Socialist Voice Review
20 July 2026
Cuban Delegate Tells Left to “Maintain Faith” as Island Nation Announces Opening Up is a refreshingly straightforward analysis of the situation in Cuba and on issues having a bearing on Cuba from Elizabeth Ribalta from the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) – the institute in Cuba that maintains relations with solidarity movements throughout the world.
“People need to maintain faith with the Cuban revolution because its success is also the success of other peoples around the world.”
The complexities of the situation facing the Cuban government are clearly outlined and the clear message is that international solidarity activities are more necessary than ever.
In A Full-court Press of Political Lobbying by Business Nicola Lawlor exposes the levels of lobbying of government engaged in by employers and employer representatives and contrasts it with the level of lobbying engaged in by worker representatives. The article also exemplifies how proper research and presentation can significantly enhance a particular argument.
The explicit acknowledgement that the impact of an employer lobbying government will be significantly better received than a worker or worker representative lobbying government sets the scene for appreciating the difficulties faced by the trade union movement.
Nonetheless, the contrast is stark. The call for a strategic approach from the trade union movement to match the very clear strategic (and effective) approach of the employers is both clear and necessary. How effective such an approach from the trade union movement might be can only be measured in what results it achieves. This measure can never emerge if it is not attempted in the first place.
However, there is still a problem with the article: it places the responsibility for such lobbying on the shoulders of the trade union movement – shoulders that are burdened by all sorts of internal conflicts and competing interests. The CPI, at least theoretically, should have no such hindrances. Where is the CPI in all this?
The fact remains that only a strong communist party can start the process of changing society and building the strategies and tactics to achieve that aim. It is not a process that can be sub-contracted and when the inevitable failure to progress becomes obvious the blame is pinned on the sub-contractor.
Unfortunately, the CPI is not that strong communist party.
Sectarianism and Racism: A Poisonous Cocktail by Tommy McKearney is a tasteless cup of soup despite its promise of a “penetrating analysis”.
The denial or questioning of basic facts undermines the sound foundations on which much of the article is based. There is no excuse for this. For instance, having rightly pointed out that unionist politicians “spoke from both sides of the mouth” in their “ritual condemnation of violence, they began pointing at supposed lax immigration control at Dublin airport and an open border resulting from the Common Travel Area”.
There is nothing supposed about such laxity: HERE and HERE
Any dispute on the matter of border/airports/ports laxity is only a matter of degree and response. It is entirely possible not only to agree with some of the positions of the right but also to acknowledge basic facts and still counter ignorant and racist positions. Indeed, we would contend that such reasoning is a prerequisite for winning any argument and for starting to build trust with the population.
The fact that most of the positions of the right are both ignorant and racist opens up the question as to why it is so difficult to counter their arguments. While this is a complex area, such arguments can not start to be countered with recourse to ambiguity and denial.
It also begs the question as to what is the difference between the right misrepresenting positions and the left misrepresenting positions?
There is still no explanation as to why positions of the right have taken hold while the ‘left’ positions are almost buried. Perhaps it is this sort of prevarication and/or denial of facts that is the cause? See also CPI and the Dublin riots – Guerrilla Communists from December 2023.
While we accept that is it difficult to cover all angles in a single article, it is a major omission that none of the actual causes for immigration and asylum seeking get a mention – military and economic wars and environmental destruction. It reminds us of the fuel protests – don’t mention the war!
There is also a curious focus on the vulgar right. Aspiring or actual fascists they may well be but the fact is they have no power. The actual fascists in Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have power and know how to use it. Yet, the CPI focus is on a bunch or a few bunches of mostly inconsequential thugs. McKearney and the CPI strain to alert us to the dangers of the right yet fail to provide any strategy to counter its influence. They also fail to explain why it is that people might be listening to the right and not to the CPI or any other force on the left.
There is another distinct group of thugs who appear to get away with anything – our liberal friends. These most dangerous individuals and groups have both power and influence and use both to great effect. Their only mission in life is to let you down when you need them the most – and they always do. They muddy already murky waters and infiltrate every progressive initiative – and strangle them with absurdity and folly.
Yet, despite all that power and influence and the cover they provide to the ‘respectable’ right, they remain largely unchallenged. The fact is that it is easier to tackle a supposed or weak monster – the vulgar right – than the real and powerful monsters.
McKearney and the older members of the CPI face the same problem – the CPI today is infected with liberals poorly disguised as wannabe revolutionaries. The cowardice of the older members and the brashness of the ‘revolutionary’ liberals has destroyed the Communist Party of Ireland.
CPI website
Following our June review, there was one additional update posted on 30 June. To date in July there have been three updates – one of which is, of course, a commemoration. The other two are statements on Aer Lingus and Aughinish Alumina. Statements in themselves do not constitute political activity, which leaves the CPI website a political dead zone.
Still no sign of updated party programme or constitution following the April National Congress. No hurry, lads.