A Sovereign Irish Nation
This Blog was read and commented on by a newspaperman in Omagh. He said he didn’t agree with the premise of the Blog but didn’t say what the premise was. He was of the belief that if the contents of the Blog were a reality in Ireland, Ireland would again be a colony of Britain and would be a neo-colonialist state. He added that the solution to the Irish problem is for Britain to get out of Ireland. This is a misreading of the Blog but it could be a stock response of Republicans to it and has to be taken seriously. Any suggestion that Ireland as a whole form a relation with the Crown sets alarm bells of paranoia ringing in the heads of Republicanism.
It is the premise of the Blog that the Irish problem is solvable In THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT OF Ireland ACT in the 21st century It is central to the Act that the United Kingdom of Great Britain an N. Ireland be replaced by The Federal Kingdom of The Sovereign Nation of Ireland and Great Britain where the Federal Kingdom is viewed from an Irish standpoint. In such a Federal Kingdom two Irish ideals will be realized: -
(a) Ireland will become a united constitutionally stable nation.
(b) Ireland will be a sovereign nation within a Federal Kingdom context.
The word Federal needs examination. It has two meanings: -
(1) A strong controlling central government placed over a group of subsidiary states
(2) A treaty or compact entered into between independent nations.
The U.S.A. is the prime example of (1). There are now moves afoot to establish a federal Europe with a strong controlling central government at Brussels placed over subsidiary states. A constitution to establish such a federal Europe was defeated in France and Holland. In the Lisbon Treaty a further effort is being made to smuggle in a Federal Europe (1) by the undemocratic back door in an unratified treaty that is basically the same as the defeated European Constitution. The treaty should be put to the democratic test of a free vote throughout Europe. By a stroke of good fortune a federal Europe as envisaged in the Lisbon Treaty has been rejected by the Irish. In 1801 a federalism of type (1) was imposed on Ireland when the British removed a potentially sovereign government in Dublin by chicanery and a strong controlling government at Westminster was placed over a subservient Ireland. The historic aftermath was an historic disaster for the Irish people.. A subtly imposed powerful government in Brussels could prove to be an equal disaster for Europe.
The second meaning of federal is the meaning used in the concept --- The federal kingdom---. A federal kingdom would be made up of a treaty or compact entered into between the co-equal Sovereign Nation of Ireland and the Sovereign Nation of Great Britain. In this the twin ideals of the Irish given earlier would be realized. Thus the claim that Ireland would become a neo-colonialist state is without foundation. Federal Unionism Early Sinn Fein still clings to its central premise that the Irish Problem is solvable in a new Act of Union --- The National Government of Ireland Act.
To return to Europe, in its second meaning federalism is also appropriate to Europe There should be a treaty or compact entered into between co-equal sovereign nations in Europe. That does not rule out a central government in Europe but it should a Brussels with moderate powers not an all-powerful central government like Washington.
Michael Gillespie Federal Unionist Early Sinn Fein
Thursday, 28 August 2008
Thursday, 21 August 2008
Federal Unionism--- Early Sinn Fein
Introducing the Concept Federal Unionism--- Early Sinn Fein
The writer of this article lives in Derry and belongs to, supports, or is interested in no political party be it Union Jack Unionism, Nationalism or Republicanism. The writer dissents from all three as past their sell by dates and should be thrown out and the shelves restocked with the new improved concept Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein. Federal Unionism—Early Sinn is not a political party but is a political concept, a concept being a picture in the mind.
The writer is a teacher and an author whose writing interest has to do with finding ideas that will advance the solution to the Irish Problem, which remains unsolved. It is the writer’s conviction, a conviction sincerely held, that the Irish problem is solvable with The National Government Act in the 21st century.
It is basic to the concept of Federal Unionism ---Early Sinn Fein that the Irish Problem is a constitutional problem and at the root of the problem is the unwritten undemocratic imposed nature of U.K.constitution in Ireland since 1801.
Two conditions are necessary for a democracy to be a democracy
(1) A democratic state should have a constitution, which carries the support of the overwhelming majority of its citizens.
(2) The state should have a free vote.
While condition (1) exists in the six county state, condition (2) does not. The unwritten imposed constitution is supported by a marginal majority of the six county population but is rejected by a significant minority The six county population is split over the constitution. This split is observable in the current set –up in the state. There are two heads of state involved in N.Ireland, two flags being flown, two anthems being sung, two passports being travelled on giving two conflicting identities. A state thus constituted is unstable ungovernable and is prone to communal conflict. N. Ireland is the only state in the world where such a constitutional anomaly exists.
However it is the contention of Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein that to solve the Irish Problem reform of U.K. constitution is essential. This can be done in the National Government of Ireland Act, which would give a written democratic constitution for the whole of Ireland in a U.K. context. Such a constitution should be made as acceptable to the Catholics of Kerry as to the Protestants of Derry.
For Ireland to be a peaceful united stable nation the following conditions are needed: -
(a)One written union constitution – THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND ACT. The Act should define the union as The Federal Kingdom of the Sovereign Nation of Ireland and Great Britain. However the Act would require much, much more than that. A full development of the Act can be found in the novel---THE WAY IRELAND OUGHT TO BE – published by Authorhouse, which is available in any bookshop or from any agency on the Internet.
(b)One Head of State, a reformed Crown, the Crown being known on British territory as the British Crown and on Irish territory as the Crown Irish.
©One flag --- The Royal Flag of Ireland A picture of this flag can be found on the Blog www.solvingtheirishproblem.blogspot.com The Flag shown on the Blog is the Irish Union flag and is the National Flag of Ireland and a symbol of the Federal Kingdom.
(d)One government for Ireland. A central government in Dublin with powers devolved to four Provincial Parliaments sited in each of the four provincial Capitals.
(e) One anthem, neither God Save the Queen or A Soldiers Song. There are many excellent songs in the Irish musical tradition, any of which would make an excellent Irish anthem.
(f)One passport giving an Irish identity, which recognises the Crown Irish as Head of State. The passport should be written in Irish and in English
It is the contention of Federal Unionism –Early Sinn Fein that only in this way and in no other way, can a united, constitutionally stable Irish Nation be realized. Such unity can only be realised in a NATIONAL GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND ACT, which gives Ireland a written democratically acceptable constitution in an Federal Kingdom context. Such unity and constitutional stability will not be found in a Republican constitution because such a constitution wounds the cultural psyche of Protestant Ireland, which is loyalty to the Crown. The Government of Ireland Act partitioned the Island only the National Government of Ireland Act can unite the Island.
In this sketch of Federal Unionism—Early Sinn Fein the concept indicates that unity be restored to the island. The set-up at Stormont is unacceptable. Right Wing Union Jack unionism has debased the wholesome concept of the union by forming an unholy and ungodly alliance with Marxist orientated Late Sinn Fein. With that sell-out the United Kingdom will have to be rethought as the Federal Kingdom. To do that the 1801 Act of Union will have to be replaced by a new improved Act of Union – THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND ACT.
