Connolly Festival 2007

by Martin Thu Mar 22, 2007 15:14

Surprising to see the youth wing of the Labour Party so uncritical of the repressive regime in Cuba and inviting an uncritical supporter of Castro to speak at their event.

I hope criticisms, particularly in reference to what happened yesterday in Havana (protesting wives of political prisoners harrassed by government supporters) will be possible from the floor.

Aside from that am looking forward to the Bob Doyle event.

by Fyodor - Petrashevsky Circle Thu Mar 22, 2007 15:32

Indeed, was slightly worried by Castro’s attempt to create a lineage of hemegony by bequeathing power to a family member. Smacks of Stalin.

The Bob Doyle event will be the star attraction for most, this guy is some character. Nearly 100 yrs old and still a beacon of Anti-fascism.

His talk at Parnell St last month belied his age and his insight in to how similar the struggle against capitalism has remained is a revelation.

Unfortunately am headin over to the city of the tribes this weekend so will miss the event but I would encourage all to see Bob.

The story behind the eye patch is wonderful.

by Dub Thu Mar 22, 2007 15:36

Why the surprise at LY's uncritical attitude to Stalinist regimes. Remember that Pat Rabbitte, Liz McManus, Eamon Gilmore, Prionsias de Rossa & LY hauncho Cian O'Callaghan were all in DL. They welcomed "fraternal delegates" from North Korea to the Workers' Party conferences. Don't expect too much socialism from Rabbitte and co.

by Obsessed with the Sticks Fri Mar 23, 2007 10:29

Indeed. Campaigning to end the blockade of Cuba (supported by every country in the UN except the US, Israel, Palau and the Marshall Islands) makes you a Stalinist - fact!

by Marlboro Man Fri Mar 23, 2007 11:55

Indeed, the debate on Politics.ie has inevitably decended into a lenghty tirade of who was the biggest mass-murderer.

http://www.politics.ie/viewtopic.php?t=17789&postdays=0...t=216

by historian Fri Mar 23, 2007 13:12

In fairness, politics.ie has a high standard of historical debate and you can hardly discuss what happened in Spain without reference to the fact that Bob and the lads were on the same side as Stalin. And that had they won the NKVD would have killed hundreds of thousands as they did in all other countries where Stalin took control.

by Marlboro Man Fri Mar 23, 2007 13:47

But alot of the argurment is rooted in hindsight, theres also a troll on the thread.

There is still sectarianism at work however and that was the point I was trying to illustrate.

I also think its a bit of a stretch to call Bob a Stalininst. Maybe he is, I could be mistaken.

by A better informed historian Fri Mar 23, 2007 14:56

Aye, and the French resistance and the Italian partisans in WWII were "on the same side as Stalin" too by your measure, and so for that matter were the British, Canadian and US troops fighting at Normandy. Anyone who knows anything about history knows that Stalin stabbed the Spanish republican side in the back and was more concerned to attack non-Stalinist socialists in Spain than he was to see Franco defeated. There were NKVD agents in Spain, and they were busy killing socialists. That debate on politics.ie is truly embarassing, riddled with ranting fanatics with a more than sneaking regard for Franco. Try learning some history before giving yourself an unmerited handle

by Jimmy From Ballygomartin Fri Mar 23, 2007 15:12

You would think that those on the Left would by now have spotted the pattern of the demonisation of people such as Stalin, Milosovitch and Sadam Hussein to obscure complex historical situations in which Capitalism got away with some serious robbery and slaughter. To persue this Biggest Bastard view of history must give the boys at Fort Langley a good laugh.

by historian Fri Mar 23, 2007 15:30

I know enough about Sapin to know what would have happened had the republicans won. The CP would have taken power and the same slaughter ensued as in all the other socialist republics. Stalin "stabbing the republic in the back" is just a tired old trot myth. The republic would have collapsed long before had it not been for Stalin's aid. At least the Stalinists have a better grasp of some of the facts.

by Fin Fri Mar 23, 2007 16:54

Stalin "stabbing the republic in the back" is just a tired old trot myth. The republic would have collapsed long before had it not been for Stalin's aid. At least the Stalinists have a better grasp of some of the facts.

This is truly a simplistic view that many on the authoritarian left always make in relation to war. The fact of the matter is the stalinists didn''t seem to understand the motivation for fighting Franco. This for most people was connected to the defense of social gains won though the occupation of land and socialisation and collectivisation of industry. When general lister destroyed teh collectives in 1937 along with the attack on the BArcelona proletariat by the CP in the maydays any reason for fighting disappeared . This is exemplified with the fall of Barcelona without any doherent fight - there was no reason left to fight...... for a spanish state that wanted negotiate with Franco initially and refused to arm people?

by Mr Wisdom Wed Apr 11, 2007 09:09

Poster contains a small but significant mis spelling. "Paseran" should be spelt "Pasaran"

by A better informed historian Wed Apr 11, 2007 10:21

Nice to see "historian" revealing his true colours (and his total ignorance of the Spanish revolution) - if he had to choose between democratic, libertarian forms of socialism and communist authoritarianism, he chooses the latter. Please choose a different handle, or start informing yourself