Comments on: Can Sinn Féin save Europe? http://jacobite.wordpress.com/2008/06/12/can-sinn-fein-save-europe/ Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:25:30 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: John Mooney http://jacobite.wordpress.com/2008/06/12/can-sinn-fein-save-europe/#comment-755 John Mooney Wed, 18 Jun 2008 23:15:59 +0000 http://jacobite.wordpress.com/?p=161#comment-755 All mainstream political parties have a basket of policies. On single issues of Yes and No its inevitable that there will be a strange coalition on each side. Certainly yesterdays Irish Times reported the glee of the Daily Telegraphs man in Brussels, "mischievously" suggesting Ireland could re-apply to join the Commonwealth. Indeed An Taoiseach Cowan referred specifically to M Le Pens happiness at the result. While Sinn Féin itself might want to portray itself as the leading opponent of the YES vote, I think it more likely the result was achieved in spite of SF rather than because of them. The NO vote was based on a curious mixture of reasons. Neutrality, fear of increased integration, possibly an anti immigration element, abortion (a red herring) or leaving God out of the Treaty or a reaction against MEP expenses and/or the corruption scandals dogging Dublin. It is the expressed wish of the Irish people and rather than dismiss it as a fraction of Europes population holding up progress should be seen in the context of the only democratic expressed view on Lisbon. No doubt the Euro elite will want an early second vote. A merchant banker on RTEs Question and Answers (Monday last) suggested holding a gun to the head of Irelands voters...a particuarly callous remark evoking Lloyd George. Oddly another vote because nobody in power liked the first vote is exactly the same thing Europe found so reprehensible about Mugabes Zimbabwe. The likelihood is that the Irish government and the staffers in Brussels will be apologising for the democratic expression of the Irish voters. But they must represent it HONESTLY. The next stage for the NO campaign will be to energise their European neighbours in Britain, Ceska and the rest to mobilise so that Ireland is not perceived as isolated. The DUP alliance with Gordon Brown is also in a sense a silent victory for Sinn Féin. The economic package probably to alleviate water charges benefits all and gets SF off a hook without actually trading anything. More critical would be any delay agreed on Policing between Brown and DUP.. All mainstream political parties have a basket of policies. On single issues of Yes and No its inevitable that there will be a strange coalition on each side.
Certainly yesterdays Irish Times reported the glee of the Daily Telegraphs man in Brussels, “mischievously” suggesting Ireland could re-apply to join the Commonwealth. Indeed An Taoiseach Cowan referred specifically to M Le Pens happiness at the result.
While Sinn Féin itself might want to portray itself as the leading opponent of the YES vote, I think it more likely the result was achieved in spite of SF rather than because of them.
The NO vote was based on a curious mixture of reasons. Neutrality, fear of increased integration, possibly an anti immigration element, abortion (a red herring) or leaving God out of the Treaty or a reaction against MEP expenses and/or the corruption scandals dogging Dublin.
It is the expressed wish of the Irish people and rather than dismiss it as a fraction of Europes population holding up progress should be seen in the context of the only democratic expressed view on Lisbon.
No doubt the Euro elite will want an early second vote. A merchant banker on RTEs Question and Answers (Monday last) suggested holding a gun to the head of Irelands voters…a particuarly callous remark evoking Lloyd George. Oddly another vote because nobody in power liked the first vote is exactly the same thing Europe found so reprehensible about Mugabes Zimbabwe.
The likelihood is that the Irish government and the staffers in Brussels will be apologising for the democratic expression of the Irish voters. But they must represent it HONESTLY.
The next stage for the NO campaign will be to energise their European neighbours in Britain, Ceska and the rest to mobilise so that Ireland is not perceived as isolated.
The DUP alliance with Gordon Brown is also in a sense a silent victory for Sinn Féin. The economic package probably to alleviate water charges benefits all and gets SF off a hook without actually trading anything.
More critical would be any delay agreed on Policing between Brown and DUP..

]]> By: Graham Wheeler http://jacobite.wordpress.com/2008/06/12/can-sinn-fein-save-europe/#comment-753 Graham Wheeler Tue, 17 Jun 2008 08:58:11 +0000 http://jacobite.wordpress.com/?p=161#comment-753 I cannot agree with the proposition that it is "peculiar" for a party of the left to be anti-European. The EU is certainly opposed by the extreme right across Europe (and also by a small number of more mainstream right-wing parties like the British Conservatives). This is either for nationalistic reasons or through commitment to neoliberal economic doctrine. But the EU is also opposed by parties of the left who worry about its commitment to (moderate) capitalism, its ability to stop member states from pursuing full-bloodedly socialist policies, and its potential to become a military bloc. As recently as the 1980s, the (then very left-wing - eheu fugaces!) Labour Party was avowedly anti-European, as were the likes of Tony Benn in the 1975 referendum. Today, look at Die Linke in Germany, the British Green Party, and the parts of the left that voted No in France in 2005. Personally, I tend to think that any institution that simultaneously manages to annoy Tony Benn, Norman Tebbit and Jean-Marie Le Pen can't be all bad. I cannot agree with the proposition that it is “peculiar” for a party of the left to be anti-European.

The EU is certainly opposed by the extreme right across Europe (and also by a small number of more mainstream right-wing parties like the British Conservatives). This is either for nationalistic reasons or through commitment to neoliberal economic doctrine. But the EU is also opposed by parties of the left who worry about its commitment to (moderate) capitalism, its ability to stop member states from pursuing full-bloodedly socialist policies, and its potential to become a military bloc.

As recently as the 1980s, the (then very left-wing – eheu fugaces!) Labour Party was avowedly anti-European, as were the likes of Tony Benn in the 1975 referendum. Today, look at Die Linke in Germany, the British Green Party, and the parts of the left that voted No in France in 2005.

Personally, I tend to think that any institution that simultaneously manages to annoy Tony Benn, Norman Tebbit and Jean-Marie Le Pen can’t be all bad.

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