Apartheid and Pragmatism

The prominent Irish economist, journalist and author David McWilliams penned a short tribute on his blog to the recently departed Nelson Mandela here, yesterday.

The title was: “His pragmatism was the key to building a new South Africa“

Here’s my very brief response to that article, where I compare Nelson Mandela’s pragmatism in South Africa to Gerry Adam’s (continuing) pragmatism in Ireland.

“Nelson Mandela fought apartheid in South Africa and won.

Gerry Adams fought apartheid in Northern Ireland – and won.

Both were brave freedom fighters who devoted their lives to a worthy cause.

It amazes me how people in the Republic of Ireland today, both old and young (some of the young being Che Guevara t-shirt wearing liberals – another brave freedom fighter) can’t say Gerry Adams’ name without getting a bad taste in their mouths.

If you deny men and women a right to work and to feed their children (a prominent aspect of apartheid in both South Africa and Northern Ireland) they are going to fight back – they have a right to.

I wasn’t in favour of the IRA in my youthful innocence – now as a mature man and a father, I realise they were right to do what they did.

                                                                          There’s your pragmatism.”