Freedom and Democracy

Freedom and Democracy

Uhuru Freedom

In 1920 Kenya became a British Colony. In the early 1960 ties there was an uprising by the Kikuyu tribe led by the Mau Mau in a terrorist campaign and in the ensuing violence Britain left Kenya and granted it independence. In 1963 Jomo Kenyatta declared Keyna a Republic and in the ensuing celebrations in Nairobi the people danced in the streets chanting --- Uhuru i.e. Freedom. But this heady declaration died the death. Under British rule the country was prosperous but with independence due to bad government and economic recession the country became one of the poorest in the world In 1969 Keyna became a one party oppressive state and freedom and democracy were abandoned. I quote this case of freedom and democracy in Keyna to illustrate that a chant of ---- uhuru – in the streets doesn’t guarantee freedom and democracy in the state.

Saoirse Freedom

It was an unattainable pipe dream of Republicans in the troubles in the six counties that violence would drive the British Army into the Irish Sea and Loyalists with them. An all- Ireland Republic would be set up and in celebration the Republicans of Belfast would dance in the streets chanting ---- Saoirse--- Saoirse. --.This Republican pipe dream proved to be a delusion. But even if that dream had been a reality a shout of --- Saoirse—in the streets would not have been a guarantee of freedom or democracy in the state.

There is an element in Late Sinn Fein that envisages the future of Ireland to be a Socialist Republic and therefore a one party state as the Socialist Republics in the world are one party states. This is evident in Eire Nua on the lightest of readings and verbiage about freedom in a document is no guarantee of freedom in the state.

Late Sinn Fein still labour under the delusion that for a democracy to a democracy all that is needed is a free vote. For a democracy to be a democracy the state must have a constitution, which is accepted by all, and freedom must be enshrined in the constitution in writing and democratically ratified by the people.

In the constitution proposed for a United Ireland within the U.K.given in the National Government of Ireland Act published in the NATIONAL GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND ACT freedom is enshrined in the constitution and cannot be denied. For Republicans freedom is a shout in the street and nothing more. It is a shout about freeing one green field from bondage by bomb and bullet with a shout of ---Saoirse—and just as a shout of ---Uhuru--- guaranteed nothing in Nairobi so is a shout of---Saoirse—in Belfast equally vacuous.




Freedom in the 21st century



On a modern analysis of freedom in a present day liberal democracy freedom has a dual nature.

(a) Individual freedom.

(b) State freedom.

These are dealt with in The National Government of Ireland Act Article 4. Individual freedom is threefold.

(1) Freedom from
(2) Freedom to become
(3) Freedom to be

Freedom From

While the Republic of Keyna began with a shout of --- uhuru---nowadays in that country individual freedom is non- existent. It has to be understood that the enjoyment of individual freedom depends upon the health of the state economy in which one lives. While many individual “ freedom froms” are listed in The National Government Act c.f. Article 4 such “ freedom froms” as freedom from poverty, want, hunger and disease etc are absent in Keyna. But it has also to be recognised that individual freedom was absent for generations in the 26 counties due to the third world nature of its economy for decades c.f. Angela’s Ashes.

Freedom to Become

Like freedom from, freedom to become depends upon the state of the economy in which one lives. The economy determines the nature of the schooling system and in turn this determines the realization of freedom to become in the state. In Keyna freedom to become is non-existent for the impoverished majority. Freedom to become was also limited for generations in the 26 counties due to the nature of the economy, the 26 counties statelet being the last in the West to introduce a universal secondary tier of education in the state. In the past many young people left the 26 counties and went to England to benefit from the free education there.

Freedom to Be

Freedom to be is the highest form of individual freedom and it in turn is also dependant on the economy. One can aspire to be a plumber but if one cannot find work as a plumber because of a scarcity of work opportunities in the economy then the plumber’s freedom to be is being violated. Freedom to be is limited in Keyna but freedom to be was also limited for decades in the 26 counties due to the third world nature of the economy and there was massive emigration to find work abroad.

This account of individual freedom brings to mind the Marxist dictum: -

“ Art, science, philosophy and politics are the froth on the crest of the economic wave, when the wave breaks the froth will reform and restructure”

Marx did not include freedom in his dictum but he should have. The economic wave has broken in the 26 counties in recent times and freedom has reformed and restructured. But even if wealth levels have increased spectacularly since the 1990ties and because of that individual freedom has blossomed nevertheless there remain pockets of poverty in the state from which the people need to be freed. The blossoming of pockets of poverty from which the people need to be freed. This blossoming of individual freedom ha\s nothing to do with a shout of ----Saoirse--- in 1916 but has all to do
with the south being a member of the E.E.C.by which the economy in the south was kick started.

State Freedom

A rebellious adolescent may take freedom to mean—one should be free to
. do as one pleases. This view of freedom won’t do for the state. Freedom requires a definition. The following is suggested:-

Freedom is the mature exercise of the will in the pursuit of either good or evil with full intent.

Because the person can do evil freedom must be subject to the law. As noted in the article on Federalism, the eminent English philosopher J.S Mill understood freedom to mean that in a liberal democracy one should be free to do as one pleases, provided that in doing so one doesn’t injure, hurt or offend someone else. By implication this means that freedom should be subject to the law.

After the inception of the 26 county statelet freedoms of thought, mind, expression, and speech were suppressed in a state that was priest ridden and under the thumb of the Catholic Church. A catholic Dail Eirteann sat in silence while this suppression was practiced. In truth home rule was Rome rule. Now in the south with a rising tide of wealth, freedom of thought, mind, expression and speech are accepted. The power of the Catholic Church is on the wane due in part to sex scandals. In the National Government of Ireland Act a plethora of freedoms are listed.c.f.Article 4. Freedom is not of one ilk----uhuru---saoirse--- but is of many kinds.

It is hoped this article and others will emphasise the central nature of a constitution in a democracy. It is the conviction of Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein that the Irish
Problem is in essence a dispute about the constitutional nature of the island, should it be a Republic or should it be under the Crown? Freedom is too important to be left to self – appointed zealots of the – uhuru—saoirse--- type freedom but should be written into the state constitution where both individual and state freedoms can be rationally understood and democratically accepted by all.

It is still the conviction of Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein that the problem in the 6 counties can only be resolved constitutionally in a new reformed U.K.constitution which ideally should be as acceptable to the protestants of Kerry as to the catholics of Derry. If such a constitution is not acceptable to the people of the 26 counties then it can become the written constitution of the 6 counties making that state stable and democratic c.f.Article 22 The National Government of Ireland Act. However if the island is ever to be united that will only come about in a U.K.context. That is the only way to a United Ireland and there is no other way.


MICHAEL GILLESPIE FEDERAL UNIONIST – EARLY SINN FEIN