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Brexit, Imperialism and Ireland

Britain leaving the European Union has once again brought to the fore the issue of the British border in Ireland, partition and the Irish sovereignty. 

According to Lenin the most essential thing in Marxism “the living soul of Marxism, is the concrete analysis of concrete conditions” 

This article will look at the concrete conditions in Ireland and attempt to give a concrete analysis. 

In complex situations, and Ireland is a complex country politically, there is always one problem which forms the principal contradiction. All other problems or contradictions are secondary, not that they are unimportant, but that the existence and development of the principal contradiction determines or influences the existence and/or development of the secondary contradiction.  

In order to identify the principal contradiction, which is of utmost importance for a political movement in order for it to state its main aims and objectives, tactics and strategies, the principal contradiction has to be identified  

The principal contradiction is principle because a) it determines most of the secondary ones and b) hinders the development of one of the secondary which is due to replace it as the principal contradiction. When the principal contradiction isidentified all forces must be concentrated so that the way may be opened for further progress. 

In normal capitalist societies the principal contradiction in society is between the social character of production and the private character of ownership. This principal contradiction manifests itself as the contradiction between the working class and the bourgeoisie. This relationship is antagonistic and remains the principal contradiction.  

Ireland is not an independent capitalist country and the role of class forces is more complicated and fluid because it is complicated by a foreign, external oppressor – British imperialism. This is complicated further by the existence of two states in Ireland and a British imposed border. There also exists in Ireland a divided working class as a result of British imperialism.  

Ireland is an ancient nation with an ancient culture thousands of years old. It has been occupied by a foreign power for 800 years and to this day remains both a colony and a semi-colony of the British state. As a result of this, the principal contradiction in Ireland to this day, is between the Irish people and its enemy, the British government.  

Why is Ireland both a colony and a semi colony? It is both a colony and a semi colony because Britain rules it directly by military, political and economic means (colonial rule, 6 counties) and through indirect military, political and economic rule and interference (semi-colonialism, 26 counties). Mao stated: “When imperialism carries out its oppression not by war, but by milder means – political, economic, cultural – the ruling classes in semi-colonial countries capitulate to imperialism, and the two form and alliance for the joint oppression of the masses of the people”.  

This situation exists for the suppression of Irish freedom and independence. Both states were set up by a British act of parliament,established by counter revolution and to this day exist to suppress Irish freedom and independence.  

British imperialism, its collaborators and supporters exist on one hand. The Irish people on the other hand constitute the broad masses of people in Ireland in the 32 counties who seek freedom and independence and all those classes, strata and social groups of Irish society who oppose British rule in Ireland.  

The British imperialists, their collaborators in Ireland and all those pro-British elementsremain enemies of the Irish people. The classes, political parties, social groups and other organizations and individuals that exist in the superstructure of the 6 and 26 county states also exist as enemies of Irish freedom and independence. 

The classes, strata and social groups which favor, support and work for the cause of Irish freedom and independence all come within the category of the people, while the social forces and groups which resist Irish freedom and are hostile to or it are all enemies of the people. 

James Connolly stated that national freedom and independence was the “the first requisite for the free development of the national powers needed for our class”. 

Likewise Mao stated: “For only by fighting in defense of the motherland can we defeat the aggressors and achieve national liberation. And only by achieving national liberation will it be possible for the proletariat and other working people to achieve their own emancipation.” 

In other words, a 32 county Socialist Republica with the working class in control of the means of production and rate of exchange can only be achieved in a free and independent Ireland.  

As Brexit has reminded the world, in Ireland in 2022, the principal  contradiction is that between the Irish people and British imperialism and its collaborators and supporters. All other contradictions are secondary.

This does not mean that secondary contradictions are not important but merely that they are derivative or influenced by the principal contradiction. Some of the secondary contradictions that exist in Ireland are between the six counties and the Free State, between the Free State and Britain, between Irish revolutionaries and the Free State, between the nationalist and orange working class, between the Free State and the EU etc. All these secondary contradictions exist, and are all legitimate contradictions but only when the principal contradiction between the Irish people and British imperialism is resolved can the other contradictions be resolved. The struggle between the Irish working class and the bourgeoisie  will then replace the struggle for Irish freedom and independence as the principal contradiction.

