With all of Sinn Féin's left-posturing, the party's actions describe a more regressive
reality, and their implementation of Tory cuts up north and lack of respect for women's on
both sides of the border foreshadows a government much closer to Fine Gael than a
'Socialist Republic': Green, White & Orange Capitalism ---- There has been quite an air of
arrogance about Sinn Féin lately. They are convinced that they will be in government,
north and south, by 2016; that Adams will be President, that McGuinness will be the
north's First Minister and that McDonald will be the first female Taoiseach. Let's get a
few things straight here, all of these institutions are oppressive and we don't need to
be, nor do we want to be, ruled by anyone. As well as that, there is nothing revolutionary
about a female Taoiseach - female participation in the same old rotten patriarchal
institutions will not advance the feminist cause and will only further ensure oppression
and exploitation.
It cannot be denied that Sinn Féin are a pragmatic party that wishes to be all things to
all people - from the poorest in our society to the richest (not at all grasping that this
is impossible and fundamentally wrong). But for now let's focus on the three main
tell-tale issues of Sinn Féin's lack of principles and wishy-washy politics that
ultimately are harmful: Abortion, Water Charges and Capitalism.
ABORTION
As one of their senior members told this writer "Sinn Féin is a pro-life party", and
despite developments at their Ard Fheis, where they now consider abortion permissible in
the case of Fatal Foetal Abnormalities (FFA), their anti-choice stance does not change.
They only care about the welfare of some deserving women. Only those who need an abortion
in the case of FFA deserve our care, attention and compassion. The other, undeserving
pregnant people should be left to go through the economic hardship of traveling to
England, the mental and physical trauma of being trapped in a crisis pregnancy, and should
therefore be left to potentially join the list of 47,000 women globally dying as a result
of unsafe abortions.
Sinn Féin's policy is simply too little too late, with all TDs abstaining from Clare
Daly's Private Member's Bill to allow for abortion in the cases of FFA a month ago. The
excuse of a party policy on the matter not being formed yet is not good enough when the
issue at hand is so important. A free vote should have been taken but it wasn't and this
only reveals the dictatorial style and discipline that Adams has instilled in the party.
If Sinn Féin manage to achieve a united Ireland - united gaelic and free that is - what
exactly do they mean by free? They mean free from British rule but certainly not freedom
of choice over our own bodies or, as we shall see, free from capitalist rule.
WATER CHARGES
While Sinn Féin are quick to dish out their anti-water charges rhetoric down south, the
mask is slipping on their deceitful stance.
Since 2007, 36,000 water meters (1,000 just in the past three months) have been installed
in the north. Approximately 26,000 (or 72%) of these meters were installed during current
MP Conor Murphy's term as Minister for Regional Development (the department responsible
for NI Water and therefore water metering). In fact, Murphy declined to reverse the
decision to install water meters in the north when he was in office and Sinn Féin's
Mitchell McLaughlin MLA (member of the NI assembly) defended water charges in the North
and criticised the SDLP for opposing them.
According to Sinn Féin, a decision has not been made on Water Charges up north. Only the
naive would believe this claim. Why would £13m (EUR16.4m) plus an extra £43,500
(EUR60,323) just in the past three months be spent on installing meters - which are vital
for water charges - if a decision has not been made on the matter yet?
How could Sinn Féin be trusted to stop metering down south if they are happy to allow it
up north? The only purpose metering serves in the capitalist economy is water charges.
CAPITALISM
Sinn Féin claim to be left wing, according to Mary Lou they're "a party to the left, of
the left". They also claim to be republicans, with socialism being one of the five strands
of republicanism. The last time I checked, socialism and left wing politics are
anti-Capitalist by nature.
Despite Sinn Féin's rhetoric of "Burn the Bondholders" they would rather their wealthy
American pals who donate thousands of pounds a year to the party were protected. Despite
their condemnation that "A third of our children now live in consistent poverty. Public
money - which should have been used to end the scandal of patients lying on trolleys; to
house our citizens; and to create jobs - is being used to repay private bank debt"
(Adams), they insist that they are "very good for business", a well worn euphemism for
commitment to the interests of the capitalist class. 'Pro-business' really means
'pro-capitalism'.
