Communists larping as Republicans

I have written about my objection to the notion of Russell as being a blind militarist. It's not so much that I take objection to that slur per se but rather the idea that that makes one somehow deficient as a republican. In my view, republicanism in its purest form is manifested by a "blind militarism". It is essentially apolitical. Anyway, the further point I wish to make is that this expectation that republicans have politics, and indeed the right politics, is a recent one. There is a related tendency to overly focus on theory and written works over activity. I believe that there is a lack of theory in relation to republicanism, but in the sense that a coherent body of thought that expresses itself through behavior has not been adequately articulated in word. For example, what I have written above on Russell is an example of theory explaining what people do. This is quite different from the notion that the actions of republicans were not directed and were senseless (bl...

Kneecap are a great example of the trend of mixing  aestheticised republicanism (most visibly with the tricolour balaclava) with revisionist leftist ideology. Aestheticised republicanism means republican trappings and symbols but without the substance. See here. Their use of the rap/hip hop genre also strengthens this linkage, drawing upon "Blacks of Europe" notions.  According to one band member: “Rebel music in Ireland has all the same sort of ideas as hip-hop in America. A community that’s oppressed, using songs to revolt in some way,” according to ‘Mo Chara’.

It's notable that Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc describes Seán Russell's actions in WW2 as a stain in republican history (if I hear correctly). Also, he calls Russell a blind militarist. Russell was in fact just a fenian in the classic sense. Maybe certain aspects of Russell upset the speaker's personal politics, but Russell has nothing to answer for as a republican. I do agree that he was a collaborator (as distinct from collaborationist, which is a useful distinction speaker makes). However, collaboration is only a thing of shame if you subscribe to Anglo-Saxon moralism in relation to the war, which I don't. A reminder that one of the most famous anti fascists in history was Churchill, a man who was just lovely to Ireland. Russell is awkward for left republicans because he demonstrates that mainstream republicanism back then was simply not anti-fascist. An anti-fascist would not collaborate at all.

In this  article  from 2023 on the Ireland for All rally the following is said of  Bernadette Devlin McAliskey and prisoners: According to author, the contribution of McAliskey, who sat in Westminster, marks the repositioning of republicanism. It is actually about anti-fascism now. Per author, the Prisoners say that the far right is dealing in crude nationalism and distance republicanism from it. Republicanism is international and has no truck with racist nationalism. To smooth over this shift, the Prisoners invoke the British connection.

Over a year ago, but wish to document here. Pretending that your new enemy is actually the old enemy is a good way of covering up the fact that you have changed your enemies. The problem with the Britain = fascism in Ireland approach is that it needs to ignore those rightwingers in Ireland who are anti-Britain or non-West Britonist. Also it ignores fact that Britain is famously anti-fascist, with Winston Churchill and the mythology surrounding him being a particular exemplar of that strain.

  But of course, it was anti fascism all along.

Irish Republican Education Forum platforming Trot news site. An example of the casual and pernicious way in which communists insert themselves into republicanism.

The real takeaway, a possible Flemish Nazi speaker. The horror. (Also, does this no amnesty rule apply to Seán Russell?).