That Handshake

People who believe in nonsense, even if their feelings are genuine, long held or even ‘cultural’ need to be confronted.

Whatever way you look at it, a genetic ancestral right to privilege, such as that enjoyed by royalty, is a notion that needs to be vigorously challenged.   It is not good enough to simply respect the view of monarchists to defend royalty.

If a section of a community is wedded to the support of privilege and hierarchy in the shape of the British royals, for example, they are given no favours by acknowledging their sensibilities.   For a start, it certainly won’t change their mindset.  More than that, it does not even serve as a genuine gesture of tolerance.   The monarchist knows that the Republican is insincere in tolerating that which is contrary to the core of what Republicanism is about.

Martin McGuiness, or any Republican on this island, could easily articulate an anti-monarchist position and back that up without conferring legitimacy on this relic of feudalism.   Given that upper class Unionism and the element in Unionism that is drawn from fanatical religious fundamentalism is a lost cause, the people to win over are the greater number of that community – the working class.

The more productive course for a republican to take is an evangelical one – if you pardon the pun.  Engage on the basis that Republicanism (not nationalism) serves the ordinary people.  Monarchy embodies the subservience of most of us to the few.  Once we learn to bow our heads, we don’t stop bowing to all our ‘betters’.  We don’t challenge.

Elizabeth Windsor and yours truly grew up in the same town.  Like me, and all Londoner’s, she is mixed race.  I am Irish/French Huguenot; she is German and her husband a Greek, so the heir to that throne has a rich mix indeed.  Still, with all that we have in common, I wouldn’t shake her hand.  Not because she represents an army that committed atrocities in Ireland (and elsewhere) or that she is sasanach Mór – true and all that she is.  No, I wouldn’t shake her hand because she is the embodiment of privilege and hierarchy and an aid to the dominance of capital over civilisation.

Martin and Sinn Féin have missed an opportunity to contribute to a necessary debate that has to happen within working class Unionism. 

I don’t accept much of the commentary about McGuiness or other Sinn Féin leaders from other Republicans opposed to their strategy.  He isn’t a ‘traitor’.   Sinn Féin has a strategy and have worked out how they want to get there.   It’s their view and I believe that is genuine.  They may be wrong and if so, Republicans and Socialists need to challenge them and continue to articulate alternative strategies.

 Meeting the British Queen is a mistake.  I hope that amends can be made and that Sinn Fein will embark on an engagement with working class unionism to promote republicanism – in its fullest sense.