Dependence or Independence

Like many of you, I had to put up with the hype around Joe Biden’s inauguration the week before last. His inauguration concert, his parade through the streets of Washington DC, the tears, fireworks and poetry, which matter deeply to the people of the United States, of course, were televised live by Raidió Teilifís ‘Éireann’ into our homes. It made me wonder about the French word for addiction - ‘dépendance’. Being addicted to North American culture, just like being addicted to English culture, is a form of cultural ‘dépendance’.

The purpose of our gluaiseacht is to bring about the independence of Éire. The term is misunderstood. Independence is not simply ‘breaking the connection’ with Sasana, i.e. the achievement of political freedom. It is not simply about ‘relying in the first on our own strength’, self-sufficiency and ending economic reliance on others. It is also about ending dependence. It is about restoring the cultural independence of Éire. This means, as I have written before, the revival of the Irish language, among other things.

Following the successful political conquest of Éire, Sasana made it her duty to become economically dominant in Éire. This would ensure passive acceptance in Éire of her rule, because to claim otherwise would be economically disadvantageous to the Irish people. Over time, our country became economically dependent on Sasana. Though this, of course, was a tragedy in itself, what followed this is even more tragóideach. 

From economic dependence comes cultural dependence. This is an immutable, eternal rule in all colonial experiments. And if we think the physical restraint that comes from economic subjugation is bad, the oppression of the heart and soul of Éire is worse. This may sound far-fetched and sentimental, but it is far from that. The whole basis of what we do each day, the reason we have a right to claim that Éire should be free, comes from our insistence that Éire is a nation. And if our language and culture is repressed into extinction, as others have been, then with it our right to freedom becomes extinct. 

When former political prisoner, activist, writer and Gael Máirtín Ó Cadhain was asked “Cad a mheas tú atá romhainn amach (What do you think is in store for us)?”, he answered “nach bhfuil tada romhainn, sé sin muna dtagann an Ghaeilge ar ais (Nothing, unless the Irish language comes back)”. Does that not seem a bit stark? Not if, as Ó Cadhain says, “nach mbeidh ionainn ach Sasana beag (We’ll just become a little England)”. And it’s not just Irish Republicans who argue that cultural genocide would lead to our becoming a litte Sasana. John Davies, a senior English politician from as far back as the 16th Century, hoped that policies would be introduced  “so as there will be no difference or distinction but the Irish sea betwixt us”. 

Our speaking of an Béarla is only one pillar of what I am calling cultural dependence. ‘Culture’ as a whole, what we enjoy, read, listen to, watch, immerse ourselves in ó lá go lá, is as important. And on this front, no one can deny that we are culturally dependent.

This, a chairde, is where North America becomes relevant, and what can only be described as an obsession with their culture and politics.

Firstly, there is nothing wrong with being interested in international affairs. If that was the case, I’d be the first to be condemned. As Poblachtánaigh, we identify and learn about the cause of an Phalaistín, of Tír na mBascach, we watch and stand in solidarity with our friends insan Chatalóin, we celebrate the victories of Morales, we condemn Bolsonaro, we seek to unite with our comrádaithe san Albain agus sa Bhreatain Bheag. This is not only important, but fundamental to who we are as internationalist nationalists.

But when the line is crossed from open-mindedness to obsession, to dependence, there is a problem. Though we joke that we’re “addicted” to American politics, our addiction is far from a joke. The United States is known for its imperialism, based on politics and economics, but we rarely discuss their cultural imperialism which is a core part of the globalization project.

What is so bad about the obsession with North America, which has almost replaced our obsession with Sasana? Being culturally dependent on another country comes from a view that our own culture is inferior. This is an attitude, conscious or not, that has stretched back generations, from when parents were ashamed to speak Irish to their children, leading to generations of Irish men and women who were deprived of their own language. It leads to a form of insecurity, where we are not comfortable enough in our own skin to be accepting of who we are.

Surely our nation is diverse enough, ársa enough, uasal enough, multicultural enough, open enough, exciting enough, determined enough to be proud of? Some see pride in nationhood as being a folly as one has no choice in the matter, but I disagree. I look back on the last century alone in our history, and see Irish women and men creating a nation of which I can be proud. Because that is exactly what they, and we, do daily - we are creating Éire. Éire was first ‘formed’ by the arrival of settlers many millennia ago. It was then progressed by the influence of the Celtic world, and then changed again by the arrival of Christianity and Latin, influenced by Scandinavian Vikings and Norman settlers, planted with English and Scottish farmers, recipient to immigrants from all corners of the globe. Though we like some of these changes more than others, it is part of ‘cruthú na hÉireann’ which we do every day. Republicans play a core part in that, as we see todhchaí na hÉireann as being not a Republic, not even the Republic - but an Phoblacht.

So when we talk about creating Éire, the obvious question is: what shape will she have? Cruthaigh is the Irish word for ‘create’, coming from ‘cruth’, meaning shape. The shape I want Éire to have is one in which citizens are in control of their economic destiny. In which we own our land from the plough to the stars. Where we are not only open, but where we give a true Fáilte Uí Cheallaigh to those coming to our oileán. And, a chairde, I wish to see an Éire where her people are confident enough in their own skin, muiníneach enough in who they are, to take pride in where they are from.

The Biden craze, wrong for so many reasons, is yet another example in our self-denial. As Republicans, our job is to re-Gaelicise, to undo the shackles of eight centuries of another power telling us our culture is inferior, that we were ‘salvaged’ from ‘barbarism’ through our colonisation. Our job, as Ógra in particular, is to do all we can to make Sinn Féin the home of cultural nationalism, as it is of political nationalism and economic justice. 

I fear some may think I’m asking you to close your minds. Quite the opposite. Our minds are already open to the world - let’s open them to Ireland.