George
Pennefather:
COLONISATION AND THE CELTIC TIGER
The term Celtic Tiger is being bandied about ad nauseam. It is a term that forms part of bourgeois ideology and is thereby designed to serve a certain function: It promotes the delusion among the masses that Ireland is a thriving independent capitalist economy. In this way it conceals the bitter inter-imperialist struggle, taking place in Ireland, between American and European imperialism. It thereby conceals the fact that there is a struggle as to what imperialist power Ireland is to be a colony of. There has been virtually no attempt within the mass media to investigate what really lies behind the ideological term, Celtic Tiger.
Even a brief examination of the situation underlying this ideological construct will expose the false image conveyed by this term:
The emergence of the “Celtic Tiger” is a product of Ireland’s growing integration into the European Union; the character of the relationship between the US and the EU; the current erstwhile economic boom being experienced by Western economies and the changing character of capitalism itself.
The EU’s growing economic integration has recently manifested itself in the establishment of the single European currency. Ireland, unlike Britain, has joined this single currency drawing it even closer into Europe. By subordinating itself to a single European currency Ireland has effectively further subordinated itself to the German economy –the strongest economy in Europe and one of the strongest economies in the world. The Irish economy is being effectively colonised by German imperialism in particular and European imperialism in general –further proof of the dependent and oppressed nature of the Irish economy.
This recent step by Ireland, joining the single currency regime, helps explain the increased overseas investment in Ireland and the consequent improvement in economic conditions. The increased overseas investment has been especially accentuated because of Britain’s failure to join the single currency. Overseas capital that would otherwise have gone to Britain is being invested in Ireland. It is this latter situation that particularly explains the phenomenon misleadingly known as the Celtic Tiger.
US overseas investment in Ireland has been the principal investor that helps explain the emergence of the Celtic Tiger. Over the recent past America has succeeded in surpassing Britain as the principal overseas investor in Ireland. This helps explain US interest in assisting in the development of political stability in Ireland with regard to the North. It has nothing to do with a benevolent Washington caring for Ireland due to its past associations etc. with Ireland. The latter is pure ideological bunkum designed to fool the masses. Washington’s interest in Ireland is based on a cold, calculating and unscrupulous strategic decision.
Because of its close historical and cultural ties to Ireland including the sharing of a common language Washington views Ireland of particular strategic, economic and political interest. Given the preceding factors together with the weak and unthreatening nature of Ireland’s indigenous bourgeoisie, it is an ideal national location for US capital investment. Ireland is of particular interest to Washington as a location for its capital investments by virtue of its increasingly closer integration into the European Union. Consequently American investment of capital in Ireland is being undertaken because of Ireland’s existence as a very willing colony of the European Union. It has little to do with the Irish economy in itself and its “concern” for “the friendly Irish”. The latter suggestions are mere ideological garbage. In short Ireland is the beneficiary of its own growing integration into the EU.
Should American capital investment in Ireland proceed as it has it is not inconceivable that it might become overall the biggest capital investor in Ireland outstripping all other overseas investment and even indigenous capital investment itself. Under such conditions the US would emerge as the principal economic power in Ireland effectively transforming Ireland into one of its colonies. Under these circumstances Washington would have an even greater strategic interest in Ireland. It would then be all the more in Washington’s interest to seriously concern itself as to the course of economic, political and cultural developments in Ireland. Washington would then have, in effect, a another foot inside Fortress Europe.
Given this scenario the Provos can be viewed as Washington’s guerrilla army based in Ireland, the UK, and the European Union. Perhaps this helps explain why the Provos have been politically, financially and militarily sustained by elements within the US. Their political and ideological function exists to lend justification to Washington’s political intervention in both Irish, British and even EU affairs as evidenced by the Good Friday Agreement. Washington’s political intervention in the affairs of northern Ireland and thereby in British affairs constitutes the thin end of the wedge concerning its imperialist relationship to Ireland. It forms part of a strategy to increasingly determine and regulate the political and economic character of Ireland. Ultimately it means American rule over Ireland. Colonial control over Ireland may be passing from British to US imperialism. Ireland will then continue to be nationally oppressed.
The economic, political and cultural penetration of Ireland by American imperialism forms part of Washington’s strategy in its struggle with European imperialism. It hopes that by successfully turning Ireland into its colony it can undermine European imperialism from within. By possessing an EU country that is a well behaved colony of Washington it hopes to further its interests within Europe which means increasing its influence and control over Europe thereby weakening European capital relative to itself. Such is the form in which inter-imperialist conflict manifests itself. On the other hand the establishment and development of the European Union is the form by which European imperialism colonises other countries. The EU is Hitler’s lebensraum in different form. It constitutes a form of German imperialist colonisation that does not require a Hitler. It silently supports essentially the same programme as followed by both the Kaiser and Hitler. However this time German imperialism has been much more successful and effective. Colonialism has not gone away. It has merely assumed new and more disguised forms. It constitutes a hidden process of colonisation. European imperialism seeks to colonise Ireland through the medium of the EU while American imperialism seeks to colonise European capitalism by colonising the EU from within. Ireland is the location for this inter-imperialist struggle which is hidden from view by the ideology of which the term Celtic Tiger is a component. Washington will use any European capitalist country in its struggle to achieve this –Ireland. Britain etc.
Warm regards
George Pennefather
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