On the other hand a military defeated Late Sinn Fein have sold the Irish people down the river by buying into the 1801 Act of Union at Stormont. They are now propping up a Right-Wing Union Jack Unionist state in the six counties. Late Sinn Fein are now happy to live with an armed garrison of 5000 British soldiers and an armed P.S.N.I. whose main constitutional role is to ram the1801 Act of Union down the throats of those who object to it at the point of a gun.
If the National Government of Ireland Act were in place either, ideally, in the whole of Ireland or else in N Ireland it would then be a constitutional imperative that the British army leave Ireland and that the police be unarmed c.f. THE WAY IRELAND OUGHT TO BE.
Again if the Act were in place the sickness of Ireland ---sectarianism-- would die out.
Michael Gillespie Federal Unionist – Early Sinn Fein
B.Ed B.Sc (Econ) Dip Ed D.A.S.E. M.A (Ed)
The writer of this article lives in Derry and belongs to, supports, or is interested in no political party be it Union Jack Unionism, Nationalism or Republicanism. The writer dissents from all three as past their sell by dates and should be thrown out and the shelves restocked with the new improved concept Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein. Federal Unionism—Early Sinn is not a political party but is a political concept, a concept being a picture in the mind.
The writer is a teacher and an author whose writing interest has to do with finding ideas that will advance the solution to the Irish Problem, which remains unsolved. It is the writer’s conviction, a conviction sincerely held, that the Irish problem is solvable with The National Government Act in the 21st century.
It is basic to the concept of Federal Unionism ---Early Sinn Fein that the Irish Problem is a constitutional problem and at the root of the problem is the unwritten undemocratic imposed nature of U.K.constitution in Ireland since 1801.
Two conditions are necessary for a democracy to be a democracy
(1) A democratic state should have a constitution, which carries the support of the overwhelming majority of its citizens.
(2) The state should have a free vote.
While condition (1) exists in the six county state, condition (2) does not. The unwritten imposed constitution is supported by a marginal majority of the six county population but is rejected by a significant minority The six county population is split over the constitution. This split is observable in the current set –up in the state. There are two heads of state involved in N.Ireland, two flags being flown, two anthems being sung, two passports being travelled on giving two conflicting identities. A state thus constituted is unstable ungovernable and is prone to communal conflict. N. Ireland is the only state in the world where such a constitutional anomaly exists.
However it is the contention of Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein that to solve the Irish Problem reform of U.K. constitution is essential. This can be done in the National Government of Ireland Act, which would give a written democratic constitution for the whole of Ireland in a U.K. context. Such a constitution should be made as acceptable to the Catholics of Kerry as to the Protestants of Derry.
For Ireland to be a peaceful united stable nation the following conditions are needed: -
(a)One written union constitution – THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND ACT. The Act should define the union as The Federal Kingdom of the Sovereign Nation of Ireland and Great Britain. However the Act would require much, much more than that. A full development of the Act can be found in the novel---THE WAY IRELAND OUGHT TO BE – published by Authorhouse, which is available in any bookshop or from any agency on the Internet.
(b)One Head of State, a reformed Crown, the Crown being known on British territory as the British Crown and on Irish territory as the Crown Irish.
©One flag --- The Royal Flag of Ireland A picture of this flag can be found on the Blog www.solvingtheirishproblem.blogspot.com The Flag shown on the Blog is the Irish Union flag and is the National Flag of Ireland and a symbol of the Federal Kingdom.
(d)One government for Ireland. A central government in Dublin with powers devolved to four Provincial Parliaments sited in each of the four provincial Capitals.
(e) One anthem, neither God Save the Queen or A Soldiers Song. There are many excellent songs in the Irish musical tradition, any of which would make an excellent Irish anthem.
(f)One passport giving an Irish identity, which recognises the Crown Irish as Head of State. The passport should be written in Irish and in English
It is the contention of Federal Unionism –Early Sinn Fein that only in this way and in no other way, can a united, constitutionally stable Irish Nation be realized. Such unity can only be realised in a NATIONAL GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND ACT, which gives Ireland a written democratically acceptable constitution in an Federal Kingdom context. Such unity and constitutional stability will not be found in a Republican constitution because such a constitution wounds the cultural psyche of Protestant Ireland, which is loyalty to the Crown. The Government of Ireland Act partitioned the Island only the National Government of Ireland Act can unite the Island.
In this sketch of Federal Unionism—Early Sinn Fein the concept indicates that unity be restored to the island. The set-up at Stormont is unacceptable. Right Wing Union Jack unionism has debased the wholesome concept of the union by forming an unholy and ungodly alliance with Marxist orientated Late Sinn Fein. With that sell-out the United Kingdom will have to be rethought as the Federal Kingdom. To do that the 1801 Act of Union will have to be replaced by a new improved Act of Union – THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND ACT.
On the other hand a military defeated Late Sinn Fein have sold the Irish people down the river by buying into the 1801 Act of Union at Stormont. They are now propping up a Right-Wing Union Jack Unionist state in the six counties. Late Sinn Fein are now happy to live with an armed garrison of 5000 British soldiers and an armed P.S.N.I. whose main constitutional role is to ram the1801 Act of Union down the throats of those who object to it at the point of a gun.
If the National Government of Ireland Act were in place either, ideally, in the whole of Ireland or else in N Ireland it would then be a constitutional imperative that the British army leave Ireland and that the police be unarmed c.f. THE WAY IRELAND OUGHT TO BE.
Again if the Act were in place the sickness of Ireland ---sectarianism-- would die out.
Michael Gillespie Federal Unionist – Early Sinn Fein
B.Ed B.Sc (Econ) Dip Ed D.A.S.E. M.A (Ed)
Tuesday, 29 July 2008
Articles For Blogger
The novel --THE WAY IRELAND OUGHT TO BE--is an impressionistic fiction derived from life experiences. The novel relates Dr Quinn's struggle in a psychiatric clinic to discover his true self as an Irishman. In his mental struggle he creates THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND ACT as the solution to the Irrish problem.The novel is the companion to this series of articles in this Blog and is recommended reading. The novel can be bought through any book store or from any book agency on the Internet
Monday, 28 July 2008
Abortion in the Six Counties
Abortion in the six counties
On listening to the radio I heard Geoffrey Donaldson and Dianne Abbot debate Dianne’s intention that the 1967 Abortion Act and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology 1990 Act be amended so that abortion on demand and for social expediency be made available in the six counties. I was pleased to hear that Geoffrey was opposed to such an amendment because such legislation was not acceptable to the political parties or to the four main churches. Mr Donaldson pointed out that such legislation was an imposition on the people of the six counties.
