Bastille Day

Today, July 14th, is a national holiday in France to celebrate the events of July 14th 1789, a day known as Bastille Day. The events of this day, triggered the ensuing events of the French Revolution, under the banner of Fraternity, Liberty and Equality. It is also accurate to state that the events of the French Revolution, inspired Wolfe Tone and the United Irishmen to rise up in rebellion against the British occupation of Ireland. On Bastille Day, the ordinary people of France stormed the prison and released all those held within its walls. The conditions in the Bastille were horrendous, with prisoners sharing cells with all kinds of vermin, and being subjected to daily incidents of torture. For ordinary people to overcome soldiers and take over such a fortress, it is a HUGE feet, and one which is rightly remembered by the French people today. Whilst the aristocracy of France lived in the lap of luxury, the citizens lived in squalor straving because of rotten food. The French Revolution created the first great republic. However, it was soon forgotten by the ruling class of the First French Republic and subsequent French 'Republics' (There have been 5 in total).

This is why, as a Republican, I remember Bastille Day. The subsequent Revolution and creation of a French empire, remind me of who I am. I am reminded that even when we gain a 32 county republic in Ireland, we must set about creating a Socialist Republic of equals, where catholic, protestant and dissenter live together equally in harmony. As Connolly said, 'If you remove the English flag tomorrow, and don't go about creating a socialist republic of equals, England will still rule you through her landlords and capitalists' (forgive the inaccuracy of my quoting skills!) I m humbled to be told that the Irish struggle is an awe inspiring struggle for many international people, and to think that I am playing my very small part. I am also reminded of the words of Che Guevara, in which he described the most beautiful quality of a revolutionary, is the ability to see repression in other lands. I reaffirm my belief, on Bastille Day, that I, as an Irish Republican, will NEVER be free, until all those who share my goal throughout the world, recevie their Socialist liberation.

On to victory!!

Tiocfaidh ár lá!

An Internationalist Perspective

They say hindsight is a wonderful thing. Why in the name of all that is humane do world leaders not think about it?! Watching a House of Commons Q&A session with Gordon Brown, I noted the amount of MPs who were calling on peers to honour the memories of more British troops killed in Afghanistan. A death, no matter what side it's on, is nothing to celebrate, especially as tragic as a young person with a lot of potential. I was quite taken aback, however, that not one peer called for a withdrawal from Afghanistan! Surely now, the way to avoid more deaths is to take troops. armed to the teeth, out of the country! Similarly, in Iraq, one problem that was kept under control by Saddam was the scetarian killings we seem to be seeing on a daily basis now! If the American and British leaders claim that they invaded these countries to depose dictatorial regimes, can they explain the amount of bloodshed we see in the news on a daily basis?! If democracy is their goal, then why don't they invade Zimbabwe to depose the bloodstained rule of Robert Mugabe? The reason is, simply, because people like Mugabe were put into power by America and Britain, as they suited their neo-capitalist agendas. Can somebody please email me a picture of Queen Elizabeth II with a red neck on her. After all, didn't she award Mugabe with a KNIGHTHOOD!! Removing a knighthood, now that'll surely deter Mugabe's bloodlust! He's been removed from thay exclusive club which contains other dictators and despots such as Sir Mike Jackson, the man who reigned over the British Army occupation of the North of Ireland. Does Whitehall really think that by refusing to play a game of cricket against Zimbabwe, that the dictatorial regime will fall?! The greatest white elephant in the world, the UN will never do anything but sit and talk. The League of Nations crumbled and collapsed after it was clear it was a failure, why so do we still have, after 60 years, the UN?! Ireland is said to be in recession now, so why do us taxpayers still fund this white elephant?! Why has Brian Cowen cut our overseas aid by €45million, denying the people who REALLY need it and putting childrens' lives at risk, whilst he wastes BILLIONS on diplomacy and niceities. Why do Irish troops now occupy a country which has split up because of a colonial war?! Any right thinking person would say we've had 800 years enough of colonial wars!! It is time to put the myth of international terrorism, that Bush and Brown wave over our heads to keep us in a submissive state of fear, as in fact the real terrorists, and those who finance terrorism, are those who sit at the UN, those who dip their hands in the pool of blood being shed in Iraq, Ireland is one of those, and the G8, who talk about increasing aid to €50 billion, but instead spend it on the much needed caviar and champagne they so urgently require at their summits.