Issue 068, Saoirse : Irish Freedom (December, 1992)

              • people first - a new system of economics is needed to put human beings before the interests of finance and maximisation of profits irrespective of the composition of the new administration in the 26 counties or the combination of parties which compose it — even if the personnel changes three times in 18 months as in 1981-82 — nothing will change fundamentally in the 26-county state amid the understandable cynicism and disillusionment the hopelessness of so many people the lack of vision and the scandals and corruption on all sides a credible alternative — saol nua — to the present system has been produced by sinn fein poblachtach at its recent ard fheis while eire nua would a provide a solution to the ulster problem b bring power nearer to the people and c correct east west imbalance in ireland new structures of themselves would not bring about a just social and economic order eire nua would be the political struc ture which would enable progressive pol icies to be introduced these would lead to the social cultural and economic emancipation of all the irish people the ctwo-state ireland has failed the failure of the six-county state is perhaps more obvious and certainly more widely acknowledged the 26-county state has also been a failure over the 70 years of its existence insofar as it has manifestly failed to prov ide a living in decent comfort for all its citizens mass unemployment mass unemployment mass emigration with one third of those remaining living in a totally unacceptable state of poverty as defined by west european standards are the hallmarks of the 26 county state membership of the ec since 1973 has accelerated the process of transnational capital which leave ireland in such a debilitated condition sinn f6in poblach tach sees conventional economics as an unsustainable discipline which must be subordinated to social environmental ethical and spiritual values in an interview with the irish times november 16 ruairf 3 bradaigh pres ident sinn fein poblachtach said that the ongoing partition arrangement could not bring about the human social and economic development which would promote freedom equality justice and the happiness of each community and each individual person centuries of colonialism and decades of high emigration and unemployment have produced a psychology of defeatism in ireland the politicians who advocate closer integration into the ec see this as a mere mechanism of escape from their own ineptitude he said saol nua — a new way of life — repre sents a vision of ireland based on repub lican socialist self-reliance and ecolog icol principles basic values outlined in the policy include equality for all citi zens pluralism and the separation of church and state promotion of self reliance greater local economic de mocracy with worker/producer-owned co-operatives the non-wasteful and sus tainable use of the earth's resources and the necessity of national sovereignty public control from these values flow long-term pol icies such as the resolution of the nation al question see eire nua public con trol of the finance banking and key in dustries rescheduling or writing off the politician's national debt non-pollut ing investment in natural resources and intermediate technology the develop ment of the irish language redistribu tive taxation switching from taxing la bour to land and capital a basic min imum income and a comprehensive national health service for all and an in dependent and neutral foreign policy aware that we are a long way from achieving these objectives sinn fein poblachtach feels it has a duty to outline an alternative to the present failed patch work system.the organisation will involve itself in an immediate programme of action at the very points where the exist ing system operates most severely to the detriment of the community • opposing ec monetary and political union • organising against repression and cen sorship ; • informing the people including trade unionists emigrants and the unemployed about an alternative ; • encouraging local automony finan cing and co-operative enterprises • working to protect the environment • campaigning for better housing and against unfair banking practises • supporting the demand for a tele vision service in irish ; • exposing the politicians system of clientelism if you want to become part of building saol nua join sinn fein poblachtach and play your part copies of saol nua are available from 41 arran quay dublin 7 for 1 plus post and packing nollaigfaoi shean agus faoi shonas ddr leitheoiri uilig