So who suffers from their pro-business politics? The Palestinians, the working class, and
those who they claim they have successfully protected i.e. "people with disabilities, the
long-term sick, and those on benefits".
Where is the basis for such claims? Caterpillar Inc. has invested millions of pounds into
the north, with Sinn Féin and McGuinness expressing "continued support for Caterpillar's
growth and development". Machines built in West Belfast will be used to destroy homes,
agricultural farms, greenhouses, olive groves in the West Bank. Despite this fact,
McGuinness maintains that "Caterpillar is an important investor, not just in terms of jobs
and wealth creation but also in the credibility that its presence lends to doing business
here". Remember that this is coming from the supposed party of national liberation, of
solidarity with the palestinian people.
Through the Stormont House Agreement - which Sinn Féin was the first party to ratify -
20,000 jobs will be cut in the Public Sector - women make up two thirds of the public
sector and therefore will be disproportionately affected. They have also agreed to
"welfare reform" which is really just a fancy term for welfare cuts. As well as that, the
Disability Living Allowance will be cut as a result. What planet is Sinn Féin living on
when they think that these measures successfully protect the working class, "people with
disabilities, the long-term sick, and those on benefits"?
Staying true to their pro-business anti-working class politics they want to cut
corporation tax in the north from 21% to 12.5%. They wish to do this while public funding
is slashed and communities are feeling the devastating effects of the cuts, witnessing a
rise in poverty with, for example, 25 food banks open because people cannot afford to eat.
But let's charge the big business and wealthy corporations less say Sinn Féin.
This is all done in the name of "job creation" i.e. creating more wage slaves. Job
creation is a farce; there is work to be done in our communities. We need bigger and
better schools and hospitals, suitable homes for all so that no one is on the streets or
living in unsuitable conditions, our roads need repaired and we need more spaces for young
people, to mention just some of the work that needs done. But building strong and safe
communities is not profitable because taking our collective needs into our own hands does
not fit the capitalist criteria of work, in fact, such a thing is dangerous to capitalism
as it results in empowered and free-thinking individuals organising together and
effectively fighting against capitalism. They will not provide us with the tools to
improve our communities nor will they pay us if we take on the work ourselves and this is
because it is not in their interest.
Sinn Féin claim that they are opposing austerity north and south. Patently this is a lie.
They are implementing Tory cuts and if they do oppose them, they oppose them in empty
words alone not in deed. Of course, you will hear the usual waffle from Sinn Féin, that
their hands are tied, they have no choice but to do as the Tories say. If this is true,
then surely Sinn Féin are not in Government and therefore they do not represent their
voters, those who trust them to look after their needs and sort out their grievances.
But Sinn Féin are in government and they do have devolved powers over the north but
they're not interested in opposing the Tories because it would put their cushy jobs at
Stormont at risk. Real opposition would be refusing to implement the cuts and if that
fails leaving the government so that there is no blood on their hands but it is clear that
they are not interested in this and they have not organised a single public meeting to
organise working class communities to fight back against the so-called Tory cuts, because
it wouldn't be in Sinn Féin's best interests. "To glorify democracy and to silence the
people is a farce; to discourse on humanism and to negate people is a lie." (Paulo Freire).
CONCLUSION
Sinn Féin is no friend to the working class - especially working class women; from their
refusal to allow a woman control over her own body in every circumstance to their contempt
of sex abuse survivors of IRA predators (of course men are involved here as well).
The party jumps to tell big business what it wants to hear, no matter who will bear the
brunt of their capitalist policies. But they do not jump to defend the working class and
working class interests.
There is little-to-no difference between the southern establishment parties and Sinn Féin
will be much the same, only with more colourful and lofty language to fool us so they can
rule more efficiently.
A southern Sinn Féin government will look just like the northern government that Sinn Féin
is a part of. "Austerity" politics for the working class and ample opportunities to
exploit for big business. Of course there is the added bonus that these policies will be
green, white and orange instead of red, white and blue.
Posted by Derry Anarchists at Monday, March 09, 2015
http://derryanarchists.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/green-white-orange-capitalism.html
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