Secularist Federal Unionist – Early Sinn Fein sees the introduction of abortion in the six counties as an imposition coming from a central Westminster, but the objection by Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein runs much deeper than that. The imposition of abortion on the people of the six counties is a spin off of a much deeper problem which is the imposition by the military of an unwritten undemocratic constitution on those in the six counties who don’t want it. That is how U.K. constitution works. Mr Donaldson is right to oppose the imposition he objects to but is heedless to the plight of those who have to live under a military imposed unwritten undemocratic constitution they object to. What is needed is a reformed U.K. constitution, which is acceptable to all in the same way, as the six counties need abortion legislation that is acceptable to all c.f. THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND ACT Article 4 Page 201.
In another article in this Blog titled Here’s to you, Mrs Robinson---, a definition of secularism is given taken from the Internet. This definition of secularism is fine and dandy and is the definition of secularism acceptable to Federal unionism - Early Sinn Fein. It agrees that state laws should be derived from reason and should be based on
evidence and fact. Laws should be humane and be enacted for the good of the state the community and of the individual. Since the introduction of the 1967 Abortion Act six million potential individuals have been refused the right to exist. Such a shameful statistic condemns those false prophets of secularism who support abortion on demand and for social expediency. Those who are genuinely secularist in outlook see those who support abortion on demand and for social expediency as, inhumane, cruel and criminal.
Dianne Abbot was raised under an unwritten undemocratic U.K. constitution and is surrounded by those who unthinkingly accept such a constitution so the lady is free to impose Dianne Abbot law on those parts of the U.K. who don’t want it. In this way abortion is being dragged in by the undemocratic back door of The U.K. into the six counties and imposed. Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein urges the lady to come clean and wise up and introduce abortion by the democratic front door. To do that the lady should leave Hackney North and settle in Belfast. In Belfast she should set up the six County Abortion Party. If Dianne prefers to be politically correct she may call it the N. Ireland Abortion Party. Whatever! She should go forward on a ticket of abortion on demand and for social expediency and when Dianne’s party returns a majority to the assembly the abortion party can introduce acceptable abortion legislation in the six counties, which is a humane solution to the difficult human problem of an unwanted pregnancy. If that were done that would be legislation introduced through the democratic front door, not through the undemocratic back door of an unwritten militarily imposed U.K. constitution that is objected to by a significant section of the six county population.
Michael Gillespie Federal Unionist – Early Sinn Fein
On listening to the radio I heard Geoffrey Donaldson and Dianne Abbot debate Dianne’s intention that the 1967 Abortion Act and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology 1990 Act be amended so that abortion on demand and for social expediency be made available in the six counties. I was pleased to hear that Geoffrey was opposed to such an amendment because such legislation was not acceptable to the political parties or to the four main churches. Mr Donaldson pointed out that such legislation was an imposition on the people of the six counties.
Secularist Federal Unionist – Early Sinn Fein sees the introduction of abortion in the six counties as an imposition coming from a central Westminster, but the objection by Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein runs much deeper than that. The imposition of abortion on the people of the six counties is a spin off of a much deeper problem which is the imposition by the military of an unwritten undemocratic constitution on those in the six counties who don’t want it. That is how U.K. constitution works. Mr Donaldson is right to oppose the imposition he objects to but is heedless to the plight of those who have to live under a military imposed unwritten undemocratic constitution they object to. What is needed is a reformed U.K. constitution, which is acceptable to all in the same way, as the six counties need abortion legislation that is acceptable to all c.f. THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND ACT Article 4 Page 201.
In another article in this Blog titled Here’s to you, Mrs Robinson---, a definition of secularism is given taken from the Internet. This definition of secularism is fine and dandy and is the definition of secularism acceptable to Federal unionism - Early Sinn Fein. It agrees that state laws should be derived from reason and should be based on
evidence and fact. Laws should be humane and be enacted for the good of the state the community and of the individual. Since the introduction of the 1967 Abortion Act six million potential individuals have been refused the right to exist. Such a shameful statistic condemns those false prophets of secularism who support abortion on demand and for social expediency. Those who are genuinely secularist in outlook see those who support abortion on demand and for social expediency as, inhumane, cruel and criminal.
Dianne Abbot was raised under an unwritten undemocratic U.K. constitution and is surrounded by those who unthinkingly accept such a constitution so the lady is free to impose Dianne Abbot law on those parts of the U.K. who don’t want it. In this way abortion is being dragged in by the undemocratic back door of The U.K. into the six counties and imposed. Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein urges the lady to come clean and wise up and introduce abortion by the democratic front door. To do that the lady should leave Hackney North and settle in Belfast. In Belfast she should set up the six County Abortion Party. If Dianne prefers to be politically correct she may call it the N. Ireland Abortion Party. Whatever! She should go forward on a ticket of abortion on demand and for social expediency and when Dianne’s party returns a majority to the assembly the abortion party can introduce acceptable abortion legislation in the six counties, which is a humane solution to the difficult human problem of an unwanted pregnancy. If that were done that would be legislation introduced through the democratic front door, not through the undemocratic back door of an unwritten militarily imposed U.K. constitution that is objected to by a significant section of the six county population.
Michael Gillespie Federal Unionist – Early Sinn Fein
Whither Traditional Unionism
Whither Traditional Unionism
The partitionists David Cameron the leader o f the British Conservatives and Sir Reg Empey leader of the Ulster Unionist Party are reported to be in the process of forming an alliance between their respective parties. This is a new partitionist move to copper fasten the division of Ireland into two foreign states. Neither of these men show the slightest concern about the Irish disease --- sectarianism unless there is a mass conversion of the catholic community to the old dogmas of traditional toryism following an alliance between the Tories And the U.U.P. Margaret Thatcher sold the traditional unionists down the river in the Anglo Irish Agreement, a sell-out of which the traditional unionist Ian Paisley was keenly aware in his public outburst –Never, Never, Never. But Ian in turn sold traditional Ulster unionism down the river in forming an unholy and ungodly union with Late Sinn Fein/ I.R.A.
With the military defeat of Republicanism by the British in the six counties Partition and its underlying malady –Sectarianism –is being reinforced on the island as never before. The six counties are now polarized into two extreme and constitutionally contradictory sectarian camps of Republican: Late Sinn Fein and the unionism of Right Wing Union Jack Unionism, the D.U.P. For Sir Reg and David the treachery of Margaret Thatcher is being airbrushed away and sectarianism is taken to be the order of the day in Ireland.
At this point in the history of Traditional unionism it should be useful to ask ----Whither traditional Unionism? and look at a radical appraisal of the U.K. by examining what are the fundamentals of U.K. constitution and ask what is the sine qua non of the union.
