Fenian Notes

Do not vote for either Gore or Bush -- write in Biaggi!

IT IS both interesting and at the same time astonishing that there ever was a policy known as the Reagan Doctrine named for President Ronald Reagan.

Reagan aficionados claim it to be a policy of true liberation recognising national liberation movements on the side of freedom and democracy and it is the duty of the US to assist these national liberation movements to win.

Reaganites are enamoured by the actor President grounded in his movie roles but not in reality and life. So the Reagan Presidency was playing out a movie script with no care or concern for the average American.

His acting ability was his ability to spin a lie to be believable as the truth bringing the American people into a life of fictional abuse of their thinking process.

Freedom and liberation to Reaganites were a group of criminal right-wing elements coming together and adopting a political persona that fits the mould of Reagan policy and gains the group support for their efforts, not recognisable liberation movements.

On the other hand, true freedom fighters and valid liberation movements were demonised as Communist-affiliated and later terrorist-inspired.

The truth of the matter is Reagan and his cohorts plotted against true seekers of freedom while embracing all sorts of criminal elements whose only necessary ingredient for support from Reagan a pro-US stance even if that meant keeping their people in line through violence, false imprisonment, torture and death.

The Reagan Doctrine is a false and bogus revolutionary policy that attempted to set up pro-American governments around the world and whether the government was democratic, a monarchy or a dictatorship was utterly irrelevant.

The target was the Soviet Empire which fostered world Stalinism which was the other super-power imperialism opposed to the right-wing tyrannies sponsored by the Reaganites.

The so-called revolutionaries sponsored by Mr Reagan were those right-wingers put out of power and attempting to regain their own niche.

A prime example of this type were the Contras of Nicaragua who were at war with the left-wing Sandanistas who had won the revolution and were now in power.

The Contras were nothing more or less than gangsters who had been cohorts in the prior dictatorship but took the hard anti-Communist line which was the sole ingredient necessary to appeal to the half senile Reagan.

President Reagan likened them to the founding fathers of the USA which even brought raised eyebrows to his propaganda spinners.

Another Reagan gem is his historic support for the Afrikaners against Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress.

Reagan accepted their spin that they were engaged in a battle with world Communism and that was Reagan’s own cover for his foreign policy which was anti-freedom movements while claiming to do the opposite.

And Irish Republicans know his despicable attitude toward the cause of Irish freedom. Here was the case Reagan should have vociferously supported for various reasons.

During his runs for the White House Ronald Reagan played up his Irish roots to pander votes from his fellow Irish Americans, but significantly he offered nothing to Irish Americans save identifying with them, which in his case was worthless.

To justify his Irish roots, Ronald Reagan should have had an Irish agenda, instead, he had a British one. To be honest about supporting true liberation movements, he should have supported the Irish Republican Movement. Reagan gave into tyranny and by his deeds he denigrated the Irish cause.

If Reagan truly followed the Reagan Doctrine, the IRA would have topped his list because they were Irish and were truly involved in a freedom struggle.

The problem is they were at war with the British and public enemy number one was his closest political friend, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Had Reagan stood up to Thatcher on principle, he would have been a hero to his fellow Irish Americans, but he chose the route of an informer and ratted out his entire ethnic group to the enemy and later received a knighthood from the Queen of England for his efforts. The history of Reagan’s American Republican Party has been anti-Irish Republican and overtly pro-British.

Today in 2000, seeing how Clinton and the Democrats used the Irish in 1992 and 1996, the American Republican Party is trying to set an Irish agenda.

Should Irish Republicans jump for joy? Hardly, the British could have written it (maybe they did).

For 30 years many of us have been labouring in the vineyards for the principles of Irish Republicanism, while we were opposed by the evolving "peace" processors consisting of the British, Free Staters, SDLP, State Department and various US Administrations. We held them all off until some in our own ranks got greedy and joined the call for peace at any price.

The "peace" process was a long sinister plot devised to block a United and free Ireland. It started with the political success of the Irish American community commencing during the Nixon years and progressively causing concern to London, Dublin and elements in Washington.

The topical spin these days is that the "peace" process was the goal all along. With this popular fabrication is a new innovation in the art of revisionism to make heroes of enemies of the Irish Republican Movement to keep the process palatable for those former Irish Republicans who crossed the line to the Greater Free State.

Both major American political parties have innocuous Irish agendas because they have bought off many they once feared as adversaries.

