O'Snodaigh Visits Peace Camp

by Alex - Young Fine Gael Tue Jan 21, 2003 15:44

I would like to know whether you think that the existence of the IRA in this country is in breach of Irish Neutrality?

Irish neutrality starts at home!

by pat c Tue Jan 21, 2003 16:02

are you interested in building a campaign against the war in the gulf?

it would be easy for me to attack a whole list of FG policies, but i wont. this campaign should be about what unites us. not what divides us.

by all means make your differences with SF known on relevant threads.

this thread is about war in the gulf.

by Janus Tue Jan 21, 2003 16:02

The IRA predates the formation of the Free State and does not recognise its legitimacy so the query is irrelevant.

by Joe Momma Tue Jan 21, 2003 16:13

"this thread is about war in the gulf."

Well, this thread is specifically about Sinn Féin associating themselves with the anti-war effort, so I think Alex's post was fair comment.

by pat c Tue Jan 21, 2003 16:19

if YFG post a statement here opposing the gulf war then its ok for me to attack them on other policies?

how do we build any unity on that basis? the campaign against the gulf war is a single issue and should be treated as such.

by Raymond McInerney Tue Jan 21, 2003 16:53

Even if you don't fully understand the concepts or technologies put forward to stop the war.

by Alan Tue Jan 21, 2003 16:59

The Provisional IRA was founded in 1969/1970.

by Jilted Tue Jan 21, 2003 18:03

What do SF think of big business backing George Bush, especially of the oil companies?

Are SF opposed to this?

by Gray Tue Jan 21, 2003 18:15

Interesting choice of nickname

by Curious Tue Jan 21, 2003 18:31

And the powers that be still don't think they're worthy of being mentioned on the main page!!!

Some are more equal than others I suppose.

by Joe Momma Tue Jan 21, 2003 18:51

Why should they give front page coverage to a party political broadcast such as this one?

by Justin Moran - Sinn Fein Tue Jan 21, 2003 19:04 maigh_nuad at yahoo dot com

I don't think anyone in SF either expects or particularly wants the Anti-War Movement to give a whole page over to us being involved (We have been for some time) or a letter of thanks for the decision to do so, but some members do wonder why the party name is left off the list of parties and organisations endorsing the demo and the movement. I'm one of them. It's no big deal, we'll still organise to get out people at it but it's simply a matter of curiosity. Are we off by accident or did some-one make a concious decision to leave us off? As I said, curiosity.

The IRA was founded in 1916. The Provisional IRA was the name given to the caretaker Army Council after the split in the early 70s and was done away with at a subsequent Army Convention. Like it, love, loathe it or envy it, the IRA is 87 years old.

by Joe Momma Tue Jan 21, 2003 19:20

I know we're getting a little off the topic here, but what is that special X-factor that's supposed to make the Provos the true heirs of the original IRA, and not the Stickies, the "Real IRA", the Continuity IRA, Fianna Fáil, the Irish Army, Fine Gael, Labour or any of the dozens of other organisations who can trace their origins back by some circuitous route to the heady days of 1916? Pray tell. Is there some 'Certificate of authentic IRA-ness' which Gerry keeps in a safe somewhere?

Or ss it simply because "we say it is so?". Surely this is an article of faith rather than fact.

by he-man Tue Jan 21, 2003 19:31

By the power of greyskull!
By wielding this sword I alone hold the right to claim to be the legitimate heir of the original IRA!

etc.

that's how it works isn't it?

by C. Tue Jan 21, 2003 20:46

Indymedia features are generally a summary of the newswire articles - this is considered the most 'open' form of publishing by people who write the features.

When the feature went up on the home page, the articles about the green party and the labour party had just been added - and were thus included by the person who wrote the feature. Anybody want to propose an alteration send an email to [email protected] saying what the change should be - give a link to some of the SF material and the home page should be updated.

Alternatively, propose a whole new feature and put your own viewpoint forward - it's the same two or three people who collect all the newswire posts into features all the time - but only cos no-one else bothers.

Oh - BTW Justin - are you the official SF Idymedia liaison? (you're dong a good job if so;-)

by Clearly NOT Tue Jan 21, 2003 21:46

Justin a spokesperson for official SF. Of course not hes a revolutionary.

by Justin Moran - Sinn Fein Wed Jan 22, 2003 12:40 maigh_nuad at yahoo dot com

1. I'm not the official SF rep on Indymedia but I'm grateful for the compliment nonetheless. The identity of the official rep is a secret known only to the party leadership.

2. I understand the point about the Indymedia front page, I was talking about, and thought other people were talking about, the IAWM page. I know the way Indymedia works and I am not, nor would I, accuse the Collective of showing party favouritism.

3. On the IRA issue, the IRA, like any organisation, has rules, regulations, a Constitution etc. The history of the IRA of today to the IRA of '16 and the Tan War is an unbroken chain and available in most good bookshops :). The desire to deny this historical fact is to allow the establishment to pretend that the IRA of today is nothing like the IRA of decades ago because if that fact was accepted and understood, it would call into question the legitimacy of the State.

by Joe Momma Wed Jan 22, 2003 17:36

"...if that fact was accepted and understood, it would call into question the legitimacy of the State."

In other words, if my Aunt had balls she'd be my uncle.