James Connolly, born on this day in 1868, was an Irish socialist revolutionary, founder of the Irish Citizen Army (ICA), and leader of the Easter Rising rebellion, for which he was executed by the British government.

Connolly was born in a poor Edinburgh neighborhood and spoke with a Scottish accent. He joined the British Army at age 14 to escape poverty and developed a hatred for the institution from firsthand experience. He deserted when his regiment was set to deploy to India.

He was also member of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and founder of the Irish Socialist Republican Party. With labor radical James Larkin, he was centrally involved in the Dublin lock-out of 1913, after which the two men formed the Irish Citizen Army (ICA) the same year.

Connolly was opposed to British rule in Ireland and played a leading role in the Easter Rising of 1916, signing the "Proclamation of the Irish Republic" and serving as Commandant of the Dublin Brigade, the regiment that played the most substantial role in the Rising. Connolly was executed by firing squad following the Rising's defeat.

"If you remove the English army tomorrow and hoist the green flag over Dublin Castle, unless you set about the organization of the Socialist Republic your efforts would be in vain. England would still rule you. She would rule you through her capitalists, through her landlords, through her financiers, through the whole array of commercial and individualist institutions she has planted in this country and watered with the tears of our mothers and the blood of our martyrs."

James Connolly

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  • PurrLure [she/her]
    ·
    5 months ago

    You ever get that feeling where you're falling down a rabbit hole and your mind splats against one of the edges so hard that your curiosity ends and you pull yourself out?

    Yeah well that weird church I mention the other day? Past all the nice fluff and friendly people in their lobby with free coffee willing to answer any questions you have for them, well it turns out they preach THE DIVINE RIGHT OF KINGS. And yes, they include dictators like Hitler with the logic of "If they became leader of a country it must be part of god's plan!" And yes, of course it's not sinful to follow whatever orders a fascist can come up. Questioning authority would be the real sin! An amazing message I found in a Jesus wouldn't vote shweaty, we're all enlightened centrists here sermon. (Just let the other megachurches pour their money into politics and reap the benefits for free. The ratchet effect will do its job eventually since it's part of god's plan!) I'm sorry I just find it wild that this ancient brainworm is heavily burrowed into a church that is trying to appear modern and progressive. Like hating kings is the ONE THING Americans typically get right smh.

    Is this the kind of shit actual leftist progressive Christians have to deal with when new people come to their congregation? I've seen enough, and as much as my little gremlin brain would like to ask my coworker if they know about this bonkers ass take I'm gonna end my curiosity here and go back to not socializing at work.

    I need to get the out of the south.

    • plinky [he/him]
      ·
      5 months ago

      It was as if even the most intelligent person had this little blank spot in their heads where someone had written: "Kings. What a good idea." Whoever had created humanity had left in a major design flaw. It was its tendency to bend at the knees.”

      being pratchett quote bot for a day nerd