Comment on Left activism…a paradox by Paddy Healy

“Why not solve this apparent contradiction by simply being for an Irish Workers Republic?”
I am strongly in favour of the demand/slogan for a 32 county workers republic and it must be constantly raised by workers political organisations IN ALL PARTS OF IRELAND (even on the Shankill RD!)
But this slogan alone does not solve the problem. When the issue of “Irish Unity” is raised far from the border, it can be taken to mean merely an empty territorial demand, which Fianna Fail used for decades to hide their support for super-exploitation of workers and toleration of emigration. However, when the issue is posed in terms of setting aside Irish sovereignty through for example the intervention of the Troika, it is a different matter. There have always been periods in history when national demands have been submerged. The 1916 Rising was not universally popular among Dublin workers! But while the issue of national subordination,political and economic, continues to exist, it will reassert itself periodically with considerable force (eg H-Block campaign)
It is necessary to have demands which express UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR A SOVEREIGN UNITED IRELAND in parallell to the demand for a workers republic. There are layers of the population such as small farmers, self-employed crafts, small retailers including shpkeepers and hair-dressers who may not be socialist but can be won to strong national demands. This isolates the big capitalists and their parties as imperialist puppets as well as exploiters.
On the other hand being ONLY for a WORKERS republic opens the door to supporting unionist positions in practice as is the case with SP and SWP in the six counties.
Connolly was for a Workers Republic, but he was also UNCONDITIONALLY for a united sovereign Independent Ireland. There is no contradiction or no implication of a “stages” position.