Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Gerry Adams on Hard Talk…
On BBC ‘s Hard Talk programme, Stephen Sackur grills Gerry Adams on his party’s performance in the last year… Adams does reasonably well, though Sackur clearly gets under his skin once or twice. I’ve clipped some of the most memorable bits…
He argues strongly that there had always been a pro settlement line of thinking inside the Republican movement. He refers to a speech he made at Bodenstown back in 1977 arguing that his party’s fight with the British was a political problem and that it could not be solved by military means…
To connote the success of the process he described Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness as Siamese twins, although I suspect the real point he was driving at was the joint character of the two offices McGuinness is not a Deputy in the usual sense of that term…
Much of the rest of the programme focused on Sinn Fein’s poor showing in the May elections in the Republic… Although interestingly Adams admits that Irish unity is not inevitable, and that his party is engaged on more of a journey: “come back and talk to me in a decade or two and we’ll talk about it then...”
Sackur: “Face reality in Europe you are part of a tiny far left rump block with 7 national communist parties. There are 750 examples of Foreign Direct Investment, growth rates of 5%, some of the lowest taxes in Europe… SF policies do not match the reality of the Celtic Tiger… Ireland has changed unbelievably, SF has not...”
Adams: “SF has. What we have to do is to find a way to communicate our message.”
Sackur: “Do you think that the Irish people find attractive a party that affiliates itself with communist parties across Europe?”
Given the southern electorate’s abandonment of anyone but it’s historically strong parties, it’s an important question. Sackur then went on to quote (16.50 in) my own analysis from the Guardian’s Comment is Free…
Paradoxically for a party founded with the explicit purpose of getting rid of “foreign” political influence on the island, in this election at least, it came across as foreign.
It did not go down well. Although Adams went on, correctly as it happens, to point out that a lot of pundits got the election campaign wrong (including me: just scan this thread at Irishelection.com, in which I rated Adams best performer in the minor debate).
Mick Fealty @ 08:59 AM
I hold no torch for Sinn Féin but there were genuine mitigating circumstances for their poor performance in the last election. Usually in a PR election ‘plumpers’ can vote for the party that best represents them ideologically. That space disappeared in the last election, whose dominant issue was which block was going to form a government, and with whom. The fact that Sinn Féin were effectively ruled out by all the potential coalitions made them irrelevant to the theme of the election. The issue was government and Sinn Féin were completely sidelined.
The forthcoming local elections will tell us more about the longterm viablility of the Sinn Féin project. People will vote more freely. Even those not completely comfortable with Sinn Féin in government could vote for good local candidates secure in the knowledge that not much is at stake. The big question is do Sinn Féin actually have good candidates?
I think that the real test for Sinn Féin is going to be the local elections
Posted by on Oct 02, 2007 @ 09:51 AMMick
Why do you keep up this pretense that you want SF to move to the right for its own good, you are well aware that ground is already taken down south and if they were to do so there only hope would be to merge with FF.
. As to the follow quote,
“Paradoxically for a party founded with the explicit purpose of getting rid of “foreign” political influence on the island, in this election at least, it came across as foreign.” How so or are you saying that equality, a decent Irish health care system free at point of use is some how foreign, if so that smacks of McCarthyism to me and the type of nonsense the US right use to deny their people universal health care, by claiming the British NHS is socialist etc.What do you base your claim that SF came across as foreign? that despite Mr Adams the shinners went to the electorate with a progressive program? Surly common decency does not make it foreign, simple unusual and different as far as the two main parties are concerned and anathema to big business.
How you have the cheek to call SF ‘foreign’ when half the bloody cabinet and opposition are in hock to multi national corporations is beyond me. Before you say prove it, neo-liberal globalization benefits the multi nationals above all others including national interest [and that is without the dreadful brown envelope culture they poison the world with]
If your multinational low tax economy is such a success why are more people falling into poverty than since the 1960s. Do you not feel you should get out more and look just a little at the have-nots amongst us.
By the way, out of impartiality and as I am a long time Sluggerite why not link Organized Rage to Slugger, I have kept it going for some time now and I would be more than happy to do the same for Slugger O’Toole.
Posted by on Oct 02, 2007 @ 10:07 AMAdams “… and you see, all of the smart Alecs in the Sunday Independent, in the Irish Times or, indeed, this guy [Mick Fealty] whom I don’t even know ...”
Is he doing a St Peter/Arlene Foster routine, Mick? ;)
Posted by on Oct 02, 2007 @ 10:08 AMMH, surely the brown envelope culture is an ancient Irish tradition that long predates the globalisation that you refer to?
Posted by on Oct 02, 2007 @ 10:13 AMMick,
“How you have the cheek to call SF ‘foreign’”
Can you do me the kindness of not misquoting what I have written? What I actually said: “in this election at least, it came across as foreign.” In other words, it’s about wider perception: it has nothing to do with what I think the party should, or should not, do. Or, indeed, what the party is or is not.
Nevin:
No comment.
Posted by on Oct 02, 2007 @ 10:17 AMI was soooooo embarrassed for adams!!! He hadn’t a clue. Imagine not knowing who mick fealty was???
Sakur had adams on the ropes, no way did adams lead the republicans to where they are today alone. That man was led.MH we all have blogs, mick does his best.
Posted by on Oct 02, 2007 @ 10:36 AMSackur: “… Paradoxically, he said, for a party founded with the explicit purpose of getting rid of “foreign political influence on the island of Ireland, Sinn Fein came across to voters in that election as foreign.” - and primarily he’s talking about you ..”
‘Don’t be silly’ Sackur invited Adams to tell the truth about his IRA membership but the boul’ Fenian man is still in denial.