Only when the direct colonialism is ended can semi-colonialism be tackled effectively. This does not however mean that class struggle and the struggle for socialist revolution should take a back seat. Merely that socialism cannot beestablished except with the resolution of the primary contradiction and that is British imperialism in Ireland.  

For revolutionary socialist republicans Irish freedom and independence and Irish reunification must be the primary focus. Only on this basis can there be a successful socialist revolution, as part of the one struggle for national liberation and socialist revolution.  

A 32 county socialist republic can only beestablished by a united working class, and a united working class can only beestablished when the factors which polarize it are removed.  

Connolly writing about partition and the dividing the Irish nation and people is often quoted about the carnival of reaction partition would initiate in Ireland. However the whole quote from Connolly is perhaps more illuminating to Connollys thoughts and desired reaction to the dividing of the country and working class.  

“Such a scheme as that agreed to by Redmond and Devlin, the betrayal of the national democracy of industrial Ulster would mean a carnival of reaction both North and South, would set back the wheels of progress, would destroy the oncoming unity of the Irishlabor movement and paralyze all advanced movements whilst it endured. 

To it labor should give the bitterest opposition, against it labor in Ulster should fight even to the death, if necessary, as our fathers fought before us.” 

According to Mao during the period of national liberation and socialist construction in China “ourselves and the enemy are antagonistic contradictions. Within the ranks of the people, the contradictions among the working people are non-antagonistic, while those between the exploited and the exploiting classes have a non-antagonistic as well as an antagonistic aspect.” 

However Mao also stated that “In ordinary circumstances, contradictions among the people are not antagonistic.” A country with a colonial relationship such as Ireland has with Britian however is not an ordinary circumstance and in Ireland in a colonial country (6 counties), a section of the working class, as a result of the primary contradiction, can at times be antagonistic. This secondary contradiction exists as a result of the primary contradiction of British imperialism.  

In the words of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic 1916 these differences amongst the Irish people and working class have been “carefully fostered by an alien Government, which have divided a minority from the majority in the past.”  

Sections of the Protestant working class, the Orange working class has on occasion turned against British imperialism, but not because of its reactionary nature, but that it was not reactionary enough. Also at times, the Orange working class has united with the nationalist working class on certain economic issues but not on political and with the signing of the Good Friday Agreement this has been far and few between. If anything, sectarianism has increased in the 6 counties with sectarianism being institutionalized and thecommuniy being polarised even further.  

Revolutionary socialist republicans have to, as Connolly stated: “Declare to the Orange workers of Belfast that we stand for the right of the people in Ireland to rule as well as to own Ireland, and cannot conceive of a Separation of the two ideas” 

 The Workers Party, CP, SWP, SP etc. have made the mistake that they attempt to resolve the secondary contradiction I.e. uniting the working class in an effort to resolve the primary contradiction British rule.Likewise nationalists attempting to use Stormont and “breed” Protestants and Unionist out of existence merely strengthen sectarianism in Ireland. Attempting to resolve the contradictions by accepting an internal solution which has developed in the six counties of Ireland has led to a further increase of sectarianism and a growing divide between the working class with neither the primary nor the secondary contradiction likely to be resolved in any way soon. It has only strengthened British imperialism in Ireland with a section of the nationalist community being coopted into accepting and administering British rule in Ireland. 

 The Provisional Republican movement made a tactical and strategical decision to challenge Unionism in Ireland (secondary contradiction)in an attempt to divide it, when it had always been the traditional Irish Republicanposition to oppose British imperialism (principal contradiction) “the never-failing source of all our political evils” 

In both instances the objective became to resolve the secondary contradiciton whether through class struggle or through political diplomacy and maneuvering. From a British point of view, it is merely the age old tactic of divide and rule. 

The role of Irish revolutionary Socialist Republicans at this juncture should be to heighten the contradictions which exist in Ireland at this time, create the conditions where our objectives can be furthered. For this reason, revolutionary socialist republicans should as a matter of urgency start to make concrete developments to establish a united broad front of movements, organizations and groups based on traditional Irish revolutionary republican principles which would challenge British rule in Ireland

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