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Lindy McDowell: Why Sinn Fein has shot itself in the foot
Saturday, 25 October 2008
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Sinn Fein’s decision to organise a protest demonstration against the homecoming parade for local soldiers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan may be upsetting, offensive and provocative to many.
But it’s hardly what you could call a turn-up for the books.
Whether you agree with it or not, the protest is, from the standpoint of Northern Ireland politics, entirely predictable.
It’s what Sinn Fein supporters expect of their leaders. The party is unlikely to lose grassroots support on account of it.
It’s only when you consider how it could look from the other side of the Atlantic, however, that you come to see that this could be tricky enough for the party bosses to manage.
To say that attitudes have changed in the US since 9/11 and the war on terror is an understatement.
That’s because lives in the States have been changed too. In recent years millions of people there have watched the evening news from Iraq and Afghanistan with their thoughts on a relative or friend serving in one or other battle zone. For Americans this is no longer far off, foreign stuff.
This is personal.
And that applies equally to the Irish American community. Many of its sons and daughters have also served in those battlefields.
Those who once tossed coins into collection buckets to finance the “freedom fighters” waging a terrorist war against British troops in Northern Ireland, have come to reassess their actions.
After all those would be the same British troops, wouldn’t they, currently standing shoulder to shoulder with Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan?
The same British troops risking their lives — in some cases laying down their lives — to fight the same terror tactics previously deployed on the streets of Northern Ireland.
IRA supporters in America who once enthusiastically financed the Provos have come to realise that what their money actually paid for was to perfect the terror tactics and techniques now being used against some of their own sons and daughters in Iraq.
And that the same British soldiers they once wanted to see murdered and maimed in Belfast now fight alongside the Americans in Baghdad, Basra and Helmand province.
This turnaround in thinking is striking to anyone who’s been visiting America over the years. It used to be common to come across Irish Americans happy, indeed proud, to boast about how they’d given money for “the cause.”
But all that has changed. Changed utterly.
With the realisation that American and British soldiers are now fighting for the same cause against Iraqi terrorist snipers and car bombers, it’s increasingly rare to find Irish Americans ready to admit that they contributed to the financing of Northern Irish terrorist snipers and car bombers.
More complex from an Irish American point of view is the realisation that the British soldiers who come from Northern Ireland are not English.
In the past it was commonly, glibly assumed in Irish America that British and English were one and the same thing. It was simplistic stuff.
The English obviously had no right to be in Ireland. Drive them out! Right? But what about a Brit who can trace his or her family roots in Ireland back years before most Irish emigrants arrived in America?
These are the sort of people — and their families — who will be taking part in that homecoming parade in Belfast on Sunday, November 2.
Not all of them will be unionist or Protestant either.
And if there is trouble — and with dissidents threatening protest action it’s always a possibility — how will that look from across in the US?
How will those who’ve supported or at least would not oppose homecoming parades in America feel about watching allied troops, including the injured and bereaved families being verbally barracked or even worse?
Of course it may not come to that.
But Sinn Fein, which has traditionally depended so much on that vital support and money from Irish America, is treading a tricky PR line here.
Its problem put simply?
What fires up the supporters over here, now has the very real potential to backfire among the supporters over there.
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27 Comments
I would like to say that this was a well thought out piece but I would be lying. The point that has seemingly been entirely missed is that though Americans see UK Forces as allies in the theatres where troops are fighting either an illegal war or an ill thought out war, it does change the fact that they do not agree with a British presence in Ireland nor do they see the fact that British troops fighting beside them should act as some kind of excuse for their presence here in N. Ireland
Posted by K Hughes | 05.11.08, 16:55 GMT
After reading the report I have to totally agre with lindy.Afterall we are supposed to be living in Peace now.
I feel these troops who have put there lives on the line for many generations both protestants and catholic deserve to have their day for everyone to welcome them home and show
appreciation
As sinnfein are so opposed to anything British why do they want to sit in goverment or be seated in British parliment bet they don't refuse British money that pays their wages !
