy is ignored when we talk about Britain or refer to the Union with the U.K. Independent people are therefore still very correct to insist that we destroy the Crown and demand a republic and to do so it remains imperative that we end the political connection with those determined to maintain the anachronism that is monarchism.