Keeping The EU Safe From Democracy

If you thought that was the job of the European Commission, then you’ve been doing the chap above a most unwonted disservice. That Randian superman is none other than Charles Smyth, leader and Pan-European Director of Northern Ireland’s Procapitalism party. Furthermore, “because Charles Smyth holds British and Irish nationalities, Charles Smyth is the leadership for the party (Procapitalism) in Great Britain(GB), Northern Ireland(NI) and the Republic of Ireland(ROI).” Nice work if you can get it!

Despite a rousing mission statement which includes the slogan “Procapitalism: In the vanguard to keep the EU safe from democracy”, Mr. Smyth garnered just 22 votes at the last Assembly elections in Belfast South. The good news is, though, that he’s going to try again at the forthcoming Westminster election, with a singular hodgepodge of a manifesto which arguably places him to the left of some of the major parties. Hopefuly, Splintered Sunrise will get around to him in the course of his indispensable guides to the Norn Iron constituencies.

Charles also has an amply-stocked Youtube account, featuring some of those run-on sentences which double back over themselves like the route of the old 36a. His latest vid, posted after a lengthy hiatus, is coincidentally entitled The Madman Returns.

Anyway, the reason I’ve descended into Séarlas’s lonely furrow is to tenuously support my point that capitalism qua capitalism has never found an audience in Ireland. (I warned you it was tenuous.)

Before I go, I want to proffer a generously-proportioned shout-out to my compañeros at the Red Writers blog, who have kindly invited me to contribute. Our political perspectives differ slightly, but you’ll find at least three flowers blooming there, and wonderful blooms they are. Comrade Ian is outlining a timely and compelling socialist alternative to economic chaos, and Cde. Automatic Writing has this provocative and intriguing critique of the No Platform campaign from an anarchist perspective. Well worth checking out.