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Thanks Einde for your generous comments. I can imagine what the reservations might be too. I think I might have overstated the point about the Trotskyists not really managing to combine parliamentary and extra-parliamentary work particularly well. Several people have commented that this is somewhat unfair. I think it's a reasonable criticism of what I wrote. I probably should have explained more what I was getting at. I'm thinking of the way Seamus Costello used his council positions which, to me, is more radical and I'm also thinking of his comments that a few TDs who knew what they were doing and led a mass movement could disrupt the workings of Leinster House. I also wonder what is to stop the Trotskyists combining on a piece of legislation and then 'taking it to the streets' - something that would outflank Labour and the trade union bureaucrats. Maybe reducing the retirement age (which the previous regime put up) or a big increase in the minimum wage, or even the abolition of Irish Water - or the right of women to abortion. At present it just seems to me that the Trotskyist TDs are militant individuals on the streets around the water tax and then operate within Leinster House in a different way altogether. But I'm glad there is now a solid block of people in parliament well to the left of the utterly despicable Labour Party. Phil _________________________________________________________ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
