A Tangled Web

Far More to Celebrate than Lament



Well, anyone keeping up-to-date with the reporting of the Euro elections on the island of Ireland would now believe that naked fascism, in the guise of Sinn Fein/IRA, had made Hannibalistic advances into the mainstream of Irish political life. Most newspapers have this obsession in always over-exposing this band of cut-throat henchmen. A careful examination of the trends reveals a somewhat different picture.



Firstly, Sinn Fein/IRA had a mere 21 seats in local government in the Irish Republic (albeit 21 seats too many). They now have 54 seats in local government and 1 MEP for the European Parliament. The unctuous, repellent, hubristic reaction of Gerry Adams has far more to do with the ingrained unctuous, repellent and hubristic elements of his everyday persona than it does with this supposed 'breakthrough.' Sinn Fein have around 8% of the vote in the Republic: any other party with less than 10% support would be rightly described as a 'fringe movement'. It is high time the same label was given to the IRA's comrades.



Secondly, the ever-present predictions of a nationalist voting majority in Northern Ireland failed to bear fruit...again!! Notwithstanding a huge disparity between the respective Unionist and nationalist turnouts (the latter being far higher), the pro-Union totals were significantly ahead of their separatist rivals. The gap between Unionism and nationalism actually widened between 1999 and 2004. These results simply copperfasten electoral reality over the sheen of nationalist fantasy when it comes to the comparative size of the two communities.



Thirdly, for naive republican souls wanting in prescience, the results of the latest Life and Times Survey (2003) have just been published. Of immediate interest is the question of constitutional preferences. This year's survey revealed 55% support for the Union, only 24% for an all-Ireland state. Taking into account the chasm in public opinions, the already spurious claims about demographic victory are firmly put in their place. The fact is this: NO OPINION POLL OR ACADEMIC SURVEY CONDUCTED OVER THE PAST THREE DECADES HAS EVER PUT THE PREFERENCE FOR 'IRISH UNITY' ABOVE 30%.



Fourthly, the overwhelming approval of changes to the citizenship clauses in Bunreacht na hEireann will give anti-agreement Unionist representatives all the ammunition required to fundamentally correct the disgusting partisan imbalances inherent in the Belfast Agreement.



Tonight, the nauseating consequences of fascist endorsement across the island of Ireland will manifest themselves in arrogant, triumphalist platitudes ushering forth from Sinn Fein activists. However, tomorrow is another day; a day when the reality of Direct Rule and the rightful unwillingness of the Unionist community to acquiesce to republican demands become blissfully obvious.