Posted by lorrie | 01.11.08, 20:54 GMT
Peadar,
You are right , religion should not matter one iota - it is a personal thing and that should be the end of it. However, I was born in Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom. Much as I love visiting the Republic, I have no desire, and see no political or economic good reason, to hand over my country to yours. Now these troops are British and, whatever the legalities of it, they were carrying out their orders. They deserve to know that the people at home appreciate their efforts. I certainly do.
Posted by Jonathan Roy | 31.10.08, 12:25 GMT
what is all this about , oh but theres catholic as well as protestant soldiers coming back from an illegal war. As a southerner who would like to see a united ireland it doesnt matter what religion you are, that is the bigoted way of thinking of the unionists and orangemen who use religion as an excuse to look down on their catholic neighbours. The modern founder of republicanism Wolfe Tone, was a presbyterian, and it was his dream to see protestant, catholic and dissenter unite. It really is laughable that throughout the 20th century unionist politicans used to call the republic a papist bigoted state, where civil liberties for others were banned, pretty ironic coming from those who ran the most bigoted and opressive statelet in Europe for 50 years. It has to be understood that religion doesnt matter in the south, so why should it still be used to divide communities in the north, but as jim has pointed out a catholic cant sit on the monarchy so the british est. is pretty sectarian
Posted by Peadar | 29.10.08, 18:03 GMT
AT,
"as an MP for a Scottish seat in post-devolution Britain, he can propose and vote on legislation that does not affect his constituents"
is this not what the English MP's have done for centries in Wales, Scotland, Ireland and god knows how many other countries!! Post-Devolution is no excuse. The MP's in westminster still have policing and justice powers in NI as well as other powers throughout britain.
ON the issue of a catholic PM, this would have to change "Under the Roman Catholic Relief Act of 1829, sect. 17, and the Jews' Relief Act of 1858, sec 4, no Roman Catholic or Jew may advise the sovereign on ecclesiastical matters. Were the prime minister to be a Roman Catholic or a Jew and alternate system of ecclesiastical appointment would have to be devised. "
Jim.
Posted by Jim | 28.10.08, 17:45 GMT
James, Liverpool:
"And what is the difference between British and English, I live in Liverpool and because a scottish man became PM there was alot of people not happy about this in England, yet its alright for English men to rule over the UK for centuries!! How many people from the north of Ireland or wales have been PM? Why is it a catholic cannot be PM or in the "royal family", is this not discrimination at the very highest level?"
The difference between British and English is that while all English are British, not all British are English.
The resentment about Brown becoming PM is less that he is a Scot, and more that, as an MP for a Scottish seat in post-devolution Britain, he can propose and vote on legislation that does not affect his constituents.
Welsh PMs: David Lloyd George, whose successor, Andrew Bonar Law, was second-generation Co. Antrim.
There's no constitutional bar to a Roman Catholic becoming PM (though the monarchy is currently a different matter).
Posted by AT | 28.10.08, 16:27 GMT
I am a Catholic Irishman, and I agree wholeheartedly with Lindy McDowell. I have always admired her honest reporting. I have a friend in a recce platoon in Afganistan who listens in to the enemy, and gathers intelligence. He was surprised to hear a few Irish accents in the broadcasts. Who do you think these people were? The RIR?-NO. The British/American army?-NO. Probably the same type of people as the Columbian three who are still on the run. Open your eyes. Our troops are most deserving of a home-coming parade. They need our support, and both traditions can come together to show it.
Posted by canuck | 28.10.08, 15:52 GMT
i'm an irish-american and i would never give money to the shinners, in fact i'd give my last farthing to see them thrown into prison where they belong. and you so-called-americans who have commented in support of IRA terrorism should go the %$#$ back to ireland and stop shaming the country that welcomed us.
Posted by Rowan | 28.10.08, 07:30 GMT
I agree with every thing that Lindy Mcdowell said about S.F. / i think, they will never change
Posted by david | 27.10.08, 21:32 GMT
Brian,
glad you're in the USA - hope you stay there, because narrow-minded bigots with a complete history lobotomy like you have and no grasp of reality end up being President and inventing reasons to kill people in far-off countries.
