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FOR YEARS NOW the question of what Irish neutrality meant has hung over Ireland.
Academics and politicians alike have disagreed on its legality and validity, as well as Irish alliances which impact the concept of our neutrality.
There have been countless attempts to dissolve and amend it throughout the years but the will of the people, who have historically always been pro-neutrality, has managed to outweigh the money-hungry politicians who bend to the will of the European Union any chance they get.
Many people have questioned the Irish role in NATO’s Partnership for Peace, the use of Shannon Airport by the United States, the role Ireland played in World War II, our membership of the European Union and what all of these mean when it comes to the standard universal definition of neutrality.
Although we may not fit into the same category as countries like Switzerland when thinking about our position we must view neutrality as a spectrum and not as ‘one size fits all’.
There are some major factors that prove the authenticity of and Irish commitment to neutrality. As it stands, Ireland must get Government approval, Dáil approval and UN approval before the Defence Forces are deployed overseas.
There is also Article 29.9 of the Irish Constitution:
The State shall not adopt a decision taken by the European Council to establish a common defence pursuant to Article 42 of the Treaty on European Union where that common defence would include the State.
However it is now clear that both of these protections to our neutrality are under threat.
After we signed up to Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) in December of last year, Fine Gael MEP Brian Hayes called for the ‘redefinition of neutrality’, as well as ‘amending Ireland’s triple lock system’.
Although both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil deny that PESCO affects Irish neutrality, this is not the case. What is happening is far more sinister – that is, the redefining of what the European Union was set up to be.
Military Spending Skyrockets
The road from a ‘Peace Project’ to a ‘European Defence Union’ has begun.
With programmes such as the European Defence Industrial Development Programme (€500 million), Military Mobility (€6.5 billion) the European Defence Fund (€13 billion) and Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) all coming into existence in just the last year. Who knows what the next year may hold?
The EU security and defence budget is set to increase 22-fold in 2021 to €28 billion.
This is not including border control with a budget of €21 billion for an army of 10,000 border guards or the many other billions interwoven into every aspect of the budget that will aid in the development of the defence industry in Europe.
This defence industry was already worth more than €97 billion in 2014, and employs over 500,000 people directly and 1.2 million indirectly. It is an untapped goldmine in the eyes of Commission President Jean Claude Juncker and many other EU officials.
France and Germany have some of the biggest arms-making companies in the world and the EU arms exports amount to over 27% of the world’s total, just second after the United States who export 34%.
When you question why they are militarising the European Union you must understand that this it is not to protect or defend you. It is about money and billions of it.
This was not the only lie they told when pitching PESCO and this European Defence Union to the member states.
It was also sold as a cost-saving mechanism because apparently this lack of cooperation costs the EU €25 billion annually. However, it will cost smaller countries like Ireland much more and as our Defence Forces continue to be underpaid, underappreciated and ignored by Defence Minister Leo Varadkar.
We will instead line the pockets of the European defence industry and invest in equipment we are ordered to buy by our European overlords instead of investing in our own people.
A Real European Army
With all that has happened over the last number of years with the militarisation of the European Union and the major Irish political parties continuing to support the dissolution of our neutrality, the question needs to be asked: ‘Are we heading towards an EU army?’
Last week concerned political representatives, neutrality activists and academics held a public meeting in Galway to discuss what the future holds for Ireland in this era of European militarisation.
That meeting examined a range of issues including how the massive increases in military spending will affect spending in other areas including agriculture.
It was timely too, as the French president Emmanuel Macron used the armistice centenary commemorations to call for the formation of a “real” European army.
Luke Ming Flanagan is MEP for Midlands-North West
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Totally agree with Ming. Who want’s their children to be cannon fodder for the EU’s elite. Neutrality is precious, but valueless to establishment politicians.
@Dave Doyle: No where is it in our constitution or legislation that Ireland declares its neutrality. We may declare neutrality at some wars, WWII being one, but our constitution leaves it up to the government of the day to choose!
@Dave Doyle: Ireland isn’t neutral. How many times must this be said?