For traditional Unionists in Ulster the union is constitutionally embodied in: -
(1) Loyalty to the Crown.
(2) The anthem God Save the Queen.
(3) The Union Jack.
(4) A British Passport.
(5) Parliament at Westminster
God Save the Queen is regarded by traditional unionism as being immutable and unchangeable. However God Save the Queen is not a sine qua non of the union. Three Blind Mice as the National Anthem could replace God Save the Queen if that were the will of the House of Commons and deemed appropriate by the British people.
By the same token the union Jack is not immutable and unchangeable. That flag is manmade and was created by Whitehall in 1801 and as such is not a sine qua non of the union. An alternative to the Union Jack is given in THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND ACT Article 9 page224. A suggested redesign of the Irish Tricolour as the National flag of Ireland and a symbol of the United Kingdom of the Sovereign Nation of Ireland and Great Britain can be seen in this Blog. The new design should be called The Royal Flag of Ireland.
Is the existing design of a British Passport a sine qua non of the U.K.? Surely not. The British passport can be redesigned in any shape or form the House of Commons cares to make it. A suggested redesign of a U.K. passport in Ireland is given in the Act as follows:-
(1) Ireland--- written in English Irish and French on the cover along with the Royal flag of Ireland
(2) The Crown Irish Representation c.f. The Act Article 3 Page 195 to be shown on the first inside leaf of the Passport.
(3) The passport should be written in Irish and English.
The holder of such a passport would be an Irish citizen who recognises the Crown as head of state in Ireland and such recognition of the Crown as Head of State is the only sine qua non of the U.K. All else is changeable including Parliament With devolved governments in Scotland and Wales, Parliament at Westminster is now in a state of flux.
Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein brings this radical unionism to the attention of traditional unionism At the moment there is a working party in place to examine a new arrangement between the U.U.P. and the Tories. Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein has no objection in principal to this except that such an alliance will do nothing to eradicate sectarianism in Ireland. Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein puts forward a new approach to the eradication of sectarianism on the island. It is proposed that a constitutionally central collation be formed of the central S.D.L.P. the U.U.P. and Alliance whose aim is to oppose and defeat the constitutional extremists Late Sinn Fein and the D.U.P. The central coalition should be named The Federal Unionist – Early Sinn Fein Party of Ireland. In such a coalition the U.U.P. could retain its association with the Conservatives, the Alliance retain its historic association with the Lib Dems and the S.D.L.P. retain its association with the Labour Party.
If eventually the National Government of Ireland Act were in place, ideally, in the whole of Ireland then the Irish Christian Democrats could be in association with the British Conservatives and with the Christian Democrats in Europe, the Irish liberal democrats could be in association with the Lib Dems in G.B. and with European liberals, and the Irish Social Democrats could remain in association with British Labour and with socialists in Europe.
In such an arrangement politics in Ireland would become normalized being based on the ideological, right, centre and left and the sickness of Ireland –sectarianism will wither away. So whither traditional Unionism?
Michael Gillespie Federal Unionist – Early Sinn Fein
The partitionists David Cameron the leader o f the British Conservatives and Sir Reg Empey leader of the Ulster Unionist Party are reported to be in the process of forming an alliance between their respective parties. This is a new partitionist move to copper fasten the division of Ireland into two foreign states. Neither of these men show the slightest concern about the Irish disease --- sectarianism unless there is a mass conversion of the catholic community to the old dogmas of traditional toryism following an alliance between the Tories And the U.U.P. Margaret Thatcher sold the traditional unionists down the river in the Anglo Irish Agreement, a sell-out of which the traditional unionist Ian Paisley was keenly aware in his public outburst –Never, Never, Never. But Ian in turn sold traditional Ulster unionism down the river in forming an unholy and ungodly union with Late Sinn Fein/ I.R.A.
With the military defeat of Republicanism by the British in the six counties Partition and its underlying malady –Sectarianism –is being reinforced on the island as never before. The six counties are now polarized into two extreme and constitutionally contradictory sectarian camps of Republican: Late Sinn Fein and the unionism of Right Wing Union Jack Unionism, the D.U.P. For Sir Reg and David the treachery of Margaret Thatcher is being airbrushed away and sectarianism is taken to be the order of the day in Ireland.
At this point in the history of Traditional unionism it should be useful to ask ----Whither traditional Unionism? and look at a radical appraisal of the U.K. by examining what are the fundamentals of U.K. constitution and ask what is the sine qua non of the union.
For traditional Unionists in Ulster the union is constitutionally embodied in: -
(1) Loyalty to the Crown.
(2) The anthem God Save the Queen.
(3) The Union Jack.
(4) A British Passport.
(5) Parliament at Westminster
God Save the Queen is regarded by traditional unionism as being immutable and unchangeable. However God Save the Queen is not a sine qua non of the union. Three Blind Mice as the National Anthem could replace God Save the Queen if that were the will of the House of Commons and deemed appropriate by the British people.
By the same token the union Jack is not immutable and unchangeable. That flag is manmade and was created by Whitehall in 1801 and as such is not a sine qua non of the union. An alternative to the Union Jack is given in THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND ACT Article 9 page224. A suggested redesign of the Irish Tricolour as the National flag of Ireland and a symbol of the United Kingdom of the Sovereign Nation of Ireland and Great Britain can be seen in this Blog. The new design should be called The Royal Flag of Ireland.
Is the existing design of a British Passport a sine qua non of the U.K.? Surely not. The British passport can be redesigned in any shape or form the House of Commons cares to make it. A suggested redesign of a U.K. passport in Ireland is given in the Act as follows:-
(1) Ireland--- written in English Irish and French on the cover along with the Royal flag of Ireland
(2) The Crown Irish Representation c.f. The Act Article 3 Page 195 to be shown on the first inside leaf of the Passport.
(3) The passport should be written in Irish and English.
The holder of such a passport would be an Irish citizen who recognises the Crown as head of state in Ireland and such recognition of the Crown as Head of State is the only sine qua non of the U.K. All else is changeable including Parliament With devolved governments in Scotland and Wales, Parliament at Westminster is now in a state of flux.
Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein brings this radical unionism to the attention of traditional unionism At the moment there is a working party in place to examine a new arrangement between the U.U.P. and the Tories. Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein has no objection in principal to this except that such an alliance will do nothing to eradicate sectarianism in Ireland. Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein puts forward a new approach to the eradication of sectarianism on the island. It is proposed that a constitutionally central collation be formed of the central S.D.L.P. the U.U.P. and Alliance whose aim is to oppose and defeat the constitutional extremists Late Sinn Fein and the D.U.P. The central coalition should be named The Federal Unionist – Early Sinn Fein Party of Ireland. In such a coalition the U.U.P. could retain its association with the Conservatives, the Alliance retain its historic association with the Lib Dems and the S.D.L.P. retain its association with the Labour Party.
