It doesn’t cut the mustard

The gaping hole in the rank of the water charges campaign is the lack of an overall political  programme. Different sectors prioritise different tactics. Some are for mass demonstrations, others for non-payment, still others for electoral alliances. There is no overarching political agreement or  coherent structure.

Now the right2water unions, with the agreement of socialist and community groups, has advanced a  programme for progressive government.

It doesn't cut the mustard.

The key demand is that a new left government, within 100 days of   taking office, would abolish Irish water and abolish water charges. A new public utility, free at point of  delivery, will be established.

The same methodology is applied to other  issues. A progressive government will use the Dail to ensure  public provision of needs, backed up by strategic changes to the constitution to  prevent any retreat.

There are many problems with this scenario.

The standard method of winning governmental power is to found a party. The trade unions are not doing so. Some bureaucrats think that they already have a party in the Labour party and that it can be persuaded to move left. Others believe that they can adopt Sinn Fein as a left party, despite their role in imposing austerity in the North. Still others believe that the programme for a progressive government can be used to shore up a dolly mixture alliance of Labour, Greens, Sinn Fein and the socialist groups. 

The polls suggest that none of these scenarios are viable. Workers are burning with anger and are determined to vote the current shower out, but they have not been offered a coherent alternative by any of the existing groups. In any case only the wilfully blind could fail to acknowledge that Ireland is ruled, not by the Dail, but by the Troika. This is acknowledged in the economic element of the trade union programme, which rests on asking Europe for a     relaxation of the bailout terms.

The fate of Greece tells us how far we will run with asking Europe for a dig out!

All of these contradictions will evaporate if we change the terms of the debate.

Instead of asking Europe for mercy, why not repudiate the debt and Troika rule?

Why not declare a workers' government, and tear down the institutions of capitalist rule that act as a fifth column for the Troika?

That wouldn't be possible with a progressive alliance. Why not build a party of the working class, in the tradition of James Connolly?

A starting point would be to do away with steering committees, ad-hoc meetings, pre-prepared policies and conferences behind closed doors. Lets plan for an open and democratic conference of every component of the resistance and lay the groundwork for a  revolutionary programme that is, in fact, the only real alternative to everlasting  austerity.