@Dave Doyle:
“Neutrality is precious”.. is that what you call watching as the world burned in 1940′s & Hitlers armies murdered their way across Europe.. are is it precious because it wasn’t your family that where not been put onto trains to be murdered by gases or shot.. or is it precious because you would have minded living as a slave to your new soviet overlords. It precious indeed to be neutral when you are standing so so far behind a NATO shield
@TheJeff: correct it’s great to have the option of been neutral when your sitting behind a military power with your backs to the Atlantic. Most countries that fought in WW2 didn’t have a choice . They fought to survive . If the UK didn’t stand between us and the rest of Europe we would have to be a military power . We Irish are more concerned about our reputation in the world then doing what’s right .
@TheJeff: What soviet overlords?
I would think many people living in Ireland were glad they weren’t burned by Hitler’s armies. After 1942 the people who burned were German civilians when the RAF and USAF firebombed civilian population centers.
I believe we have more to fear from EU and NATO warmongers who see nothing wrong with engineering a political coup in the Ukraine.
@Dave Doyle: don’t forget the hundreds of thousands that were bombed in Nagasaki and Hiroshima and the 70.000 burned alive in the firebombing of Tokyo.
@Dave Doyle: on top of the Bengal famine that staved to death roughly 3 million Indians as Churchill wanted food reserves that it turns out he could have done without.
@Dave Doyle:
“with engineering a political coup in the Ukraine” ???? & there we have it Dave turns out to be a Putin Bot What a Shocking surprise !.. of course there are no Russians fighting in Ukraine & Crimea people are know much better off under the Rule of Mr Putin a leader they can’t vote out of office
@Dave Doyle: no doubt the paddies will get to be right up the front again.
@TheJeff: Whose “Bot” are you?
@Peter Kiernan: off course they be up the front . Their infantry units . That’s the job of a infantry soldier . Where would you expect to find him sitting at the back making the tea .
@Dave Doyle:
Seriously Dave you could answer the question… after all the only people “engineering a political coup in the Ukraine” are the little Green men in Crimea & those Russian soldiers “on Holiday” in East Ukraine who managed to buy lots of new tanks & missiles on ebay. Still as you said in 1940 we where lucky we where not bombed (apart from a few times) but they thankfully the SS never got to Ireland thanks to the allies. ARE luck/neutrality was paid for with the lives of Millions of “others” are “unarmed” neutrality is & was a shame on the Irish people
@Dave Doyle: Great opening comment. Its always the young from poorer backgrounds that are sacrificed like pawns in a war. I guarantee you that none of our politicians children nor those from the elite who pull our politicians strings would ever be drafted into an EU army.
@Frank Cauldhame: or maybe they might have a great career traveling the world and working along side other EU countries instead of turning up at the dole office . War is a very rare thing and militaries exist to act as a deterrent to prevent war from happening in the first place . It would also be a great thing for the IDF . It would be funded by Europe . A proper military that would be second to none .
@Paul Smith: So send those in receipt of social welfare to the front line of any potential future war involving a proposed EU army, you’ve just confirmed my point above.
@Frank Cauldhame: SW recipients = sandbags for the EU/NATO.
@TheJeff: What stopped Hitler was he had no military capability to invade the UK.
A change of regime and the attempted shoehorning of the Ukraine into the EU was engineered by the EU/NATO. There’s plenty of “little green men” from Canada and Blackwater private military enterprise also in the Ukraine. What do you expect Russia to do when it’s only warm water naval port was under threat from the EU/NATO?
The people of the Crimea identified as Russian. That worked quite well and was accepted by the USA/EU/NATO for Kosovo when it was annexed from Serbia. A Russian ally.
@Dave Doyle:
So you accept that Russia used force to cut up parts of Ukraine against international law sounds like we need to be in NATO then or return to the rule of the strong !.. better together
“What do you expect Russia to do when it’s only warm water naval port was under threat from the EU/NATO?”… last time I checked Russia had many warm water ports… in the Black sea, Pacific, Baltic etc what I didn’t expect Russia to do was to invade & annex another country while denying it did.. & You Support that ?
@Paul Smith: Are you a soldier.
@TheJeff: Do you support the annexing of Kosovo?
@TheJeff: Murmansk and Sevromorsk are no warm water ports. Sevastopol in the Crimea is.
@Dave Doyle: It’s Funny that we’re only starting to hear more of Luke Ming with European Elections only around the corner. Haven’t heard tell of him since he got elected last. Turf Cutting last time, now this..
