Adams sups tea with the devil
I will never sit down with Gerry Adams ... He'd sit with anyone. He'd sit down with the devil. In fact, Adams does sit down with the devil.
Ian Paisley, 'Independent', February 13 1997
Surrealist politics
Anyone who has followed Northern Ireland politics will realise just how impossible yesterday's agreement between Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionist Party always seemed. It's quite surreal actually to see the leader and founder of the anti-papist 'hell, fire and brimstone' Free Presbyterian Church throwing power-sharing lots with his arch-nemesis, Gerry Adams [aka. Yellow Beard, The Great Deceiver, Satan, The Horn-ed One, etc.].
Dr. No says Yes
The Guardian Leader puts it well, describing the Reverend Ian as "the ayatollah of No Surrender unionism", following in the footsteps of Unionism's grandfather, Edward Carson [who also happened to be Oscar Wilde's cross-examiner; Wilde commented, "No doubt he will pursue his case with all the added bitterness of an old friend"].
But there are usually past examples of serious compromise when it comes to such hard-headed public figures - it is why they last in the limelight for so long. Almost exactly 30 years ago Paisley declared that he would retire from politics if the United Unionist Action Council general strike failed. It did, he didn't!
The decision for powersharing to begin on May 8th of this year is arguably the biggest 'yes' of both Adams and Paisley's political careers.
I find a story recounted by John Hume, former SDLP leader, quite hilarious. After suggesting to Paisley on one occasion that he would be speechless if the word 'No' was omitted from the English language, Paisley replied, "No, I wouldn't!"
Politicial Compromise
I have previously posted about the rural Republic of Ireland pseudo-republican upbringing of my environment. After being asked by a leftist group in Warsaw to give a presentation about Northern Ireland politics and the Left I have renewed my daily interest in the affairs of Ireland's most troubled province. And although I, aswell as many tolerant Irish people, will not be happy that a man who has a long history of bigotry will soon be the First Minister of Northern Ireland, the fact that peaceful compromise has now been reached between both communities in the North is certainly a very welcome factor in helping to finally end sectarianism. I hope all members of civil society in Northern Ireland will soon create the conditions to erode both the hierarchies of republican and unionism and successfully fight their campaigns on a range of bread and butter issues like Anti-Water Charges, Ethical Investment and Divestment {e.g. Raytheon in Derry}.
Future for Grassroots Politics
The people of Northern Ireland are well capable of employing the principle of subsidiarity in their working lives, whether it be the education, agriculture, health or small business sector - of governing themselves in harmony
with their neighbours. I think I mirror most of our thoughts when it comes to praising the citizens and some leaders of Northern Ireland for making such significant steps to begin the process of reconciliation and political engagement with former enemies. Dialogue, patience, and compromise have been key elements to ending the violent spiral in the North. Any thoughts on what factors can now make politics more meaningful to people's everyday lives and not just reflect the pathetically disempowering political situations in the Dail and Westminster?
I leave you with a wonderful piece of rhetoric from a former I.R.A. Army Council chief (albeit, the shortest in their history!)
There is a peaceful way to achieve political change, equality, justice and ultimately Irish freedom. There is no reason or excuse for armed actions.Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams moves to allay unionist doubts about the party's commitment to support the PSNI and on the future of the IRA.
Comments
A return to Athenian City States?
- no seriously,
i can not really see any alternative to representative democracy. As for types, well in theory proportional representation is the fairest; but it typically ends in a coalition government and you get a situation like Poland's where the LPR have 6-8% of the mandate, yet Roman is our Education Minister. PR means extremism gets a voice. Therefore i will always favour the British system of first past the post. It may be unfair, but it limits extremists and provides for a stable government.
My joke about Athens was not so far off by the way. When Jefferson was musing on the future of the US, he was a serious advocate of that type of system for the US. - Wow, we would have a different world now!!
" The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions, that I wish it always to be kept alive."
"Never spend your money before you have it. "
"Enlighten the people, generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like spirits at the dawn of day."
City States, no thanks. Though the more the principle of subsidiarity is applied in our society and the more self-governance we have outside the elitist party politics as currently practiced.
Turn-outs at general elections are still quite low throughout Europe for such a wide variety of reasons, most notably I think, is people's increasing realisation that corridors of power are filled by self-intersted corpocrats.
Of course, there are still a few good men and women standing in parliaments but there are few and far between because the 'coldest of monsters' has a tendency to isolate and marginalise them. Ones that come to mind in Ireland are Senator David Norris and Socialist Joe Higgins.
Representative democracy is fine, but I believe we need to engage in more participatory direct forms of representative democracy with accountability and transparency intrinsic to its functioning. The Zapatistas are a good current model (EZLN) at how the poor and underrepresented can feel more empowered through more direct democratic forums despite the oppression they continue to endure from the Mexican state.