If eventually the National Government of Ireland Act were in place, ideally, in the whole of Ireland then the Irish Christian Democrats could be in association with the British Conservatives and with the Christian Democrats in Europe, the Irish liberal democrats could be in association with the Lib Dems in G.B. and with European liberals, and the Irish Social Democrats could remain in association with British Labour and with socialists in Europe.
In such an arrangement politics in Ireland would become normalized being based on the ideological, right, centre and left and the sickness of Ireland –sectarianism will wither away. So whither traditional Unionism?
Michael Gillespie Federal Unionist – Early Sinn Fein
Sunday, 27 July 2008
Whither Late Sinn Fein?
At the moment there is considerable interest in the press and in the media concerning the peace process and its direction and efforts are being made to reconcile the DUP and Late Sinn Fein to one another. Stormont has become the Mecca of the North for Late Sinn Fein.
But it may be time to stand back and examine what is happening constitutionally in the six counties. The crux of the matter seems to be that the DUP and Late Sinn Fein will not bed down together at Stormont until Late Sinn Fein accepts in full the six county courts and cooperates in full with the PSNI. Gerry Adams is now leading Late Sinn Fein in that direction.
To understand clearly what is afoot in the six counties the state’s constitution has to be looked at and the law courts and the police force are basic to the six county constitutional make up. In this unwritten constitution derived from the 1801 Act of Union the law courts and the police are the basic means whereby the six county unwritten undemocratic Right Wing Union Jack Unionist constitution is maintained. In deed one might say the courts and the police are the heart and lungs of this undemocratic constitution. This constitution has been rejected by the vast majority of the people of this island but in the six counties this undemocratic constitution is being maintained militarily by the British Army and by the PSNI with a gun strapped to their hip.
Since the 1801 Act of Union, the primary function of the police in Ireland, beginning with the RIC, was the maintenance of the constitution on the island as a whole. The maintenance of civil law and order was a secondary function. When the six county statelet was set up the RU C took on the role as state enforcers of an unwritten undemocratic constitution even though the constitution was unacceptable to a significant portion of the population. The PSNI still has as its primary function the enforcement of the constitution on those who don’t want it. That is why they travel the highways and byways carrying guns. For the PSNI the maintenance of civil law and order is a secondary function. The ultimate back up to the PSNI in this role is the British military garrison of 5000 whose ultimate duty is to enforce the constitution at the point of a gun on those who object to it. For Gerry Adams and Late Sinn Fein this is now to be accepted. In this acceptance Late Sinn Fein is now accepting the 1801 Act of Union and in so doing are propping up a Right Wing Union Jack Unionist regime in the six counties. Late Sinn Fein are now being hoodwinked bamboozled and pressurized by the clever wiles of Ian Paisley and the DUP into an acceptance of the Act of Union. This deception is aided and abetted by the British con artist, Tony Blair using the sleight of hand—good community relations and peace. Backing this up is the Irish con artist, the partitionist Bertie Ahern and a partitionist Dail Eireann, and urging this on is the arch partitionist Catholic potentate of a cosy Catholic foreign jurisdiction---Mary Mc Aleese. Gerry Adams should now come clean with the party faithful and go the full constitutional hog and fly the Union Jack on Late Sinn Fein headquarters, take a seat in the House of Commons and take the oath of allegiance to the Queen and end its Ard Fheis in Dublin with ---God Save the Queen. If Ian Paisley and Tony Blair were to make all of that a condition of entry to Stormont Gerry Adams and Late Sinn Fein would acquiesce such is their lust for power in the six counties.
This is not so with Federal Unionism Early Sinn Fein. There is no way it would buy into the Act of Union 1801 by selling its birth right for a mess of pottage in the six counties. It rejects utterly the Act of Union simply because the Act has been rejected historically by the vast majority of the people of this island. But Federal Unionism Early Sinn Fein goes further than that and positively. Recognising that Republicanism has been defeated militarily in the six counties and because of that, is defeated on the whole island and is now partitionist in outlook, Federal Unionism Early Sinn Fein advocates the repeal of the unacceptable Act of Union 1801 and its removal from the statute books, to be replaced by a new acceptable Act of Union, the National Government of Ireland Act, giving a Union that is democratically acceptable to all, be it the Catholics of Kerry or the Protestants of Derry. Those who have the best interest of Ireland and the Irish at heart will find a proposal for the National Government of Ireland Act published in 22 articles in the Blanket 2006 The six counties are now in a constitutional mess as is the island as a whole, being partitioned into two statelets the one foreign to the other. This mess has been created in the past by extremists north and south. It is high time the mess was cleared up but Late Sinn Fein cannot do that. All they can do is wallow in it and now have their nose rubbed in it by the DUP. But the mess can be cleared up in a UK context in the National Government of Ireland Act. That way, in a UK context lies a United Ireland and only in that way.
When it comes to policing a few twiddles of the constitutional knobs by Cris Patton will not do. Patton has left the primary role of the PSNI as constitutional enforcers intact. In the National Government of Ireland Act the police would be subject to the constitution, not enforcers of it and the maintenance of the constitution would be in the hands of the Taoiseach but would ultimately be determined by the democratic will of the Irish people. The only constitutional duty of the police would be the maintenance of civil law and order. Likewise if the National Government of Ireland Act were in place, ideally, in the whole of Ireland or else in the six counties it would then a constitutional imperative that English Scottish and Welsh soldiers leave Ireland and an Irish Army in Ireland would have the constitutional role of defending Irish territory and democracy, or of defending the territory of the Isles of the North Atlantic and democracy in conjunction with the British Army should the need arise. Neither the Irish Army nor the British Army would be constitutional enforcers in Ireland. The constitution would be maintained solely by the democratic will of the Irish people.
Michael Gillespie
At the moment there is considerable interest in the press and in the media concerning the peace process and its direction and efforts are being made to reconcile the DUP and Late Sinn Fein to one another. Stormont has become the Mecca of the North for Late Sinn Fein.
But it may be time to stand back and examine what is happening constitutionally in the six counties. The crux of the matter seems to be that the DUP and Late Sinn Fein will not bed down together at Stormont until Late Sinn Fein accepts in full the six county courts and cooperates in full with the PSNI. Gerry Adams is now leading Late Sinn Fein in that direction.
To understand clearly what is afoot in the six counties the state’s constitution has to be looked at and the law courts and the police force are basic to the six county constitutional make up. In this unwritten constitution derived from the 1801 Act of Union the law courts and the police are the basic means whereby the six county unwritten undemocratic Right Wing Union Jack Unionist constitution is maintained. In deed one might say the courts and the police are the heart and lungs of this undemocratic constitution. This constitution has been rejected by the vast majority of the people of this island but in the six counties this undemocratic constitution is being maintained militarily by the British Army and by the PSNI with a gun strapped to their hip.