@Dave Doyle: It’s Funny that we’re only starting to hear more of him now with European Elections only around the corner. Haven’t heard tell of him since he got elected last. Turf Cutting last time, now this..
@Seán MácMénamín: Luke Flanagan is not the issue here, he merely brought up the injustices of war and warmongers who enlist easily conditioned young people into an army to fight battles for the elite who control the arms industry. Brian Hayes FG is not the issue here either so excuse me for pointing out that the only time I heard him open his gob during his stint as an MEP was when he announced he was retiring last week. Luke Flanagan has been quite vociferous over the years especially with regard to the social issues that FG neglect. What about that for some whataboutery?
@Bruce van der Gutschmitzer: Are we pretending that Japan wasn’t an aggressor and killed between 3 – 10 million people (i cant nail down an exact number)
You make it sound like Nagasaki and Hiroshima was an attack on an innocent nation or something. These were war times were they not?
I wonder how many more would have died if Japan didn’t surrender? Not that it matters as that doesn’t fit the narrative of your story right?
@Dave Doyle:
Novorossiysk is on the black sea & It is the country’s main port on the Black Sea and the leading Russian port for exporting grain… & seem to have forgotten about St Peterburg & Kronstadt too… Sevastopol is not a commercial port but a military base of the black sea fleet.. which the freely elected government of Ukraine asked the Russians to give back… & suddenly all hell breaks loose..
as for Kosovo are you ok with what the Serbs where doing there putting people in camps raping & killing them ? starting to notice a trend here Dave with you ? I glad we have NATO to protect us from people like you
@Seán MácMénamín: There’s plenty from Ming if you follow him on FB or elsewhere.
@TheJeff: I suggest you check out Russia’s naval bases.
Ahh bless, you need NATO to protect you from me!?!?!? I bet NATO are quaking in their boots.
@Dave Doyle: nazi Germany was the biggest evil that has ever been imposed on our world. To our everlasting shame as a nation we did nothing to stop it but relied totally on others. To this day we are happy for the RAF to protect our skies. Easy to be neutral when someone else is prepared to protect you.
@Dave Doyle: Having an UN army means are neutrality is a bit twisted at least?
Ireland signed up for the European ECONOMIC community, a trading bloc, NOT the united states of germany. Time to look at Eirexit.
@The Risen: I never realised we can sustain ourselves on misplaced national pride.
Its like a hermit justifying his lonely pathetic life by stating how independent he cam be.
@The Risen: macron called for it, not merkel, so the whole ‘United States of Germany’ doesn’t work.
@Liam O’Conchubhair: Germany can’t be the one to call for it for it, given their past.
Which parliament has sight of Irelands budgets before our own politicians, frances or germanys?
@Colm A. Corcoran: plenty of countries sustain themselves outside of the EU. In fact the vast amount of global growth over the last 25 years has been outside of the EU.
In fact, since 1980 the global share of economic output enjoyed by the EU has pretty much halved. Those bloody inconvenient truths.
https://fullfact.org/europe/eu-has-shrunk-percentage-world-economy/
@Paul Fahey: That’s a complete fallacy. Those countries you refer to may not be part of the EU but they are part of another trading block. No country trades solely under WTO rules. In addition speed of growth means nothing of it will take 200 years sustained growth for such countries to catch up with the GDP of an average European country.
@Colm A. Corcoran: you seem to be implying that no country would trade with Ireland if we are not in the EU. That’s complete nonsense
@JimmyMc: its not if we want retain the same quality of life as we do now. But if we regulate and apply 0 tariffs, kill our farming industry and privatise all services, countries will trade with us
@Colm A. Corcoran: we won’t need to “regulate and apply 0 tariffs, kill our farming industry and privatise all services” for countries will trade with us. Again, that’s complete nonsense
@The Risen: yes exactly what ive been saying all along…why can’t we just trade with each other instead of trying to turn it into a monster dictatorship where everyone gets punished.it can’t and won’t last…every empire in human history has gone and this EU empire will be no different..what is wrong with just trading with each other.i don’t understand why or how we have got to the stage where we are talking about a united army.just look at junker…we are being told what to do by junker..unelected by the people of europe…democracy is being eroded slowly but surely…the only people who want this EU empire are the wealthy and elite and people with vested interests.the EU has not made my life any better and certainly not better than my own father’s when it was the EEC..probably worse with all the poverty and homelessness
@JimmyMc: The idea that countries would want trade deals with a non-economic block tiny country like ours seems more ridiculous to me. Each trade agreement takes years to agree on, in addition, each trade agreement made by country, if it’s in any way similar to a previous agreement with another country then it needs approval from that country. What this means is that in most cases countries will choose to spend years working on trade agreements with the EU rather than Ireland.
