British Imperialism, Irish Nationalism, and Ulster Unionism

Abstract

On receiving the June 1978 issue of Monthly Review I was delighted to see an article on the present struggle in Northern Ireland (Mary Turner, "Social Democracy and Northern Ireland: the Origins of the Present Crisis"), for this question has been sadly ignored by socialist writers both in Britain and the United States. The article is clearly situated within the dominant school of socialist thought on the "Irish problem," which has traditionally focused on the issues of national oppression and national liberation. I would like to take this opportunity of raising certain questions about the "nationalist" position, and in particular the nature of the assumed links between socialist struggle and the reunification of Ireland.

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