Through Irish eyes
Socialist Democracy’s proposed amendments to programme for unity
Our programme is not directed to reforming the state or putting forward what a socialist government might do for workers. It is aimed at empowering workers to take the action themselves that will achieve their demands.
It is with this in mind that we are putting forward the following amendments to the redrafted programme, which is an advance on the first draft circulated before our last meeting.
Social Partnership
On the section on Social Partnership we should be precise and make the following call:
"The Socialist Alliance calls on workers to reject the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness and all such Partnership deals."
Corruption
The demand for the state to jail corrupt politicians, which it will undoubtedly be argued requires increased state powers, is not in any sense an anti-capitalist demand but simply a demand for the state to clean up it’s act.
It in no way empowers workers or weakens capitalism. The demands of that Socialist Alliance should be:
"Open the books of all companies and Agencies implicated in corruption. For a workers’ investigation of corruption – expose all the liars and crooks. For nationalisation under workers control of all bodies found to have defrauded the Irish people."
Privatisation
In the section under privatisation we should demand nationalisation under workers control, simple nationalisation is not socialist. Otherwise, as Connolly pointed out, the army, police and judges would be bastions of socialism.
The North
The section on the north still does not say whether we are for or against the Good Friday Agreement. Are we in opposition to it, or simply its left wing?
We still do not demand the disbanding of the RUC – which puts us to the right of the British and Irish states! It correctly calls for working class unity, but utterly fails to state the politics that will achieve this unity. The programme says we are opposed to sectarian structures but does not say what they are!
If the Socialist Alliance wants to represent a new beginning it must reject the left’s history of betrayal on the national question. The Socialist Alliance should state as a minimum:
Opposition to the sectarian Good Friday Agreement.
Oppose the new Stormont.
Disband the RUC.
Self-determination for the Irish people.
For an all-Ireland Constituent Assembly.
Overall Objective
The Socialist Alliance should state what its objective is, beyond that of a fairer share of the Celtic Tiger. It should state that: "The Socialist Alliance fights for a 32 county Socialist Ireland."
Through Irish eyes - a column from Socialist Democracy - Irish section of the Fourth International