@mark: because that isn’t how to world works. Also, dictatorship? Have you passed that thought with your father because I don’t think know what a dictatorship is.
@Colm A. Corcoran: go back to sleep
@Colm A. Corcoran: the link is there, to research it. It is not a fallacy it is very true and you saying it s a fallacy, whilst offering nothing, is rather feeble.
Time to leave then.
@RJ.Fallon:
Yeah.
Let’s see how the neighbour’s do first!
@RJ.Fallon: Should we leave the UN too then?
@Ricky Spanish: is this the UN that has a woman appointed Secretary-General of Safety & Security that constantly lies & can’t hold onto a phone?
@RJ.Fallon: No!
@Michael Kavanagh: It would be better if we left now with them.
@The Viking:
We’ll agree to disagree on that point!
@Michael Kavanagh: the “neighbour’s” will do ok…
‘Can’t be in a club and not follow its rules’ ‘nor can u cherry pick’, ‘can’t have all the benefits and not pay’ where have we heard all this before? The EU aims to be a Super State with all the trimings. Time to get used to it or leave.
@Martin Critten: there are No rules, they make them up as they go along!
@Martin Critten: The US tried to do an “Irish” and staying neutral not get involved in ww1?
Up until just before the U.S. declared war on April 6th, 1917, the U.S. had desperately tried to stay neutral, but ties to Britain, the sinking of ships by German U-boats, and a German attempt in the Zimmermann Note to get Mexico to declare war on the U.S. pushed the U.S. to getting involve
@Martin Critten: what are all these benefits you keep talking about??homelessness?…poverty?…families living in hotel rooms?…ordinary hard working people not able to afford to see a doctor?…you will have to tell me the benefits because i cannot see them..please tell me, as an ordinary irish person working 60 hours a week,what the benefits of the EU are for me compared to the benefits you are getting …please..
@mark: And how will all of these issues be resolved if we leave exactly? Walk me through it.
@Gavin Conran: well they are not being resolved with us being in it….you walk me through how it will be resolved…ya can’t because the EU is an unelected giant money hoover and with the uk leaving it is going to go to full power to try and survive…people like you don’t care about the ordinary people of ireland just as long as everything is fine for you….
To hear the politicians patting themselves on the back for bringing “Peace & Unity “ to the EU
& next thing talking about building an EU army, their nuts. Just goes to show they have learned absolutely nothing from previous wars, they are barbaric & ugly & do not belong in a civilized society! In other words STUFF YOUR EUROPEAN ARMY WHERE THE SUN DON’T SHINE!
@Colette Kearns: So who will defend Europe if we are attacked?
@Ricky Spanish: individual States’ armies. It’s fairly straightforward and is the current situation.
@Hellenize Dublin: Look an Eu army is needed to defend against armies that are to large for single EU countries its just basic common sense. Russia needs to know if they try anything they will regret it badly.
@Peter Hughes: it most certainly is not common sense, unless the meaning of common sense has drastically altered.
If an army of considerable size threatens the EU, the EU nations can sign pacts to fight together under the banner of European Unity (see World War II as an example). An EU army is an absurd suggestion and worthy of reproach.
@Peter Hughes: Are you insane to think Russian will invade the EU. It was Germany who tried conquer Europe in WW1 and 2.
Ireland is not neutral . The six counties is part of NATO . Irish troops from NI have served in Iraq , Bosnia , Afghanistan , Sierra Leon , Kosovo , Korea , WW2 . The world does not seen Ireland as a neutral country .
@Paul Smith: they are not Irish Irish troops representing the Irish Army though are they. They are British Troops representing the British Army. You can o,at with words all you like, but the fact will remain, that is the British Army you are detailing, not Irish.
@Paul Smith: Northern Ireland is technically a part of the UK as much as we’d like it to be otherwise. The Republic of Ireland is indeed neutral and our neutrality must be protected.
