CPI website – dismal, uninspiring and out of date
Has anybody in the CPI noticed just how dismal and uninspiring its website is? HERE
Look at it. Can you find a single word of anger, of resistance, of direction, of inspiration, of hope, of anything but leftish prittle-prattle, self-righteousness and banality?
The first thing to be seen is that the site is well out of date – a frequent occurrence. On this date, 23 August 2024, we note that from the 3 June to 14 July there were three statements posted, all related to recent elections, and no update since.
So, we dug a little deeper.
NEWS has not been updated since 16 March.
EVENTS No events shown.
Now, imagine that you are looking for a political home and you give the CPI some consideration. These days, a first stop is normally a website. You go to About Us and you will find a heading – What do we do?
“We have been involved in and/or continue to be involved with national campaigns against the Lisbon Treaty, the public bail-out of private banks during the Great Recession, austerity, and have been active in campaigns for public housing, trade union rights and public water being enshrined in the Constitution of Ireland.”
Yes, you can become involved in a national campaign against the Lisbon Treaty. For those who cannot remember anything about the Lisbon Treaty, it was a major issue in 2008/9.
After reading that, the next section asks Who joins the CPI? Not me! would surely be the first response to being asked that question having just read the section above it.
Digging deeper still, you will find that almost all the sections are many years out of date. We provide a number of examples further down but you can read them all on the website.
Of course, we realise that the Party has been involved in numerous issues up to the present but this is not reflected in the website for quite some time now, even in the Statements or News sections.
This is the public face of the CPI and it is a disgrace. It is a disgrace that reflects on a pretend leadership pretending to lead a pretend political party. It also reflects on a membership that does not even read its own propaganda. It’s not good enough.
This is the same ‘leadership’ that fought tooth and nail to make sure that a proposition to form an organisation and strategy group to concentrate on the party itself was never given as much as a reply not to mention a debate.
It’s just not good enough.
Below are some extracts from various sections of the CPI website.
CAMPAIGNS:
Irish Unity: “Most recently, the CPI was instrumental in establishing the Peadar O’Donnell Socialist Republican Forum in 2013.”
Repeal the Industrial Relations Act : “In January 2020, the Trade Union Left Forum, in which the CPI is involved, launched its Workers’ Rights Campaign, which called for a repeal of the Industrial Relations Act.”
Anti-imperialism activism: “The “Stop Bray War Show” initiative was started by the CPI in 2018 to discourage people from attending an event that glorifies British army war machines.”
“The CPI has been active in PANA (Peace and Neutrality Alliance) and CPI members sit on PANA’s steering committee. It helped organise the First International Conference Against US/NATO Military Bases held in Dublin in November 2018.”
“While the 39th G8 Summit was convened in Lough Erne Resort in June 2013, the CPI organised demonstrations in Belfast and Fermanagh to protest against the imperialist wars waged by the G8 member countries across the globe.”
“The CPI and Connolly Books have published books on the militarization of Ireland and the foreign policy of the major imperialist powers. Coalition of the Unwilling by Clare Daly and Mick Wallace was published in 2020.”
OPPOSITION TO IRISH MEMBERSHIP OF THE EUROPEAN UNION: “The CPI supported the call of the British Lexit Campaign for a Leave vote in the UK’s referendum on EU membership in 2016. The CPI continues to work to mobilise the Irish people to break the “triple lock” of American, British and EU imperialism.” (last paragraph).
PUBLIC OWNERSHIP OF WATER: “The CPI is a member organisation of Right2Water and has a seat on its steering committee……”
REPUDIATE THE DEBT: “The CPI launched the Repudiate the Debt campaign in the run-up to the Irish general election in February 2011. A pamphlet outlining the CPI’s position, entitled “Repudiate the Debt: For a Better Future” was published.” (also in 2011).
Nothing has been heard of that ‘campaign’ since.
POLICIES AND DOCUMENTS:
Constitution
Political Resolution of the 26th National Congress
Marxism and the Future of Socialism (a lecture)
Address to International Meeting of Communist & Workers’ Parties, 2021
Political Resolution of the 25th National Congress
INTERNATIONAL:
No new posts since 19 March.
Another heading declares that the CPI is “A party for socialism and democracy.”
Some of our previously published views on this claim are contained in the posts below.
CPI in disarray – Guerrilla Communists
Without integrity – Guerrilla Communists