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Wednesday September 11, 2002 14:21

by Justin Moran - Sinn Fein

maigh_nuad at yahoo dot com

This is a summary

I have just, motivated by boredom as much as anything else, fnished reading the thread 'Strange Post from SWP' or whatever the title was. By the end, it had become a slagging match between the SWP and the SP. This isn't an attempt to blame the people concerned as much as a plea to move away from this.

I'm a member of Sinn Féin and if my party gets attacked on indymedia I feel a responsiibility to protect it and once we start getting ourselves into defensive postures it's not too long before some-one makes the first smartass comment and it's daggers drawn. I'm as guilty as the next.

In the amount of time it might take me and some-one else to rant and roar at each other about PFI or Loyalist attacks or who did what to who at a meeting three years ago, any one of us could haave put together a coherent argument for Nice and mailed it to the daily newspapers in the hope of getting some publicity. Getting a letter on the Irish Times letters page may not defeat Nice, but it's a step closer to it than calling people names.

None of us are going to change the others. I'm a member of Sinn Féin because I believe in it. I'm sure members and supporters of other parties have the same committment to their parties and organisations. There isn't a single person on Indymedia who should be arrogant enough to think they can 'talk me out of' being a republican just like I don't think I can convert the most passionate of Trots. Posts like '20 Reasons to Hate Sinn Féin', '20 Reasons to hate the SWP' or even the short-lived '20 Reasons to Hate the SP' are neither helpful, nor informative.

We might disagree with each other, often widely, but there's no reason to take shots and snipes at each other. Yes, there are SWP people on the Irish Anti-War Movement. They're an anti-war party and they've chosen to prioritise this issue. It only makes sense. Recognising the SWP and their activists, or the SP and theirs or, dare I say it, Sinn Féin and ours, can do good, can work hard for a better socialist Ireland does not mean make us any less committed to our politics.

Anyway, this meanders a wee bit and was written in rant form so, to sum up. There are decent, talented, socialist and progressive minded people on Indymedia taking lumps out of each other (Guilty of it myself from time to time) in desperate attempts to 'beat' the other. It's a waste of time. Sin é. As naive calls for an end to left-wing sectarianism go, I'd say this ranks pretty high, but I'm a wee bit sick of it and I hope other people are too.

Maybe Indymedia gurus could set up a separate bulletin board where those of us who want to, or occasionally get the desire to, take lumps out of each other and accuse each other of rampant sectarianism can go and do it without getting others caught in the crossfire or boring them stupid.

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Comments (3 of 3)

Up yours shinner!!!!

by hs - sp

Wed Sep 11, 2002 23:43

Only joking, true it can sometimes get out of hand. But I came in explaining why we won't go on an election alliance with the SWP. We have to explain ourselves somewhat. Although you are right sometimes we can see a little red. Still I'm sure they can handle it.
The reason I can be nastier with the swp rather than the likes of SF or the stickies is because they aren't quite as condesending in their tone. I can't help getting angry when KW gets onto his high horse. All in all though the debate has more advantages than disadvantages.

Abuse versus discussion

by Kevin Wingfield - SWP

Fri Sep 13, 2002 09:00

Yes it would be nice if political discussion proceeded on the basis of political priniciples rather than point scoring and abuse.

It was in an attempt to lower the temperature and achieve a modicum of Left co-operation that the SWP made its proposals over the last period.

People can judge for themselves the tone of the replies. The crowing, boasting and bad mouthing of opponents and personal attacks are presumably designed to to create the sort of atmosphere where co-operation is less likely and as an excuse to avoid confronting the issue seriously.

Make of this what you will.

Our proposals for co-operation stand. But people can see the deaf ears they have fallen on. In the meantime we will co-operate with others in the Nice campaign and Irish Anti War Movement etc while continuing to build our own party.

Kevin

Left wing cooperation.

by Brian Cahill

Fri Sep 13, 2002 19:25

Poor Kevin. He has been "bad mouthed" by others - all as part of a plot to avoid seriously confronting the issue of left unity.

Let's make this clear. The Socialist Party and many other people on the left are serious about cooperation amongst left wing and working class activists. That's why we are involved in a number of succesful union broad left organisations. That's how we operate in campaigns as diverse as those around the Nice Treaty and the bin tax.

A seriousness about wider cooperation on the left has nothing to do with holding the SWP's hand while it looks desparately for the next recruit.

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Comments (3 of 3)