In both platforms for 2000, every policy is premised upon the acceptance of Partition and the recognition of British supremacy over the Six Counties which we know by the name unionism.

All those who are in any way involved in the pro-Partition peace process are unionists. Let’s face the reality of it all, there are two solutions, Irish Unity and freedom or Irish unionism.

The latest form of revisionist history is that Ronald Reagan, Tip O’Neill and Margaret Thatcher initially concocted the "peace" process. The idea here is to show the interest of the American Republican Party in Ireland.

The truth is there is only the momentary interest of garnering votes through shallow election promises which are a low priority. This is true in both parties.

Let us remember that Al Gore is a unionist and George W Bush was raised in a religion whose head is Queen Elizabeth II. This does not bode well for Irish Republicanism.

There is a revisionist compromise between Democrats and Republicans in the US to give two icons credit for being the initiators of the present "peace" process.

Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neill are being lauded so both parties can claim a proprietary interest in the British "peace" process.

In 1984, O’Neill approached Reagan about doing something on the situation in the Six Counties. Reagan laud out the groundwork simply put -- he would do nothing to hurt British policy and nothing to embarrass Margaret Thatcher, his political best friend.

Reagan was allied with Thatcher in all things including her efforts in Ireland. He was a stage Irishman who could play for the laughs, but he had no principles regarding Ireland. His position was immoral as Thatcher’s court jester.

The starting point for Reagan and O’Neill was to support the constitutional position of Britain that it alone had ultimate jurisdiction over the Six Counties. John Hume, of course, was the catalyst for recognition by US politicians of Britain’s primacy in the Six Counties.

It was Hume who pursued US leaders with his safe agenda of peace at any price, participation in the British system and the demonisation of Irish freedom fighters as international terrorists. In his pursuits, Hume was blessed by none other than Margaret Thatcher, friend and confidant of Ronald Reagan. Hume’s strategy enabled US politicians to play his "Irish Game" without the risk of committing to Irish unity and freedom which would have upset the proverbial applecart.

The Hume effort had its origins around 1978 when efforts by US Irish Republicans sympathisers almost succeeded in hosting an Irish Peace Conference in Washington, DC, under the direction of Congressman Mario Biaggi.

This possibility united John Hume to Gerry Adams, Margaret Thatcher., the Free Staters and others. Hume was and is a political polygamist and well connected in the intelligence community as well. Adams, Hume et al saw they might lose control in the US and Ireland should such a conference prove fruitful. Adams would break away from Republicanism in 1986 by gaining control of the Provos and dissenting from the traditions of Republicanism.

Through Hume he was able to deal with the British and bring about a ceasefire, when he was assured of his powerbase in the Six Counties.

After the 1981 hunger strike, Thatcher was chided worldwide so through Reagan, she got Tip O’Neill to turn on Irish Republicans and agree to an Irish nationalist approach that agreed to work within the British system.

This is what Adams and the Provos would eventually sign onto under Bill Clinton. It was a well-orchestrated sell-out.

The two main parties in 2000 may now embrace the Irish agenda because it is not anti-British, but rather pro-British which is the safe route.

Isn’t it now amazing that a US leader can be seen involved in Irish issues, yet be tight with London. It’s a miracle!

So here we are in 2000, and another US election, and with both parties supporting the Partition "peace" process and British rule over Ireland, the pro-peace at any price Irish Americans are emasculated. The only alternative is support for the true Republican cause.

The bogus Reagan Doctrine of support for true freedom fighters was a joke provided by former actor Reagan, but if it were real it would fit our struggle. The principles of US circa 1776 exist in the traditional Republican Movement of 2000.

In this election, Irish Republicans should refrain from voting for unionist Gore and pro-British Bush. "Write in" the name of Mario Biaggi, a politician who never sold out. A vote for either major candidate is a waste of our time.

Seek our local officials who are more accountable to us because we have more control over them in an individual district.

Make them commit to calling for a British Declaration of Intent to withdraw from Ireland and an equitable Visa policy for Irish people.

The war against the British is still on and any death is a tragedy; it is the British presence and support for Partition and the "peace" process which is the impetus for violence and death.

Former supporters of Irish Republicanism in the US should examine their individual and collective conscience and repent of their political sins.

It is not too late to be forgiven even for the mortal sin of compromising with and trusting the British.
-- Peadar Mac Fhínín