Sir, - Conor Cruise O'Brien's latest aggression on intelligent thought appeared as a letter in your June 25th edition. We certainly do not question his right to his British loyalist views. In fact, we welcome them. They confirm daily what we have long said about him.
What prompts us to comment is his claim that the current peace process is somehow part of a nationalist agenda and worse, one which may result in a "breakthrough"! The exact nature of this catastrophe is not described, but it presumably means some timid steps in the general direction of a united Ireland.
Would that it were true! We are sorry to say that O'Brien has once again gotten it all wrong. In fact, the present process, with its guaranteed loyalist veto, has no chance of being a coup for Irish nationalism. Rather it is likely to enshrine the status quo in Northern Ireland for the foreseeable future, a disaster for those who seek a united, democratic Ireland.
Also, O'Brien claims to be defending the real interests of Ireland by standing up to extreme Irish nationalism. He does this service, he tells us, by himself standing up for . . . guess what? Why, extreme British nationalism, of course. The obvious antidote. Or are we wrong in thinking that loyalism is a form of extreme British nationalism? Amazing! Does anyone in Ireland swallow this nonsense? - Yours, etc.,
Vice-president,
Political Education Committee
(A committee of American
Ireland Education
Foundation, Inc),
54 South Liberty Drive, Stony Point, NY 10980, US.