Fightback

This article by Connolly was printed in The Harp in 1908. It is a clear exposition of his revolutionary socialist ideas. It stands in sharp contrast to the position of the right wing of the Irish Labour Party, currently locked into the coalition with Enda Kenny. The crisis in Greece and Spain is threatening to destabilise further the shifting sands in the eurozone. Sooner or later the political crisis that marked the end of the FF and Green coalition will begin to reassert itself. But already the signs are there that the tensions between Fine Gael and Labour are still there beneath the surface. Connolly's ideas will develop a growing relevance and more importantly a growing influence. - With acknowledgements to the James Connolly Internet Archive. To access the archive click here

This article was originally written in 2001. We are confident that the ideas are as valid today as they were then. The role of James Connolly and the revolutionary ideas that he stood for have stood more than just the test of ten years time, they stand out in terms of their clarity and in respect of Connolly's faith in the working class. The new coalition government has already demonstrated by its actions that it will be a government of crisis, the ideas of Marxism will gain an increasing echo. Certainly the ideas of James Connolly will still be being read by young people and workers in Ireland and internationally this year, they'll be being read in five years time on the centenary of the rising and for generations  into the future.

Fightback often reprints articles by James Connolly. We don't do so for nostalgic reasons, or for reasons of hero workship. Connolly's writings are full of insight and wisdom and a clear understanding of the capitalist system and the lives of working people. This short article was written 113 years ago. But, in the aftermath of the war in Iraq, the ongoing situation in Afghanistan, the civil war in Libya and "proxy wars" such as the wars fought in ex Yugoslavia in the recent past it is beyond doubt that the interests of imperialism lie behind every conflict. As such James Connolly's writings are just as relevant today as when he wrote them.

With acknowledgements to the James Connolly Internet Archive.

This document was written 45 years ago, about events 95 years ago, it is however very relevant today, giving as it does a Marxist analysis of the significance of the Easter Rising, as Ted points "It is impossible to understand the Easter Rising without understanding the ideas of its leader, James Connolly, who considered himself a Marxist and based himself on the ideas of Internationalism and the class struggle." (Written by Ted Grant in 1966 on the 50th anniversary of the uprising.)