Both the Socialist Party in Ireland and the Socialist Workers Party are the biggest parties on the radical left. Even the Communist Party of Ireland is smaller then the SP and SWP. The Irish SWP was founded in 1971 and was called the Socialist Workers Movement. They supported Tony Cliff, a British anti-Stalinist revolutionary socialist and creator of the state-capitalist theocracy. Cliff believed that the USSR and China under Mao Zedong were state-capitalist in nature and not degenerated or deformed workers states!
After the collapse of the USSR and stalinism, the Socialist Workers Movement changed its name to Socialist Workers Party and became a independent political party. However unlike the Socialist Party, the SWP never calls direct for socialism or the rule of workers. Many in the SWP say that socialism was discredited by the stalinists and that fighting for socialism would mean political suicide. They follow the pattern of the ruling class, who after 1990 have said that socialism cannot work and must no longer be used by politicians to change the world!
Like the British SWP the Irish SWP has been criticized for its sectarianism and its support for Islamists. Although revolutionary socialists oppose hatred of Islam and antisemitism, we reject the idea that workers can work with Islamists. The supporters of Islamism are a danger to the working class as much as fundamentalist Christians and Zionist Jews are. Islamists want to build a Caliphate and the absolute rule of Muslims. Zionist Jews struggle to keep Israel a Jewish state, many radical Zionists hate Muslims. Because of the anti-Muslim hysteria since 9/11, many socialists have rallied to defend the rights of Muslims, but the SWP has collaborated with Islamic groups who fight for the establishment of a Islamic state.
Now Brid Smith has been selected to run as candidate for the People Before Profit Alliance. She claims to fight against austerity which is good. But the PBPA is not running on a socialist platform, Brid Smith is not calling for the nationalization of the means of production under a democratic planned economy. She is not calling for a socialist Ireland in a socialist Europe. Paul Murphy of the Socialist Party has always fought in the European Parliament for socialism. He rejected free trade deals with corrupt Latin American states like Columbia. He stood up for Chinese and Korean workers who are exploited by European capitalists. Murphy is a very good fighter for socialism, Brid Smith should support him instead of trying to beat him!
There are many pro-capitalist candidates in this European election. You have liberals, social liberals, social democrats, leftist nationalists, rightist nationalists, conservatives, radical Christians and old style communists ( stalinists ). The Socialist Party is fighting in both the EU parliament and the Irish Dáil Éireann ( Parliament ). Joe Higgins has been elected a member of the Dáil Éireann in 2011 and gave his seat in the European Parliament to Paul Murphy. It would be a great lose for workers if Murphy is not able to get re-elected, because Brid Smith split the anti-austerity vote. She is standing at 6% in the polls in Dublin, Paul Murphy stands at 7%. If all anti-austerity voters would vote for Murphy he would get at least 13%. But now Brid Smith is splitting this vote, reducing the chance to re-elect a genuine socialist fighter to the European parliament!
Revolutionary Socialist Media calls on Dublin workers to reject Fine Gael, Labour, Fianna Fáil and the leftist-nationalist Sinn Féin. We say vote for Paul Murphy. Brid Smith is a principal fighter against austerity, but she is not offering a socialist program. This is why a vote on Paul Murphy is a vote for a working class fighter that money cannot buy!
Dublin workers, VOTE PAUL MURPHY
Paul Murphy fighting against ''free trade deals'' with Colombia!
