This is a Dead Parrot!

national | miscellaneous | news report

Thursday November 07, 2002 02:49

by Danielle Ni Dhighe - Irish Republican Socialist Movement

danielle at irsm dot org

IRSP editorial about the suspension of the GFA.

Starry Plough
October/November 2002
http://www.irsm.org/irsp/starryplough/

This is a Dead Parrot!

We all remember the famous sketch from Monty Python when, despite all
appearances to the contrary, the pet shop owner kept insisting the
parrot was not dead. Remind you of anyone? It reminds me of Gerry
"Well done, David" Adams.

Following the Ulster Unionist Party's decision to effectively dump
the Good Friday Agreement. Gerry Adams repeated the mantra learned
from the pet shop owner: "Implement in full the Good Friday
Agreement".

Gerry, the parrot is dead! This is a dead parrot! Dead!! Stone cold
dead! The Good Friday Agreement is bollixed.

But Articles Two and Three of the constitution of the Republic are
gone. Provisional Republicans recognised the Six County state and are
running government departments.

>From at first rejecting the Patten report on policing, the
Provisional Sinn Fein party now call for its full implementation.

Then a Sinn Fein MLA, Mick Murphy, criticised the PSNI/RUC for not
cracking down on the dissident Republicans. Lo and behold, within a
week two men are arrested within Mick's constituency. Did Gerry then
say, "Well done, Mick?" We wonder.

>From at first rejecting disarmament, the Provisional movement then
carried out two acts of decommissioning

Sinn Fein ensured that the Rev. Willie McCrea, a notorious loyalist,
become chair of Magerafelt Council. Provisional Republicans beat
protestors against Orange marches off the streets in Ardoyne.

The cross-border bodies will now go into a state of limbo and after
January 18th the Unionists will pull down the political institutions.

Meanwhile the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission's accused by
one of its own members that it couldn't deliver on its remit under
the Good Friday Agreement. Even within its limited powers and
resources, it lacks direction on the strategies, policies and
practices needed to carve out a positive role for itself in
protecting and promoting human rights. The commission has not tested
its powers in the context of delivery of rights.

Crucially, despite a few worthy reports, three and half years on the
commission have not delivered on the protection of human rights. It
is clearly not "independent of government, with an extended and
enhanced role", as outlined in the agreement, claimed Inez McCormack.

The so-called equality agenda much trumped by supporters of the GFA
also failed to deliver. The Equality Commission, which itself is
riven by internal dissent, advised the NI Fire Service to remove a
banner supporting the Armagh GAA All-Ireland victory. So this is the
height of the equality agenda!!

Loyalist paramilitaries will continue their sectarian murder campaign
and have received a political signal from soberly suited people
within the Unionist family encouraging sectarian killings. When they
sort out their internal difficulties, then nationalists beware.

The IRSP position has been consistently correct in its analysis of
the whole peace process and the political institutions arising from
that process.

While we recognise the desire of the people for peace, we said that
the GFA could not deliver peace. What occurred during practically
every summer since 1994 has not been peace. There may be a political
process but there is little peace for those living on the front line.

Those who wish to continue with the illusion of a Belfast Agreement
remember this: This is a dead parrot. This parrot is dead!!!!!

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Comments (4 of 4)

GFA

by Des

Thu Nov 07, 2002 20:23

The so call "Good Friday Agreement" produced nothing for working class people on either side of the divide. It did nothing to bring working people together, instead it reinforced sectarianism. Of course, a lot of politicans have done very well out of it, large salaries and expense accounts. I wonder what Gerry Adams would say to the PIRA members who lost their lives in the war or on hunger strike, did they believe they were losing their lives in order that schools could be privatised or hospitals closed? I doubt very much that their answer would be in the positive, that is if they were still with us.

Boring loony left crap

by Daniel

Thu Nov 07, 2002 21:16

All you tossers of indymedia claim to know what's in the interest of the working classes. Who are you, you just represent small angry anti-establishment outfits. If the working class is so massive why aren't they clever enough to vote you all into power. The fact is that Fianna Fail (and I'm not a supporter of them) has much more of a legitimate claim to represent the working classes, or for that matter the Labour Party. Simple fact - because of different opinions views have to be compromised to achieve anything, self-indulgent slurs from the extremes only reinforces the crappy status quo. The good friday agreement offered and still offers a real basis to put behind us the bloody legacy of war. Its not perfect buts it provide a basis for a better future. Hoping it might have read like the communist manifesto is a deluded as it is pathethic.

Loony Left Crap????

by Intransigent

Thu Nov 07, 2002 22:57

Please tell me where Fianna Fail where when the IGB workers were left without redundancy pay or any of the numerous other workers being left without their jobs. They were supporting the bosses that's where they were. Now explain to me in reality how Fianna Fail have any greater right in representing the working class then say for instance parties like the SP, SWP or Sinn Fein who actually get out there and support and represent the mass of the working class. Wake up and see who the phonies are.

It really quite easy

Fri Nov 08, 2002 20:04

Its easy even though you don't like it (and neither do I) many more working class people vote for mainstream parties that the motly crew that hang out on indy media. Therefore they have more right to claim to represent them. QED.

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This is a Dead Parrot!

Comments (4 of 4)