Posted by Paulo | 27.10.08, 20:06 GMT
Utter and complete nonsense. I live and work in the USA and we still hate Orangism and the backwardness of its supporters with all our hearts and minds...and pocketbooks. The only change is now we support Sinn Fein even more! Why? Because they have demonstrated a clear path from violence against their oppressors to political participation with their oppressors. The success and cleverness of Sinn Fein in the face of the stupidity and bigotry of Jim, Iris and the rest of the Unionist class has CLEARLY DEMONSTARTED to all US citizens that Sinn Fein is the best party in the north of Ireland and the most deserving of cash donations. Unionists should wake up to the fact that all the money in the USA is going to be invested in such a way as to protect Catholics. Why? Because the government has not.
Posted by Brian | 27.10.08, 19:08 GMT
There is a lot of misunderstanding about the parade this Sunday. First, it is not 'RIR' parade. There are medics, Irish Guards, and transport regiment soldiers along with R IRISH soldiers. Most of these soldiers are TA soldiers living in Northern Ireland.
Posted by Spider | 27.10.08, 18:49 GMT
Sinn Fein, must be congratulated for their propaganda machine.
If the parades commission had rejected their counter demonstration, they would have cried out, were discriminated against, have to sit at the back of the bus etc
Now they have got the go ahead to protest, some quarters of the loyalist community irate at the decision, may fall into the shinners trap by confronting them and so assisting in their game plan.
Posted by Davy | 27.10.08, 17:26 GMT
Sorley the war in Afganistan is not illegal it was ratified by the united nations. The Royal Irish Regiment are comming home from Afganistan not Iraq.
Posted by RS | 27.10.08, 15:39 GMT
Kevin,
Your first statement:
"The viewpoint of Americans and British soldiers in Iraq is not of oppressors, they are at least in my viewpoint trying to the country free the country from the oppressor, Saddam."
And yet a powerful propoganda machine has convinced many in the world that they are oppressors. The fact that their hate filled opponents regularly confront them with deadly force requires that US and UK troops adopt a more robust posture that is easily subverted in media.
The US and UK forces as legally accountable entities are also bound by having to report the truth, whereas their opponents can whisper insinuations and lies to support their cause.
The British Army is well used to operating in these conditions in Northern Ireland. Please remember that before you seek to criticise them. Those who are prepared to kill for a cause do not have any moral qualms about telling lies to support it.
Posted by Steve W | 27.10.08, 15:36 GMT
Anyone who thinks this won't be a PR disaster for IRA/SF, is deluded. The knuckle-draggers who purport to support IRA/SF will be out in force, screaming sectarian and biggoted comments at returning (Catholic & Protesytnt) soldiers.
Our soldiers are returning home, hoping simply to "have their day", providing the public with an opportunity to thank them for endeavours at bringing peace to an unstable area AND rooting out local terrorism. Since the British and American armies are fighting a common enemy, for any Yank not to condemn the actions of these Republicans is just dispicable.
Since it is the "land of the free", how would Islam fundamentalists who organise pickets and protests at returning American soldiers, go down?
Posted by mickey | 27.10.08, 15:09 GMT
"the British army were deployed at the start of the troubles to protect the Catholic community", yes thats right but then they decided to shoot them during bloody sunday!!
Posted by James | 27.10.08, 14:40 GMT
The responses are quite remarkable - they ignore several facts including - Ireland has never been united except under British rule (and, granted, divided again). Kevin, the British army were deployed at the start of the troubles to protect the Catholic community at the behest of Catholic politicians and did so.
Haven't seen too many Americans returning to their motherland to resettle, considering the great economic boom.
The RIR parade is for soldiers, both Catholic and Protestant, both from the Republic and N.I who fought for a British army regiment alongside US forces against the Taliban and Al Qaeda. If 9/11 or 7/7 attacks had happened in Dublin, would Sinn Fein be opposing the parade.
Posted by Paedar from North Belfast | 27.10.08, 13:16 GMT
Great Article but will the American people get to read what the Sinn Fein is doing in regards to this protest. Will they be exposed for what they really are.
Posted by yourman | 27.10.08, 09:49 GMT
More ranting and raving from Lindy. One of these days she is going to give us something of substance. Hey, she might even condemn the unionists one day over their treatment of Catholics and nationalist (Some hope!).
Posted by Billy from North Belfast | 27.10.08, 07:44 GMT
27 Comments