Homage to 'Homage'

Just before Christmas, I found myself in the superb 'No Alibis' bookshop in Botanic.

It wasn't long before a book caught my attention.

George Orwell's account of his time spent as a volunteer in the Spanish Civil War in 'Homage to Catalonia'.

Having only read the first four chapters (for me as a non-reader this is quite an achievement), it would be unfair to say anything other than it is a fascinating account of those times.

They can be summed up in a few key words; lice, filth, cold, futility and antiquated weaponry.

The war itself breaks my heart, as do all wars, however this one in particular for the shattered and puerile fragmentation of the left.

A type of playground infight, where 'My red's redder than yours' seemed to be the order of the day.

This is tempered in part by the fact I feel a tinge of satisfaction that someone from my home town volunteered to serve in the International Brigade against fascism. A no-brainer if ever there was one.

The man was David Frederick Pritchard from the Scrabo Road. He was 31 years old and went missing in action, presumed dead in March 1938.

Why is this relevant in 2009?

Fascism changes its clothes every so often, from the obvious to the slightly more subtle, the openly xenophobic to the 'not in my back yard' type, however it remains a constant in every society.

This is why I hold to 'No gods; No masters; Against all authority'

NO PASARAN !