Since the 1801 Act of Union, the primary function of the police in Ireland, beginning with the RIC, was the maintenance of the constitution on the island as a whole. The maintenance of civil law and order was a secondary function. When the six county statelet was set up the RU C took on the role as state enforcers of an unwritten undemocratic constitution even though the constitution was unacceptable to a significant portion of the population. The PSNI still has as its primary function the enforcement of the constitution on those who don’t want it. That is why they travel the highways and byways carrying guns. For the PSNI the maintenance of civil law and order is a secondary function. The ultimate back up to the PSNI in this role is the British military garrison of 5000 whose ultimate duty is to enforce the constitution at the point of a gun on those who object to it. For Gerry Adams and Late Sinn Fein this is now to be accepted. In this acceptance Late Sinn Fein is now accepting the 1801 Act of Union and in so doing are propping up a Right Wing Union Jack Unionist regime in the six counties. Late Sinn Fein are now being hoodwinked bamboozled and pressurized by the clever wiles of Ian Paisley and the DUP into an acceptance of the Act of Union. This deception is aided and abetted by the British con artist, Tony Blair using the sleight of hand—good community relations and peace. Backing this up is the Irish con artist, the partitionist Bertie Ahern and a partitionist Dail Eireann, and urging this on is the arch partitionist Catholic potentate of a cosy Catholic foreign jurisdiction---Mary Mc Aleese. Gerry Adams should now come clean with the party faithful and go the full constitutional hog and fly the Union Jack on Late Sinn Fein headquarters, take a seat in the House of Commons and take the oath of allegiance to the Queen and end its Ard Fheis in Dublin with ---God Save the Queen. If Ian Paisley and Tony Blair were to make all of that a condition of entry to Stormont Gerry Adams and Late Sinn Fein would acquiesce such is their lust for power in the six counties.
This is not so with Federal Unionism Early Sinn Fein. There is no way it would buy into the Act of Union 1801 by selling its birth right for a mess of pottage in the six counties. It rejects utterly the Act of Union simply because the Act has been rejected historically by the vast majority of the people of this island. But Federal Unionism Early Sinn Fein goes further than that and positively. Recognising that Republicanism has been defeated militarily in the six counties and because of that, is defeated on the whole island and is now partitionist in outlook, Federal Unionism Early Sinn Fein advocates the repeal of the unacceptable Act of Union 1801 and its removal from the statute books, to be replaced by a new acceptable Act of Union, the National Government of Ireland Act, giving a Union that is democratically acceptable to all, be it the Catholics of Kerry or the Protestants of Derry. Those who have the best interest of Ireland and the Irish at heart will find a proposal for the National Government of Ireland Act published in 22 articles in the Blanket 2006 The six counties are now in a constitutional mess as is the island as a whole, being partitioned into two statelets the one foreign to the other. This mess has been created in the past by extremists north and south. It is high time the mess was cleared up but Late Sinn Fein cannot do that. All they can do is wallow in it and now have their nose rubbed in it by the DUP. But the mess can be cleared up in a UK context in the National Government of Ireland Act. That way, in a UK context lies a United Ireland and only in that way.
When it comes to policing a few twiddles of the constitutional knobs by Cris Patton will not do. Patton has left the primary role of the PSNI as constitutional enforcers intact. In the National Government of Ireland Act the police would be subject to the constitution, not enforcers of it and the maintenance of the constitution would be in the hands of the Taoiseach but would ultimately be determined by the democratic will of the Irish people. The only constitutional duty of the police would be the maintenance of civil law and order. Likewise if the National Government of Ireland Act were in place, ideally, in the whole of Ireland or else in the six counties it would then a constitutional imperative that English Scottish and Welsh soldiers leave Ireland and an Irish Army in Ireland would have the constitutional role of defending Irish territory and democracy, or of defending the territory of the Isles of the North Atlantic and democracy in conjunction with the British Army should the need arise. Neither the Irish Army nor the British Army would be constitutional enforcers in Ireland. The constitution would be maintained solely by the democratic will of the Irish people.
Michael Gillespie
Whither Traditional Republicanism?
Michael Gillespie
On first writing to the Blog I made clear I am a dissident, dissenting from Traditional Republicanism, Nationalism, and Unionism seeing these as failed entities that have past their sell by date and should be thrown out and replaced with the new improved up-to-date stock of Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein. On reading current articles in The Blanket, contributed by Republicans, it is now becoming clear that Early Sinn Fein’s original message is finding an affinity with thinking Republicans where traditional Republicanism is being seen as a futility.
Traditional Republicanism has been abandoned by Late Sinn Fein which now props up a Right Wing Union Jack Unionist 6 county state by buying into the 1801 Act of Union at Stormont. Like Early Sinn Fein, traditional Republicanism is opposed to the 1801 Act of Union and wants rid of it but unlike Early Sinn Fein, traditional Republicanism doesn’t know how to achieve that goal. Violence has been the traditional means towards the end but that means proved futile in ’98, in 1916 and in the recent spate of violence in the 6 counties. So the question is---Whither Traditional Republicanism?
The 1801 Act has been rendered secure in the 6 counties and being secure partition is copper- fastened and sectarianism institutionalised. Ian Paisley had beome expansive and has made a benevolent visit to Dublin and has shaken hands with the unprincipled partitionist Bertie Ahern who has the full approval of a unprincipled Catholic partitionist foreign Dail Eireann. All of this is greeted with euphoria by an unthinking media.
In the knowledge of all of that, Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein holds to the principle that the Act of Union was a military imposition in 1801 and undemocratic and remains an undemocratic military imposition on a sizeable section of the population in the 6 counties at the present time. To resolve this Early Sinn Fein advocates the replacement of the imposed Act of Union 1801 by a new acceptable and democratic Act of Union—The National Government of Ireland Act---.Ideas for such an Act have already been published in The Blog. Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein is as one with Traditional Republicanism in its opposition to the 1801 Act as an end but Early Sinn Fein advocates reason, not brute force as a means.
