Repeating ourselves
We have received comments from readers asserting that we are just repeating ourselves with no useful purpose. While we appreciate the well-meaning comments we receive, the dilemma remains – what is an appropriate response to unresolved political, ethical, and organisational issues that impacted negatively on individuals and on the CPI itself?
The cause of the repetitiveness lies in the fact that the CPI has neither corrected nor repudiated the actions that are complained of. The nature of grievances – real or imagined – is that they do not go away until some sort of resolution is secured or until the aggrieved give up and meekly accept their fate.
While the meek may well inherit the earth, it is the role of revolutionaries to try to resolve issues in our lifetime and to make some progress towards resolving issues. And, at the very least, to prepare the ground for future generations to effectively continue the struggle.
What is the role of a communist party? Is it just to list a few demands and then sit back and wait for those demands to be met? Or, is it to fight tooth and nail to achieve its aims? Does it matter that the demands do not change? Many of today’s demands predate even Marx and Engels and any class understanding of exploitation, but that does not negate their relevancy and certainly does not present a rational reason to cease repeating the demands.
It is the continued and continuing existence of the injustices that must be considered and it would be quite silly for anyone to criticise a communist party for repeating itself over and over again while the injustices remain unresolved.
So it is with Guerrilla Communists. We can either back down on our contentions or, like old soldiers, we can just fade away. Barring those options, we have no choice but to continue to repeat ourselves in order to force a resolution of the outstanding issues.
The issues do not just concern the individuals concerned though they are entitled to have the injustices addressed. The major issues are, in fact, the integrity of the CPI and its possibilities for development while shackled with self-imposed, self-incriminating, inexcusable and politically fatal encumbrances.
We have covered all these issues in previous posts and, in this case, we will not repeat them. However, the responsibility to ensure that the issues do not keep resurfacing lies entirely with the CPI. It can either refute our well documented claims or it can correct any errors or possible misrepresentations. Ideally, considering that it has not previously taken such steps, it could repudiate its actions and try to move on from a quite disastrous, unnecessary, and utterly distasteful period in its history.
Only the CPI can bring an end to this campaign. For, indeed, that is what it is. It is a sustained campaign to not just seek justice for individuals who were bullied, intimidated and discriminated against but equally importantly to save the soul of the party itself.
We have argued that the party simply cannot progress under its self-imposed shackles and that it will face unprecedented attacks if it ever becomes a threat as a consequence of its previous and continuing positions. Neither the party nor any of our readers have contested that claim. Sinn Féin and Fine Gael have recently come under attack either fordelays in addressing contentious issues within their parties or because of the methodology used to deal with the issues – the issues themselves were secondary considerations.
Again, we repeat the question: how can the CPI rationally expect to be exempted from such scrutiny now or in the future?
Is there anyone out there who will make a case as to why former members of the CPI should simply accept their fate and in doing so leave current and future members open to similar treatment? Is there anyone out there that will make a case as to why anyone subjected to injustice should just accept their fate. Is there anyone out there who will advise victims of injustice to just stop repeating themselves while their plight remains unaddressed or unresolved?
Indeed, a prerequisite for a successful campaign is the ability and the stamina to repeat yourself again and again and again until your demands are met or all possibilities are exhausted.
How has the march of socialism itself been successfully stemmed? Apart from the ineptness of the likes of the CPI, this defeat was achieved mostly by adversaries repeating false propaganda time after time after time at any and every opportunity.
There is nothing false about the claims contained in our allegations – at least, not until proven otherwise by the CPI or by the named individuals.
The comical aspect of this entire saga is the fact that the CPI, in failing to correct or refute or repudiate or otherwise address any of these accusations, leaves itself wide open to scrutiny from friend and foe alike. Don’t blame us for repeatedly airing the accusations – instead ask the CPI why it prefers to have its name sullied year after year rather than defend itself and find ways out of the dilemma. It is a legitimate question and we will ask for an answer – over and over again.
Over to you, CPI.