Slugger O'Toole

Latest comments from Alex (see all)

Alex has commented 5 times (0 in the last month).

1. Comment on Catching up with Jim Gorman and Paul Little, IRSP council candidates in Belfast #lg11 #belw #beln
   on 1 May 2011 at 9:47 pm

   Mark, mentioning the fact that 30 years ago, when after all the IRSP last contested local council elections, 3 IRSP members gave their lives on hunger strike in the H-Blocks – is relevant. It also puts the IRSP’s history in context, when other posters presume to denigrate it.
   Lastly, the Republican Socialist Hunger Strikers have suffered from the most blatant revisionism, in this their 30th anniversary year, a little clarification of their ideological and political allegiances is no bad thing, given public misconceptions – to quote AlaninBelfast. “obviously not you, but some of the other ones ”

   Jack, that would have been quite a funny comment, if it wasnt so completely off-topic. The next time this ‘public teat’ makes an appearance, for local council candidates, let us all know.

   Mr Crumlin, May 9th it is – well, thats when the count is anyway, although I cant guarantee 100% I will be behind a computer screen that particular night but I will re-visit Slugger at some stage.
   In the meantime, have a peek at the IRSP’s ‘Perspectives’ document published in 2010 and/or the ‘Ta Power Document’ – it is all about the primacy of politics.

   It is encouraging to observe that the IRSP’s re-entry into electoral intervention has proved to be a not unpopular topic..

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2. Comment on Bill Craig came to his senses too late
   on 30 April 2011 at 7:49 pm

   I learned with a sense of ennui, that Bill ‘liquidate the enemy’ Craig, had himself faced the inevitable and compulsory liquidation process.

   I can vaguely remember the Vanguard ‘movement. I recall they had a fairly distinctive flag, which remained a constant on Loyalist poles, in days well past the ‘movements’ sell-by date. There was definitely a ‘Strasserite’ ambience about Vanguard, in more ways than one. Retrospective accounts of the infamous Ormeau Park rally by Catholic Ormeau Road residents confirm this. An older friend, who then lived in Artana Street back then, told me of seeing a phalanx of Parka coated Loyalists marching down Agincourt Avenue, accompanied by snarling Alsations on leashes (Alsations were the compensatory canine of the day, now usurped by the various bulldog breeds!)

   It’d be the height of hypocrisy to suggest that there will be many tears shed, for the clamped-jawed Craig, by anyone of a progressive disposition. However, his death signified the end of an era, of sorts, the end of the penultimate Loyalist demagogue..

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3. Comment on Catching up with Jim Gorman and Paul Little, IRSP council candidates in Belfast #lg11 #belw #beln
   on 30 April 2011 at 6:38 pm

   Mr Crumlin – (who knows ‘exactly’ all about North and West Belfast)

   Yes, I live in West Belfast – not that it is really relevent or for you to ascertain, but you can rest assured that you are not the first nor the last to take a cheap dig at the Irish Republican Socialist Party.

   The IRSP entered the chambers of Belfast City Council a full thirty years ago, so it is far from ‘make or break’ for our party. Lets also remember that thirty years ago, three Irish Republican Socialists laid down their lives during the H-Block Hunger Strikes of 1981.

   So yes, Mr Crumlin, lets wait until after May 5th – in fact lets wait until May 9th, (when they actually count the votes.) I’m not a betting man but I’d predict that the IRSP candidates will be able to hold their heads up, without a shadow of doubt.

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4. Comment on Catching up with Jim Gorman and Paul Little, IRSP council candidates in Belfast #lg11 #belw #beln
   on 30 April 2011 at 11:08 am

   @ Wee Joe – the IRSP are a working class Socialist party and have no inclination to join the Armani suit brigade.

   @ Mr Crumlin, firstly to the best of my knowledge and indeed the EONI, there are no ‘INLA’ candidates on the ballot for May 5th-your observation, therefore, is puerile.

   Secondly, if we started pointing fingers as to what various parties “descended into” then many handfulls of digits would be pointing at the PRM, where the likes of Eirigi ‘emerged’ from, remember….

   In the past, larger & better established parties than ‘Eirigi’ have tried to ‘eclipse’ the IRSP &/or write them off. Needless to say, it didnt happen then and it wont happen now at the hands of ‘super-provos’, in whatever guise..

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5. Comment on Catching up with Jim Gorman and Paul Little, IRSP council candidates in Belfast #lg11 #belw #beln
   on 30 April 2011 at 1:04 am

   @ Zig70

   Interesting concept..

   ….any clues to whereabouts, on your ‘unique’ (geo)political spectrum, one would place the West Bank?

   The IRSP candidates spoke well and after a break from electoral politics of 30 years, the party has to start somewhere. All journeys begin with one step.

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