Federal Unionism-Early Sinn Fein also wishes to see the day when sectarianism will be non-existent in Ireland. Being realistic sectarianism has its roots in the fracture of Christianity in ages past and is bound up with denominational religion in Ireland. Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein believes that ones religion is a private matter between the individual and God and religion shouldn’t be worn on the sleeve, or mouthed about in public, or paraded in public for votes. Federal Unionism- Early Sinn Fein profoundly believes that no single brand of denominational Christianity holds a monopoly of Christian truth but that since the fracture of Christianity at the Reformation, the Christian truth is held in a partial fragment by each one of the Christian denominations. Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein profoundly believes that no single Christian denomination offers an exclusive route to personal salvation but that each one of the Christian denominations offers a route to personal salvation, the various denominations being six of one and half a dozen of the other. In that belief Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein is aware that Ian Paisley preaches from the pulpit that his brand of denominational Christianity is the whole Christian truth and nothing but the Christian truth. Preaching thus Ian maintains that his brand of denominational Christianity is a super brand, and like Persil it washes whiter. Is Ian then the role model of the super Christian and is he the superstar of Christianity? If Ian had behaved like a Christian and spoke like a Christian 40 years ago and had backed Captain O’ Neill in the introduction of modest reforms in the 6 counties and had shaken the hand of Sean Lemass in friendship as he has done with Bertie Ahern, in the judgement of Early Sinn Fein there would never have been an I.R.A. and there would never have been violence and 3000 people who are now dead would still be alive. Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein maintains that Ian Paisley is a man with much on his conscience and has much to answer for. Because of that Early Sinn Fein calls on the reverend gentleman to admit his guilt, confess his sins and in company with his erstwhile unchristian political partner at Stormont, Martin who has an unchristian record of terrorism, wear sackcloth and ashes as repentant sinners who have been joined at the hip in an unhealthy, unholy and ungodly union at Stormont. On the other hand Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein is prepared to assist in the healing of the multiple fracture in Christianity by advocating in the National Government of Ireland Act that Christian Ecumenism be made the official state religion of a New Ireland.
The reverend gentleman preaches that the Pope is the anti- Christ and believes that all Catholics are clones of the Pope and would have us believe that Mary M cAleese should be called Dolly the Pope because of her Catholicism. He preaches that his brand of religion and it alone, offers personal salvation and that he personally is saved but maybe if the full truth were known the only thing saved in Ian’s life are the files on his computer. Those with an ounce of Christian sense in their make up must realize that neither Ian or Martin have a Christian bone in their body and in both their faces can be seen the unacceptable face of Christianity.
There is a recurrent theme in Republican writing that the Irish problem can be resolved in socialism. It would be interesting to know the origins of this notion. It could be that this notion originates in Long Kesh with Republican prisoners being brainwashed and indoctrinated into the dogma that revolutionary socialism is the cure all. This has been put to the test in the 6 counties and has been shown to be flawed, faulty and defective. Socialism has also been put to the electoral test by that foot soldier of socialism, Eamon McCann and by the Worker’s Party. The electoral results speak for themselves. Socialism collapsed in Europe with the Berlin Wall but there are those who still cling to the forlorn hope that if only the Shankill and the Falls would unite as working class people in socialism unity would follow and all would be well. This hope was put to the test by the old Northern Ireland Labour Party but without electoral success. The difficulty with the Labour Party lay in the reality that to split the party from head to toe on sectarian lines all that was needed was a motion proposing that the Party recognise the border. So in the old Labour Party the unity of socialism was skin deep and superficial. What touched the quick and divided the party was the border i.e. the constitution. So Federal Unionism reiterates again that to unite Catholic Protestant and Dissenter requires a new reformed U.K.constitution in Ireland i.e. The National Government of Ireland Act and that Ireland can be united in no other way.
There is the assertion in Republican thinking that in Ireland disunity is due to the naughty British who back unionists and if only the British would stop doing that and went away protestant loyalist Ireland would convert en masse to Republicanism and a united Ireland would follow. This foolish assertion fails to understand loyalist Ireland. The central plank of that community’s culture is loyalty to the Crown. It has to be accepted as reasonable that loyalty is a praiseworthy human attribute be it loyalty to friend, family, organization, country or Crown. In a liberal democracy that allows freedom of expression, loyalty should be freely expressed not repressed, as loyalty to the Crown would be in a Republic. The case in point is the Protestant loyalist community in the 26 county statelet. There the central plank of the community’s culture was taken away and the protestant community, ill at ease in an imposed alien culture, voted against the statelet with their feet by walking out, so it is true to say that protestants are as scarce on the banks of the Shannon, nowadays, as Sioux Indians are on the banks of the Mississippi. The fate of Catholics in the 6 counties is in marked contrast. Since 1921 the catholic community in the 6 counties has increased, multiplied and flourished even though they have felt badly done by, by Right Wing Union Jack Unionism, so Catholics in the 6 counties don’t seem to have any objection in principle to being within the U.K. provided they get a fair crack of the whip. By the same token the Catholics of Kerry could equally increase multiply and flourish if they were to be within a reformed United Kingdom.
Some time ago I saw Catrina Ruane of Late Sinn Fein mention a New Ireland to a D.U.P.man on T.V. It was a mystery to myself the D.U.P. man and also to the viewers what Catrina was talking about. Everyone would want to know what Catrina’s new Ireland would be like , where it would come from and how it would be constitutioned and what we all would be letting ourselves in for in this new Ireland but Catrina never mentioned any of that. Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein is willing to come to the lady’s assistance and offer the lady, free of charge, a brand new Ireland which unlike the muddy waters of Late Sinn Fein’s Eire Nua, is clearly thought out, clearly presented, and clearly constituted and with no hidden agenda so that the lady can study the National Government of Ireland Act and see how she would like to live in a united Ireland as an Irish Christian Liberal Democracy within the United Kingdom. I hope Catrina reads This Blog.
When first writing to This Blog I described myself as a teacher and a writer. If the readership doesn’t like teachers and writers especially teachers I can describe myself in the way Shaw described himself to the Fabian Society: -
“I am not a teacher. I am a fellow traveller who is pointing the way.”~
Michael Gillespie
k
Michael Gillespie
On first writing to the Blog I made clear I am a dissident, dissenting from Traditional Republicanism, Nationalism, and Unionism seeing these as failed entities that have past their sell by date and should be thrown out and replaced with the new improved up-to-date stock of Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein. On reading current articles in The Blanket, contributed by Republicans, it is now becoming clear that Early Sinn Fein’s original message is finding an affinity with thinking Republicans where traditional Republicanism is being seen as a futility.
Traditional Republicanism has been abandoned by Late Sinn Fein which now props up a Right Wing Union Jack Unionist 6 county state by buying into the 1801 Act of Union at Stormont. Like Early Sinn Fein, traditional Republicanism is opposed to the 1801 Act of Union and wants rid of it but unlike Early Sinn Fein, traditional Republicanism doesn’t know how to achieve that goal. Violence has been the traditional means towards the end but that means proved futile in ’98, in 1916 and in the recent spate of violence in the 6 counties. So the question is---Whither Traditional Republicanism?
The 1801 Act has been rendered secure in the 6 counties and being secure partition is copper- fastened and sectarianism institutionalised. Ian Paisley had beome expansive and has made a benevolent visit to Dublin and has shaken hands with the unprincipled partitionist Bertie Ahern who has the full approval of a unprincipled Catholic partitionist foreign Dail Eireann. All of this is greeted with euphoria by an unthinking media.
