The Blanket-whats new

[RedFlag32]

The Blanket
A journal of protest and dissent
lark.phoblacht.net


14 January 2008

Articles From This Issue:

* Republicanism...Alive or Dying?
* Pillocks of the Community
* Irish Unity Cannot Be Ruled Out
* A Great Republican and a Great Man
* John Kelly
* How Urgent the Need?
* My Grandfather's Insurgency
* Kitsonian Success With the Provos...?
* McGuinness Takes the Peace...to Finland!
* Provisional Sinn Fein - Don't Throw the Baby Out With the Bathwater
* Disappeared
* Operation Helvetic: To Be Expected
* Hung Out to Dry
* Re-Imagining Ireland
* Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission
* One Armed Bandit
* Terrorism and Leftism
* Power to the People


* Republicanism...Alive or Dying?
lark.phoblacht.net/AM130108.html
Anthony McIntyre


* Pillocks of the Community
lark.phoblacht.net/JK4081207.html
John Kennedy


* Irish Unity Cannot Be Ruled Out
lark.phoblacht.net/DA092407.html
David Adams


* A Great Republican and a Great Man
lark.phoblacht.net/AD240907.html
Aine Doherty


* John Kelly
lark.phoblacht.net/AM140108.html
Anthony McIntyre


* How Urgent the Need?
lark.phoblacht.net/JKLC240907.html
John Kelly, from an interview with Liam Clarke


* My Grandfather's Insurgency
lark.phoblacht.net/EOS081207.html
Eoghan O'Suilleabhain


* Kitsonian Success With the Provos...?
lark.phoblacht.net/LOC240907.html
Liam O Comain


* McGuinness Takes the Peace...to Finland!
lark.phoblacht.net/JK6081207.html
John Kennedy


* Provisional Sinn Fein - Don't Throw the Baby Out With the Bathwater
lark.phoblacht.net/JP081207.html
Jerry Pepin


* Disappeared
lark.phoblacht.net/JK081207.html
John Kennedy


* Operation Helvetic: To Be Expected
lark.phoblacht.net/MG081207.html
Michael Gillespie


* Hung Out to Dry
lark.phoblacht.net/JK2081207.html
John Kennedy


* Re-Imagining Ireland
lark.phoblacht.net/SOM081207.html
Seaghán Ó Murchú


* Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission
lark.phoblacht.net/MH081207.html
Mick Hall


* One Armed Bandit
lark.phoblacht.net/JK3081207.html
John Kennedy


* Terrorism and Leftism
lark.phoblacht.net/PH081207.html
Paddy Hackett


* Power to the People
lark.phoblacht.net/JK5081207.html
John Kennedy

[voxpopuli]

Quite a good selection of articles. Hopefully the content can be sustained, the Blanket in my opinion has been on decline the past year or two.

[RedFlag32]

Im reading one or two of them tonight so i can let ye know what i think tomorrow.

[RedFlag32]

I read "Terrorism and leftism" last night. I couldn't get into the essay at all because to me what was being debated was not terrorism but religious fundamentalism. Terrorism was never defined properly in the article but instead we were shown examples of terrorism (Taliban and Bin laden). I found this odd because i wouldn't call the taliban a terrorist organization, they just use terrorism as a tactic. The Americans use terrorism as a tactic as well, remember shock and awe?

So instead of actually trying to define what terrorism is we were given a debatable and right wing example of what it was. It concluded that capitalism can not eliminate "terrorism" and that to eliminate it you must eliminate capitalism. But i found it hard to follow because what was being described as terrorism, Taliban etc,.. is clearly open to debate. I don't believe that terrorism is some sort of ideology that has to be defeated, it is a tactic some movements use,including the capitalists, so even if you destroy capitalism the tactic of terrorism may still be used by religious fundamentalists in the future.

[Stallit 2 de Halfo]

I read "Terrorism and leftism" last night. I couldn't get into the essay at all because to me what was being debated was not terrorism but religious fundamentalism. Terrorism was never defined properly in the article but instead we were shown examples of terrorism (Taliban and Bin laden). I found this odd because i wouldn't call the taliban a terrorist organization, they just use terrorism as a tactic. The Americans use terrorism as a tactic as well, remember shock and awe?

So instead of actually trying to define what terrorism is we were given a debatable and right wing example of what it was. It concluded that capitalism can not eliminate "terrorism" and that to eliminate it you must eliminate capitalism. But i found it hard to follow because what was being described as terrorism, Taliban etc,.. is clearly open to debate. I don't believe that terrorism is some sort of ideology that has to be defeated, it is a tactic some movements use,including the capitalists, so even if you destroy capitalism the tactic of terrorism may still be used by religious fundamentalists in the future.

Very good points there, particularly the bolded one. and yes, I do remember shock and awe. Cluster bombs and all they used. and they played on the 9-11 attacks to make it seem "normal".

[Papa C.]

I find that even some leftists would use a Bush definition (as we see above) of terrorism. This I cannot understand. I used to think some used it in order to catch the attention or relate to the working class easier but it's like shooting ourselves in the foot IMO.

[RedFlag32]

Its dishonest and it will lead them down a political cul de sac.

[Papa C.]

Agreed.

[RedFlag32]

yay