Republican activist, Dublin Councillor Mícheál Mac Donncha, who served as the Sinn Féin Lord Mayor of Dublin (2017 to 2018) reviews A Nation for All, in the latest online edition of An Phoblacht.
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This is a refreshingly thoughtful and reflective book, its author ranging across political ideas in a very readable way. It is, at the very least, a relief from the screaming-chamber of social media, but it is of course much more than that.
Caoilfhionn Ní Dhonnabháin skilfully weaves her thoughts and reflections on Irish history and politics into her own family story, going back several generations. The lives of her ancestors in West Cork reflect the Irish experience of dispossession, rebellion, impoverishment, emigration, resistance and rebuilding. Now living with her family in Leitrim, Caoilfhionn also blends in the experience of communities in that border county.
At the heart of this book is the belief in the public good, the sovereignty of the people and the nation-state as the basis for democracy. As Caoilfhionn points out, all these fundamental principles have been under attack for many years, eroding both democracy and such progress as the welfare state and public health and education which working people struggled for and won in many countries after the Second World War. The world economic system enriches a tiny minority and impoverishes vast numbers across the globe. It does so by removing the ability of people to determine their futures through democratic structures. And that includes Ireland.
The author poses fundamental questions and serious challenges. Is there a future for Ireland in the Eurozone and for the Eurozone itself? Is our current relationship with an increasingly centralised and reactionary EU sustainable? Is there a better way forward than the current model of economic growth which increases inequality and threatens our very existence on the planet, the climate of which is being changed disastrously due to the growth obsession?
Caoilfhionn is firm in her belief that there can and will be change for the better, including a united Ireland in our time. But it is clear from her book that a real transformation will require fresh thinking and new and better ways of organising our economy, our society and our democracy.
Ideas matter and more of this is needed, especially within Sinn Féin. Where is the site in our struggle for new thinking, for innovation and progressive, constructive debate? And how do these things feed into party strategy and policy-making? if it exists, I don’t see it. And it is sorely needed.
Revolutionaries should never get entangled in what I call ‘Oppositionism’ where the fight within parliament becomes the exclusive focus. That fight is hugely important of course and such things as focus groups and opinion polls have a role. But informed debate, research and participatory policy development based on core principles and the exchange of ideas are essential if we are really to be agents of change. It needs to be seen as party activism for as many activists as possible. We need to turn ideas into policies and policies into delivery of real change.
I referred at the start to the screaming-chamber of social media. As Caoilfhionn mentions, the notion that social media would be a liberating platform has proved false. Elite ownership and monetisation of platforms has turned them into the most toxic arena for politics, where the very worst is celebrated and rewarded. Another challenge for us is how to overcome this and rebuild constructive politics, give people hope that they can create a better society and that we can do so together. This book is a contribution to meeting that challenge and is a great credit to the author.
A Nation for All is available from mainstream outlets but please support the following independent bookshops:
An Fhuiseog/The Lark Store, 51/53 Falls Road, Belfast
Sinn Féin Bookshop, 58 Parnell Square, Dublin
An Ceathrú Póilí, An Chulturlann, 216 Falls Road, Belfast