In the knowledge of all of that, Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein holds to the principle that the Act of Union was a military imposition in 1801 and undemocratic and remains an undemocratic military imposition on a sizeable section of the population in the 6 counties at the present time. To resolve this Early Sinn Fein advocates the replacement of the imposed Act of Union 1801 by a new acceptable and democratic Act of Union—The National Government of Ireland Act---.Ideas for such an Act have already been published in The Blog. Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein is as one with Traditional Republicanism in its opposition to the 1801 Act as an end but Early Sinn Fein advocates reason, not brute force as a means.
Federal Unionism-Early Sinn Fein also wishes to see the day when sectarianism will be non-existent in Ireland. Being realistic sectarianism has its roots in the fracture of Christianity in ages past and is bound up with denominational religion in Ireland. Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein believes that ones religion is a private matter between the individual and God and religion shouldn’t be worn on the sleeve, or mouthed about in public, or paraded in public for votes. Federal Unionism- Early Sinn Fein profoundly believes that no single brand of denominational Christianity holds a monopoly of Christian truth but that since the fracture of Christianity at the Reformation, the Christian truth is held in a partial fragment by each one of the Christian denominations. Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein profoundly believes that no single Christian denomination offers an exclusive route to personal salvation but that each one of the Christian denominations offers a route to personal salvation, the various denominations being six of one and half a dozen of the other. In that belief Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein is aware that Ian Paisley preaches from the pulpit that his brand of denominational Christianity is the whole Christian truth and nothing but the Christian truth. Preaching thus Ian maintains that his brand of denominational Christianity is a super brand, and like Persil it washes whiter. Is Ian then the role model of the super Christian and is he the superstar of Christianity? If Ian had behaved like a Christian and spoke like a Christian 40 years ago and had backed Captain O’ Neill in the introduction of modest reforms in the 6 counties and had shaken the hand of Sean Lemass in friendship as he has done with Bertie Ahern, in the judgement of Early Sinn Fein there would never have been an I.R.A. and there would never have been violence and 3000 people who are now dead would still be alive. Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein maintains that Ian Paisley is a man with much on his conscience and has much to answer for. Because of that Early Sinn Fein calls on the reverend gentleman to admit his guilt, confess his sins and in company with his erstwhile unchristian political partner at Stormont, Martin who has an unchristian record of terrorism, wear sackcloth and ashes as repentant sinners who have been joined at the hip in an unhealthy, unholy and ungodly union at Stormont. On the other hand Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein is prepared to assist in the healing of the multiple fracture in Christianity by advocating in the National Government of Ireland Act that Christian Ecumenism be made the official state religion of a New Ireland.
The reverend gentleman preaches that the Pope is the anti- Christ and believes that all Catholics are clones of the Pope and would have us believe that Mary M cAleese should be called Dolly the Pope because of her Catholicism. He preaches that his brand of religion and it alone, offers personal salvation and that he personally is saved but maybe if the full truth were known the only thing saved in Ian’s life are the files on his computer. Those with an ounce of Christian sense in their make up must realize that neither Ian or Martin have a Christian bone in their body and in both their faces can be seen the unacceptable face of Christianity.
There is a recurrent theme in Republican writing that the Irish problem can be resolved in socialism. It would be interesting to know the origins of this notion. It could be that this notion originates in Long Kesh with Republican prisoners being brainwashed and indoctrinated into the dogma that revolutionary socialism is the cure all. This has been put to the test in the 6 counties and has been shown to be flawed, faulty and defective. Socialism has also been put to the electoral test by that foot soldier of socialism, Eamon McCann and by the Worker’s Party. The electoral results speak for themselves. Socialism collapsed in Europe with the Berlin Wall but there are those who still cling to the forlorn hope that if only the Shankill and the Falls would unite as working class people in socialism unity would follow and all would be well. This hope was put to the test by the old Northern Ireland Labour Party but without electoral success. The difficulty with the Labour Party lay in the reality that to split the party from head to toe on sectarian lines all that was needed was a motion proposing that the Party recognise the border. So in the old Labour Party the unity of socialism was skin deep and superficial. What touched the quick and divided the party was the border i.e. the constitution. So Federal Unionism reiterates again that to unite Catholic Protestant and Dissenter requires a new reformed U.K.constitution in Ireland i.e. The National Government of Ireland Act and that Ireland can be united in no other way.
There is the assertion in Republican thinking that in Ireland disunity is due to the naughty British who back unionists and if only the British would stop doing that and went away protestant loyalist Ireland would convert en masse to Republicanism and a united Ireland would follow. This foolish assertion fails to understand loyalist Ireland. The central plank of that community’s culture is loyalty to the Crown. It has to be accepted as reasonable that loyalty is a praiseworthy human attribute be it loyalty to friend, family, organization, country or Crown. In a liberal democracy that allows freedom of expression, loyalty should be freely expressed not repressed, as loyalty to the Crown would be in a Republic. The case in point is the Protestant loyalist community in the 26 county statelet. There the central plank of the community’s culture was taken away and the protestant community, ill at ease in an imposed alien culture, voted against the statelet with their feet by walking out, so it is true to say that protestants are as scarce on the banks of the Shannon, nowadays, as Sioux Indians are on the banks of the Mississippi. The fate of Catholics in the 6 counties is in marked contrast. Since 1921 the catholic community in the 6 counties has increased, multiplied and flourished even though they have felt badly done by, by Right Wing Union Jack Unionism, so Catholics in the 6 counties don’t seem to have any objection in principle to being within the U.K. provided they get a fair crack of the whip. By the same token the Catholics of Kerry could equally increase multiply and flourish if they were to be within a reformed United Kingdom.
Some time ago I saw Catrina Ruane of Late Sinn Fein mention a New Ireland to a D.U.P.man on T.V. It was a mystery to myself the D.U.P. man and also to the viewers what Catrina was talking about. Everyone would want to know what Catrina’s new Ireland would be like , where it would come from and how it would be constitutioned and what we all would be letting ourselves in for in this new Ireland but Catrina never mentioned any of that. Federal Unionism – Early Sinn Fein is willing to come to the lady’s assistance and offer the lady, free of charge, a brand new Ireland which unlike the muddy waters of Late Sinn Fein’s Eire Nua, is clearly thought out, clearly presented, and clearly constituted and with no hidden agenda so that the lady can study the National Government of Ireland Act and see how she would like to live in a united Ireland as an Irish Christian Liberal Democracy within the United Kingdom. I hope Catrina reads This Blog.
When first writing to This Blog I described myself as a teacher and a writer. If the readership doesn’t like teachers and writers especially teachers I can describe myself in the way Shaw described himself to the Fabian Society: -
“I am not a teacher. I am a fellow traveller who is pointing the way.”~
Michael Gillespie
k
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
