Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Lunch with Gerry Adams...
I came across this piece in The Guardian by James Harkin who had lunch with Gerry Adams.
It's a good read and details Adams' thoughts on the peace process and the future for Ireland...
"The history of Irish republicanism is also the history of betrayals or perceived betrayals on the part of the leadership. I wonder whether Adams ever fears being seen as another Michael Collins, as someone who compromised on the idea of a united Ireland and was subsequently viewed by many of his peers as a sell-out. "Like any thinking human being," he says, "I have doubts about many things. But a lot of what happened in Ireland was as a result of the militaristic tendency being in the ascendancy most of the time. I don't want to glamorise, but there was a lot of bravery, determination and courage. But what was the outcome? A divided Ireland. What was lacking was the political ideology, the unity of purpose, the coherency of a vision and of objectives." It is, I think, the closest Adams will get to an admission that the years of armed struggle failed."
Do Adams and his party have "the political ideology, the unity of purpose, the coherency of a vision and of objectives"?
I don't believe so.
It's a good read and details Adams' thoughts on the peace process and the future for Ireland...
"The history of Irish republicanism is also the history of betrayals or perceived betrayals on the part of the leadership. I wonder whether Adams ever fears being seen as another Michael Collins, as someone who compromised on the idea of a united Ireland and was subsequently viewed by many of his peers as a sell-out. "Like any thinking human being," he says, "I have doubts about many things. But a lot of what happened in Ireland was as a result of the militaristic tendency being in the ascendancy most of the time. I don't want to glamorise, but there was a lot of bravery, determination and courage. But what was the outcome? A divided Ireland. What was lacking was the political ideology, the unity of purpose, the coherency of a vision and of objectives." It is, I think, the closest Adams will get to an admission that the years of armed struggle failed."
Do Adams and his party have "the political ideology, the unity of purpose, the coherency of a vision and of objectives"?
I don't believe so.
# posted by United Irelander @ 12:10 AM 
© 2008 United Irelander.
