So the Irish revolution came in two parts, the cultural nationalism crowd who thought that Ireland deserved independence from Britain because it was culturally distinct--this was around the time of a huge renaissance in Irish arts what with Yeats and Lady Gregory and Synge and the Abbey Theatre and so on and so forth, all very noble and glamorous but rather an impractical thing to die for...dulce et decorum, you might say... And then there was James Connolly and co., who thought that Ireland needed independence from Britain in order to attain their broader goal for a more just, equal society, everywhere. "But don't let them wrap any green flag around me and for God's sake, don't let them bury me in some field full of harps and shamrocks, and whatever you do, don't let them make a martyr out of me--No! Rather raise the Starry Plough on high, sing a song of freedom. Here's to you, Lily, the rights of man and INTERNATIONAL REVOLUTION!"
I mean...this is my ANTHEM. And a lesson for anyone trying to get out from under the thumb of an empire without then creating a new, still more oppressive nationalism in its place. A better flag is not reason enough for revolution (or a secession, to whom it may concern...)--a better society is. The fight goes on!
So the Irish revolution came in two parts, the cultural nationalism crowd who thought that Ireland deserved independence from Britain because it was culturally distinct--this was around the time of a huge renaissance in Irish arts what with Yeats and Lady Gregory and Synge and the Abbey Theatre and so on and so forth, all very noble and glamorous but rather an impractical thing to die for...dulce et decorum, you might say... And then there was James Connolly and co., who thought that Ireland needed independence from Britain in order to attain their broader goal for a more just, equal society, everywhere. "But don't let them wrap any green flag around me and for God's sake, don't let them bury me in some field full of harps and shamrocks, and whatever you do, don't let them make a martyr out of me--No! Rather raise the Starry Plough on high, sing a song of freedom. Here's to you, Lily, the rights of man and INTERNATIONAL REVOLUTION!"
I mean...this is my ANTHEM. And a lesson for anyone trying to get out from under the thumb of an empire without then creating a new, still more oppressive nationalism in its place. A better flag is not reason enough for revolution (or a secession, to whom it may concern...)--a better society is. The fight goes on!