Indymedia Ireland and Freedom of Expression

Indymedia is to me a wonderful instrument and even if I wasn’t a member of the NUJ (National Union of Journalists) of Ireland I would still consider its openness a great addition to democratic freedom.

Were it not for the fact that it is such a worldwide boon to minorities and individuals who otherwise would have no voice for their opinions or questions, the following interchange could well be put down to petty prejudice and devoutly ignored. But in its pettiness and arrogance it demonstrates something of the horrid intolerance and arrogance that has always marred the religious land of Ireland and re-appears of necessity in all its representations, pseudo-secular political parties, socialist agendas, rhetorical words about freedom and all the other expressions that reveal the same narrow intolerance of anyone esle's ideas. It also demonstrates how the high-mindedness of a world idea can be poisoned by the local base-minded get-together of pious-minded bods.

So, what’s the story?

Quite recently I saw a sorry announcement on Indymedia Ireland. It concerned the James Connolly Debating Society. In order to stimulate debate I responded. As it happened I was the only one at the time to respond. I asked a set of questions that the debating society might be disposed to answer at their forthcoming meeting. Some of my questions were aimed at making both Republicans and/or Socialists respond to Liz O’Donnell’s recent and most unusually radical claim to have the Irish State separate itself from the RC Church, which dominates it. And while James Connolly was no doubt a great Scottish socialist who gave his life for Ireland , it is perfectly questionable if he was ever disposed to demand the total separation of Irish Church and State as Ms O’Donnell has.

Indeed, the irony is that In Irish politics Liz O’Donnell, MP, might well be regarded as a member of a very right-wing and conservative party, whereas the Republicans and the Socialists regard themselves as 'left-wing' and terribly terribly radical.

I have to say that I was somewhat surprised by what happened.

Here is the original announcement on Indymedia Ireland:

--- ---- ---

www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php

Event - Thursday, Dec 1 2005
James Connolly Debating Society _by Ciarán - JCDS Sunday, Nov 20 2005, 5:26pm_connollysociety (at) gmail.com_antrim / history and heritage / event notice

The James Connolly Debating Society is a forum for republicans and socialists to meet, discuss and debate the works of some of Ireland's greatest political thinkers, from the United Irishmen to Connolly and Pearse, right up to the present.

The first meeting will address the Proclamation of the Irish Republic and the Democratic Programme of the First Dáil.

We will be meeting in the Felons' Club, Falls Road, Belfast on Thursday 1st December at 7.30pm

--- ---- ----

After my contribution was published, there was one response to it – and a rather condescending one at that. It comes from someone claiming to be a historian but who could neither bring himself to enumerate my errors nor – as often happens with Irish socialists – give his full name

--- --- ---

Seamus _by historian Monday, Nov 28 2005, 8:55am

You really ought to do some historical research, and think about it, before you put up potted versions of Irish history that bear little relationship to reality.

As for your contention that Liz O'Donnell has set the most radical agenda in Irish politics. Maybe if she had said it in 1925. Hardly today.

--- --- --- ---

So, there had been some stimulation , after all, and my contribution to the forthcoming debate wasn't totally void. But more was to come.

When I returned to this WebPage to see if there had been any fuirther developments by way of responses to the numerous questions I had thoughtfully raised, to my surprise I found that my whole submission had been edited out.

I then wrote to Indymedia Ireland asking what had happened

-- - --- -


James Connolly Debating Society

Hi,

I submitted to the above webpage, but I now find that my submission had been edited out. Perhaps you can tell me why this is and if it is your policy to edit out submissions without contacting the person who makes the submission.

I think my submission was made on Sunday, Nov 27 2005, 9:13pm and indeed the remaining submission was in response to mine.

Disturbed,

Seamus Breathnach


--- - - - -


In due course I received the following reply from Indymedia Ireland:

Your comment in the event posted at: www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php was deleted by one of the IMC editors for the following Reason :

comment completely irrelevant to article and littered with historical inaccuracies

I'd also point out that the Liz O'Donnell has nothing to do with either Republican or Socialist thinking and that the organisers of the Belfast event would have no idea who she is.

regards
Terence (1 of IMC)


--- - - - ---


Of course anyone who has been reading the Belfast Telegraph will know that I have refuted many Republican and Socialist claims made by the Sinn Fein/IRA, none of whom have bothered ever to reply to my letters to point out the error of my 'historical inaccuracies.' Indeed, I don't know if they accurately represent their own parties. They certainly have nothing to do with either Karl Marx or James Connolly. But this is quite beside the point of the present conduct of Indymedia Ireland. It is even futile to point out that the Republic Party of Northern Ireland have based their policies quite vociferously on Wolfe Tone’s notion of tolerance for ‘Catholic, Protestant and Dissenter.’ Nothing is more over-quoted by Republican Sinn Fein and least regarded by them than these meaningless words. But Sinn Fein’s notions of itself is one thing; it is another for Indymedia Ireland to receive its policies from some Belfast back street.

What is at stake, therefore, is Indymedia Ireland’s regard for itself and it’s obligation to ignore influence of over-arching political parties, to reinstall my questions for the sake of Indymedia Ireland’s own credibility, and not, perhaps, be so easily seen to be the pawns of Republicans, Socialists or Opus Dei supernummeries. Indymedia Ireland has, to my mind, compromised its mission and the mission of the broader interests of Indymedia across the world.

And on this basis I call on Indymedia to condemn Indymedia Ireland AND to re-affirm its commitment to freedom of speech and expression.

It has obviously escaped the management of Indymedia Ireland that when they had posted my submission, the back-street boys of Belfast had all the opportunity in the world to point up the errors of my 'historical inaccuracies'. Isn't that what debate is about? Isn't that the very purpose of Indymedia, to facilitate the full and free confederation of ideas, rather than capitualte behind the scenes to people who obviously despise the light of Socratic argument and the free flow of ideas?

And what can one make of Indymedia's sense of the comic when it stated:

"I'd also point out that the Liz O'Donnell has nothing to do with either Republican or Socialist thinking and that the organisers of the Belfast event would have no idea who she is."

What makes this answer so funny is not only the impossibility for a party which claims to be an All-Ireland party not to know who Liz O'Donnell is , but whose person and poicies were perfectly known to the 'historian' who had by this stage already replied to my submission.

For my part I have written back to Indymedia Ireland asking the following questions:

Hi Terence,

Perhaps you can clarify a few things for me:

1. Was the decision to edit out my submission taken by Indymedia or the James Connolloy Debating Society?
2. Who edited it out? Full name , please!
3. What determined that the comment was 'completely irrelevant'?
4. Could the person who edited my version please inform me as to what ' historical inaccuracies' he
is referring?
5. Could you bring this whole matter to the authorities of Indymedia?
6. Is there any point, do you think, for people who write such 'historical inaccuracies' to continue
contributing to Indymedia or the James Connolly Debating Socity?
7. Finally, could you please return to me the accepted draft of my submission, please

I await their reply. But I would infinitely prefer the larger community to question the policies now implemented in their name and to call upon Indymedia Ireland to re-interview its staf, its minders,and its personnel, with a definite view in mind to bring the Irish firmly into line with the global enthusiasm of Indymedia. Freedom of Speech is guaranteed by the Irish Constitution.Thankfully, it is not a boon of either Repubicans, Connollyites or Socialists, but has already been granted by 'bourgeois' Ireland.

Seamus Breathnach

WWW.IRISHCRIMINOLOGY.COM