Socialism – with CPI characteristics
In the January issue of Socialist Voice, Jimmy Corcoran, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Ireland asked: “What do we mean by socialism and how do we achieve it?” We are returning to these questions firstly because he did not answer either question but more importantly because they are questions that need to be answered – especially by leaders of the CPI.
As the Party has not corrected or clarified or denied any of the numerous accusations levelled at it by Guerrilla Communists – accusations fully supported by self-incriminating documents HERE,
HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, we must conclude that there will be a massive gap between theory and practice in line with past and current positions adopted by the Party.
Surely, what was and remains good enough for its members – past and present – (“the most politically advanced members of the working-class and other sections of the people …..”) must also be good enough for everybody else in the country? When you read the litany of (unanswered and undefended) allegations against the Party above, it will be difficult to reconcile the gap between the words and the actual deeds. So difficult, indeed, that the CPI itself cannot even manage it.
We have a challenge for past and present leaders of the Party – Eugene McCarthy, Jimmy Doran, Ciara Ní Mhaoilfhinn, Gearóid Ó Machail, Aaron Nolan, or anybody else representing the Party:
Tell us all about socialism, all about social justice, all about equality, all about human dignity. Tell us about all the other integral attributes of socialism. Tell us all about how you would uphold your own rules and procedures. Tell us all about how the mechanisms that you all have approved and applied to deal with various ‘difficulties’ within the Party are better than the mechanisms currently used by trade unions/employers or the Irish justice system to manage or resolve similar issues in our current capitalist society.
Tell us all about how you would manage a new socialist society under your regime of an á la carte (Groucho Marxist) administration of rights and justice and we will join up the dots between your words and your actions.
Let’s see Jimmy Corcoran write about social justice and respect and dignity for all people with such a history hanging over him HERE. Perhaps Colm Laighneach, Corcoran’s sidekick during the proceedings referred to in that report, could give him a hand? The same applies to any member of the CPI who has not revolted against the past and continuing injustices against fellow comrades.
Perhaps the CPI would first consider undoing or neutralising or repudiating some of the trail of political and organisational carnage it has generated and which it stands by thick and thin? Such a development is not just desirable but, it is an absolute necessity if the CPI is ever to make any political progress.
“What do we mean by socialism and how do we achieve it?” Very good questions.