ONE THING remains been transformed by the leadership to British imperialism continues decades of bipartisan support for repression. sion order against Gerry No sooner had Tony Benn correctly invited Adams to address a fringe meeting at next month's party conference in Blackpool, than the entire Walworth Road machinery was cranked up to distance Tony Blair from the initiative and frantically deny that the republican leader would be allowed into the conference.
Refusal
While Blair is happy enough to hob-nob with bankers and business chiefs, he is refusing point blank to meet with or talk to Gerry Adams, despite a growing acceptance by even the right wing press that the broadcasting ban on Sinn Fein should soon be lifted.
To hear Adams in his own words, it appears Blair would prefer to wait until he can listen to him on the radio.
It is unlikely Gerry Adams will miss much in failing to meet Mr Blair. Labour has no independent policy to offer. It seems ПЛЛ they are quite happy for all talks and decisions on Ireland to be dealt with by the Tories on their behalf. SOCIALIST OUTLOOK's highly successful summer school on racism and fascism, held in Aberystwyth on August 24-9 and attended by 100 people, raised more than £400 for the Bob Smith memorial fund drive, pushing it well over the £3000 mark.
This included £150 raised by Leeds supporters from a 46-length rious, the IRA has ended its nouncing its decision to end hostilities it says it is "deterwill be removed".
Yet the fundamental injustice which British imperialism has inflicted on the country -partition - 1s not even mentioned.
The Republican supporters, celebrating what they have convinced themselves is a victory, are eventually bound to wonder what precisely the triumph consists of.
Clinton
The case argued by Gerry Adams is that an alliance of the SDLP, the Dublin government, Sinn Fein and American opinion (especially that friend of self-determination Bill Clinton) will, in some ill-defined way, influence the British government.
Then the British government, reeling from a vicious campaign for unity by the Irish ruling class will begin to persuade the Loyalist population of the merits of a 32-county republic.
The fact that no significant section of the Irish ruling class has taken a serious step towards forieving seider retail on for 70 years is a detail thought worthy of consideration.
This is the sort of blindness which afflicts those who see the road to freedom through deals with the representatives of imperialism and local capital. sponsored swim staged during the School (one length for each year of Bob's life).
Bob Smith was a passionate Socialist Outlook supporter and a champion of the struggles Adams There is no doubt the Republicans want a permanent end to the armed struggle. So the question of what to do next arises. They have made no secret of their desire to have direct meetings with the British and Irish governments and to be integrated into what Major and Reynolds refer to as "the democratic process".
By having their photographs taken with prime ministers Sinn Fein leaders can become, apparently, serious politicians.
But the experience of the party's electoral campaigns in the 26 counties shows that they are not seen as having a relevant political programme by more than 1.5 per cent of the population.
Election swings
Recent elections have seen gains for Labour and the Greens, as youth and workers express their frustration with the poverty and unemployment administered by the same politicians whom Sinn Fein is so keen to impress.
A similar development is possible in the North. John Hume is the reformist who will be seen to deliver jobs with EC against racism and imperialism in ireland. He died at a tragically early age earlier this year.
To commemorate his life and work Socialist Outlook is raising a £7000 fund. This will be Paisley and American money.
If you want a reformist you might as well vote for one with good connections, rather than one with just good intentions. And without the armed struggle, Republicanism is simply reformism.
Loyalist murder gangs have used the IRA's campaign a pretext to indiscriminately kill Catholics since 1971. Logic suggests that the ending of the IRA's campaign ends the rationale for the Loyalist campaign. But paranoia, bigotry and pure hatred have always been more important to me Loyalists than logic.
Hence the UFF have responded to the ceasefire by threats of civil war and Ian Paisley has gone on the radio and TV to agree with them.
Since at least 1912 the dominant theme in Loyalist rhetoric has been the fear of betrayal by London.
Rather than draw the straightforward conclusions that you can never trust an imperialist, Loyalism has responded with pogroms, sectarian murders and childlike demands for reassurance. Since they don't know anything else, we can expect an outbreak of used to produce a book of writings on the fight against racism and fascism in Bob's memory, and for improvements to the Socialist Outlook offices and equipment.
A key event in the fund murders by the UFF and UVF as they attempt to provoke a Republican backlash.
While Paisley is predicting war it is noticeable that James Molyneaux of the Official Unionists is taking a much calmer line.
Deals
The Official Unionists even concede the possibility of dealing with Sinn Fein. They believe Hume, Reynolds and Major when they say that the Loyalists will not be coerced into a united Ireland, and allowed to retain their veto.
The divide opening up between the Paisleyite Neanderthals and the Official Unionists is crucial for the British who will need to retain Loyalist support for the project of gradually integrating Republicanism into constitutional politics.
The IRA's armed struggle was sometimes heroic and inspIring, on occasions sectarian, sometimes reckless and foolish. It was never by itself an adequate means of defeating British imperialism, and it never set itself the task of overthrowing Irish capitalism. Socialists have no reason to mourn its passing. campaign will be a MEMORIAL DINNER on October 22, where the new book will be launched. As well as a three-course meal, the evening will include entertainments and speeches from leading labour movement and anti-racist activists.
Admission is by ticket only, price £12 waged and £7 unwaged from Socialist Outlook, PO Box 1109, London N4 2UU.
THE CALCULATIONS by the Irish Republican movement in declaring a ceasefire are clear. They believe that Britain has no "selfish" interest in staying in northern Ireland, that a SOCIALIST OUTLOOK No. 68, September 10 1994, Page 3 Insofar as the leaders of today's Sinn Fein accept the slogan of a 32-county workers republic, they see it within a "stages" perspective —first national unity, then the fight