05.09.1996

Socialism as therapy

Around the left

Almost from the moment of birth, we are imbued with the notion that we must avoid political ‘extremes’. Political ‘extremists’ we are told, whether of the right or left variant, are fanatical ideologues who must be avoided at all costs. The best path is the even-handed ‘middle ground’, which eschews all dogma.

This indoctrination process is insidiously effective, in many ways. The comrades in Militant Labour appear to be victims of this mindset, judging by their latest pronouncements on the Six Counties. However, sitting on the fence can turn out to be very painful and, what is more, very dangerous.

ML has taken upon itself the role of ‘revolutionary’ counsellor, mediating between the two communities. Socialism as therapy, if you like. Therefore, with regards to the marching season in the Six Counties, Socialism Today points out that this is an issue which “needs to be treated with sensitivity by socialists ... The real answer is for local negotiations on the number of marchers, their routes and the conduct of marchers” (September). After all, there is the “legitimate right, even of the sectarian institutions like the Orange Order, to hold parades”.

Unsurprisingly then, Militant tut-tuts over the distribution of “aggressive leaflets”  in catholic areas of North and West Belfast by “republican hardliners”, which announced that relief committees were being set up to help isolated catholics in the event of pogroms. Militant sounds offended: “Undoubtedly this engendered an atmosphere of great fear, ghettoisation and the prospect of Bosnian-style ethnic cleansing” (August 16). ML wishes that the catholic/nationalist community would just ‘turn the other cheek’ and embrace their protestant ‘brothers and sisters’.

Militant is agnostic about the Six Counties altogether - what is it? Of course, there is the “republican interpretation of the North as an Orange State with Orange laws”. But it finds it hard to believe that the Six Counties has “remained unchanged” since 1968. All very baffling.

Whatever the Six Counties actually is, it should be politics as normal anyway. This means, according to Socialism Today, “building on the unity which exists in the workplace and by reinforcing the cross-community links which bridge the communities”.

Inspiring stuff. So, how exactly do we do this? Simple: “This can be done through struggles around bread and butter issues.” This is counterposed to the method of the SWP, who called a ‘United Against Bigotry’ march in Derry on August 8. This march called for all Orange Order and Apprentice Boys marches to be banned and/or resisted.

Militant bristles with outrage at the “one-sided nature of the march” and castigates the “SWP approach of equating the Orange Order and Apprentice Boys with fascist organisations like the Ku Klux Klan”, as this “would mean stopping the Orange parades at all times”.

One day, ML will have to make its mind up. For the oppressed or against them?

Don Preston