“What The Proclamation
Means To Me”
By Noel Murphy
(National Secretary, Independent Workers Union)
We will have a general election called within 12
months and there is no doubt but that wonderful things will be promised, by
all those contesting to form the next government.
We can imagine the manifestos which will be produced by the mainstream
political parties. Vote for us – we’ll do a better job for you than the
other crowd.
While there will be a bit of tinkering around with words, fundamentally,
there will be no difference from the present regime, as the new government
(unless there is a totally unexpected swing to the left), will be led by
either Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael, both of whom actively promote the
Capitalist system.
The election manifestos being presented, will bear no resemblance to that
which was declared ninety years ago, when the Provisional Government
published its own manifesto, more commonly called the “Proclamation”. This
document read by Pádraig Pearse on the steps of the GPO promised, that
Ireland, the Nation which had just declared its independence, would be a
“sovereign” state, that would guarantee
“religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal
opportunities to all its citizens, and declares its
resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity
of the whole nation, and all its parts, cherishing all
the children of the nation equally……..”
A brief examination of the 1916 document shows that the aspirations
contained therein have not been realised.
Our Sovereign State is rather pitiful, as we allow the American government
to use our airports to ship troops and weapons to other parts of the world
to kill civilians in pursuit of their imperialist aims. It seems we spend
centuries getting rid of one imperialist power only to welcome in another in
return for jobs, which we could provide, but we which we fail to provide
ourselves.
Furthermore, we have now given away most of our independence to the
institution which is the European Union. This body now enacts almost 80% of
our laws. The principle function of the semblance of a state that we have
remaining, seems to content itself with divvying out the budget and skiving
off public assets for the benefit of the cabal that leads our Capitalist
class.
On the question of the “equal rights and opportunities” well, it exists as
long as you’re part of the wealthy classes. A citizen can of course, climb
up the social ladder through graft and/or corruption and at the expense of
others in society. In this regard opportunities are equal.
However, if you waiting for medical treatment on a hospital trolley or if
you are one of our homeless people living on the streets of our bigger
cities and towns, you may feel that some are more equal than others.
What about the whole Nation and all of its parts? Well, there is one part of
the Nation which is now beginning to crumble, having survived for 80 years
on a system of in-built discrimination. However, I worry that this northern
part of our Nation, in its drive for equality will try to photocopy the
southern State in our Nation by developing the same economic policies, which
will see many of our workers, living their lives at the mercy of native
financial institutions and dependent for a living on the decisions of Boards
of Management located in far flung parts of the globe.
Those who wrote the Proclamation ninety years ago, produced an amazing
document, which identified that national liberation was the prerequisite for
a truly egalitarian society.
Sadly, their valiant effort failed. They were shot for their principles and
while there was a partial removal of the old imperial regime, the
partitioned nation became a “carnival of reaction” on both sides of its
border, just as was predicted by one of the Proclamations signatories, James
Connolly.
Looking at the 1916 Proclamation today, I still see the blueprint for a
Socialist State to which many of us aspire.
I believe that our aspirations in this regard, can best be served by
developing a revolutionary trade union movement, which will challenge,
rather than collaborate with the present system.
Like the present day French Communists and their attitude to their 1789
revolution, I see the Proclamation of 1916 as unfinished business.
|