23.03.1995

Adams in the White House

THE discovery of explosives in Northern Ireland at the end of last week was loudly proclaimed by the British authorities as evidence that a ‘terrorist’ threat still existed. However, Adams’ retort that it was a case of “British dirty tricks” is nearer the truth. The front page of Republican News hailed “Adams in the White House”.

The whole strategy of Sinn Fein is now dedicated to the ‘peace’ process, and turning itself into a ‘respectable’ bourgeois party.

The IRA simply had no motive to disrupt the Adams visit to the USA. The British authorities on the other hand would have liked to divert as much attention as possible from it.

Apart from its obvious impact on events in the north of Ireland, the visit has cast a revealing light on the fabled “special relationship” between Britain and the United States.

US society has of course never been as vehemently anti-republican as the British. It has its own revolutionary history against Britain, a large Irish immigrant community, but - certainly most importantly - it is further away.

More significantly what the row does emphasise is that the USA needs Britain less with the end of the Cold War. The mighty united Germany is potentially a more exciting partner for the US ruling class than the UK is.

Although it is pleasant to see the British ruling class bothered and upset, it must be remembered that the Adams’ visit marks another stage in the republican movement’s welcome into the fold of ‘respectable’ politics. The USA is the most powerful imperialist force in the world today.

Clinton’s welcoming of Adams indicates again that any so-called ‘peace’ will be on imperialism’s terms and therefore only a prelude to another war. Socialists need to be prepared to turn such a war into a victory for our class.

Andrew MacKay