Posted by on Oct 02, 2007 @ 10:42 AMUnionism will take much heart from Adams’ remark that reunification is not inevitable.
He can never again pretend that St Andrews has brought Ireland to the threshold of total freedom.
His recent book launch in Dublin attracted almost no-one.
Indeed the next decade will prove Adams to be a hasbeen, flop and all round slink- not to be confused with the genuine article…
Posted by on Oct 02, 2007 @ 10:47 AM“Unionism will take much heart from Adams’ remark that reunification is not inevitable.”
Not that they hang on his every word or anything, though.
Continued partition ad infinitum is not inevitable either.
The only thing that is inevitable is change.
Posted by on Oct 02, 2007 @ 11:10 AMAdams “ .. but what the Good Friday Agreement does and what the St Andrew’s Agreement does is start a process of deinstitutionalising sectarianism and eradicating it ..”
Really? I thought the Chuckle Brothers were two faces of the sectarian coin - and I expect to see see loads of sectarian horse-trading ... in this ‘sectarian statelet’.
Posted by on Oct 02, 2007 @ 11:11 AMIf Adams were to admit to IRA membership, never mind being Chief of Staff, would he be liable for prosecution?
Posted by on Oct 02, 2007 @ 11:11 AMAn Lochlannach, to prosecute or not to prosecute is in the gift of the authorities. Presumably, there are various reasons as to why some folks appear to have and to have had immunity.
Posted by on Oct 02, 2007 @ 11:34 AMPaid- “Unionism today is in the strongest position many of us have ever seen in our lives. After decades of demoralisation and defeat, unionism has risen off its knees and is standing tall again.
The constitutional position within the UK is secure – with Dublin ministers forced to admit that the pursuit of a united Ireland has been parked”- DUP MLA Simon Hamilton.
Adams’ ill-timed gaffe the day after the above quote was made that (in his view) “re-unification is not inevitable” has bolstered unionist confidence even further.
Republicans are a long way away from the An Phoblacht headlines of ‘76- Year of victory, ‘77- Year of victory, ‘78 Year of victory ad infinitum.
There won’t be too many cars drivin around West Belfast today blaring there horns after Adams’ latest announcement unlike the one he made in Septmeber ‘94....
Posted by on Oct 02, 2007 @ 11:52 AMIs Hamilton deluded? Didn’t his leader confess that the Chuckle Brothers marriage was forced on him [my paraphrase]? Wasn’t the choice between this hideous double act and, essentially, shared sovereignty?
Posted by on Oct 02, 2007 @ 12:01 PMYour paraphrase or not- union secure…
Posted by on Oct 02, 2007 @ 12:03 PMAre you sure, CTN?
Policing, justice and other non-devolved matters I understand are ‘managed’ by London and Dublin officials based in Windsor House, Bedford Street, Belfast. They deal with policy and with ‘sensitive’ day-to-day decisions.
Aren’t major infrastructure decisions taken by the North-South Ministerial Council? Isn’t tourism marketing outside the island of Ireland carried out by Tourism Ireland?
Where are the ‘balancing’ institutions linking NI to the rest of the UK and what major projects are they tasked with?
Posted by on Oct 02, 2007 @ 12:18 PMStormont is subservient to London not Dublin- check the flag on top.
British sovereignty remains unfettered.
UK law applied within state.
The republic’s government is not involved in policing which will be devolved to a unionist minister under de hont- although some disarmed republican/nationalist british MLAs will have a say on the committee.
North/south council feeble- all Ireland tourism is not an all Ireland state.
Check a map of the world 6 co’s under UK jurisdiction....
Posted by on Oct 02, 2007 @ 12:27 PMWhy did the PSNI not tell Michelle Gildernew which Loyalists were threatening her if all these Irish Govt. guys are busy at work in Bedford House?
Why did she not contact Bedford House to complain instead of goin to Dublin?
Sounds like yer crankin up the flop here Nev!
Posted by on Oct 02, 2007 @ 12:34 PM“The republic’s government is not involved in policing ...”
CTN, I’ve given you the where and what. As for the when, think AIA 1985.
Posted by on Oct 02, 2007 @ 12:45 PMhib, the bosses are in Dublin, not Bedford Street. I’m not privy to exchanges between MG and the PSNI.
‘Crankin up the flop’’s a new one on me!!
Posted by on Oct 02, 2007 @ 12:50 PMAIA 1985 replaced by GFA 1998.
I reiterate the Irish Govt is not involved in policing- your ludicrous claims that they have been since 1985 if true would then implicate them in colluding or covering up for collusion with loyalists in the murder of hundreds of people since then.
If your point had any merit then why not answer hib’s questions?
Posted by on Oct 02, 2007 @ 12:50 PMThe exchange was headline TV last week Nev.
So who are these “bosses” in Dublin?
Posted by on Oct 02, 2007 @ 12:53 PMNev I’ll ask again- if the Irish govt subservients are working in Bedford house so diligently then why are the PSNI not giving Michelle Gildernew the detail she requires?
Posted by on Oct 02, 2007 @ 12:56 PMCTN, where would you expect the bosses to be? Department of Justice? Department of Foreign Affairs?
“AIA 1985 replaced by GFA 1998.”
and Maryfield moved to, er, Bedford Street. The ‘ludicrous’ information came from an SDLP source many moons ago. Why don’t you question one of their MLAs?
Posted by on Oct 02, 2007 @ 12:59 PMNeither the Department of Justice nor Foreign in the 26 co’s has no influence over the PSNI- your mystical SDLP source is a moonman alright.
Posted by on Oct 02, 2007 @ 01:03 PM