@Paul Fahey: They represent Ireland . That’s where they come from . The six counties is as much Irish as the 26 counties and the soldiers that come from their are as Irish as the IRISH defence force They have been around with the title Irish for over 300 yrs . The history of the Irish soldier goes back long before the Irish state was form . They have a harp as a cap badge and a shamrock on their uniform. Their moto is written in Gaelic . Faugh a ballagh . The countries they serve along side recognise them as Irish soldiers from Ireland . Ireland is not seen as a neutral country.
@Dónal Ó hÍobhair: we aren’t neutral, how many times must this be said?
@Paul Smith: the irish army has severed in 5 of those 7, so I fail to see how bring the 6 counties into this makes a difference one way or the other, apart from trying to shoehorn the north into the neutrality debate of course
@Paul Smith: That’s simply twisting things in an attempt to justify a fertile imagination.
@Dave Doyle: The title Irish wasn’t created in 1923 and it doesn’t belong to those in the 26 counties .
@Vocal Outrage: The north is part of Ireland is it not . So how can you say Ireland is a neutral country . https://youtu.be/2IL4zAPMknI
The move to an EU army is just an interim step to a world army under the control of the UN. This is one of the hidden motives behind #Agenda21 #Agenda2030 and their offshoots. Look behind the green mask of these agendas, Luke Ming, and you will see the path they have laid out for a future totalitarian one world government.
@Gaeilge Rath Maoinis: the question of the future of an EU army was clearly laid out in article 42 of the Lisbon Treaty. Nobody wanted to know when it came to the vote as all discussion was silenced. I suggest everyone has a read.
I’d sooner leave the EU than have my children, nieces/nephews in a European army. I spent a few hours last night watching documentaries on WW1. The masses were simply used as cannon fodder.
I am at odds with our neutrality. Even back in the pre-EEC days, we shared common interests with the rest of Europe yet we pretended that being neutral that somehow Hitler wouldn’t touch us even if he managed to conquer Britain.
Anyone can see that a home ground threat to a European country is a threat to us, we’re not special in the eyes of dictators and terrorists.
How immoral would it be if Europe were to be invaded these days and we refused to help?
We need to take a long hard look at our neutrality. I think we could expand it a little to fit any aided defence of a neighbour who shares our same values. We dont have to go all gun ho and join things like the early 2000s Iraq Coalition.
@Colm A. Corcoran: we aren’t neutral
@Colm A. Corcoran: who is going to invade?
@Liam O’Conchubhair: Well I am at odds with HOW neutral we are then.
But Im curious, in your eyes, does that make our stance on not aiding a European Neighbour with defence worse?
@Ronan Gallagher: Russia. But I understand that may not be a shared view. All I’ll say is that it would be nice if we could all clearly know who’s the next threat. Historically passiveness never worked and always eventually meant the demise of a civilisation. It’s the dark nature of man to exploit the weak.
@Colm A. Corcoran: I actually agree with your first post. The terrorist threat in Europe is growing and we aren’t doing anything about it. I only meant to point out the fact that Ireland isn’t neutral.
@Liam O’Conchubhair: That’s what I actually thought. You’re right that we already violate our neutrality with regards to policies like Shannon. It’s a pity we can’t violate it in a way that helps our neighbours.
@Ronan Gallagher: Macron seems to be suggesting the US, China and/or Russia.
@Colm A. Corcoran: Why in gods name would Russia want to invade Europe? If you have a look at recent history you’ll find that all of the aggression and subtle invasions have been West to East, not vice versa. Concerning Crimea, that was a strategic land grab by Russia in the face of the very real threat that they would lose their only warm water naval port, Sevastopol, which, coincidentally, was probably one of the aims Nato hoped to achieve.
If you want to talk about Russia spying and meddling etc. then you have to accept that the West, namely US and UK, have been carrying out the exact same operations for decades, and even on their own ‘allies’. The ultimate aim of all this hype and hysteria, and the push for a European army, is to maintain the perpetual flow of revenue from arms and military technology sales. How else with the major arms contractors shareholders (Think politicians) get a return on investment.
@Colm A. Corcoran: Did the Russians state that? I think the EU/NATO is trying to force a United EU army on to Russia’s borders through the Ukraine.
@Derek Fergus: Whataboutery. If you’re going to defend Russia don’t use a tactic that has negative reputation with Russia.
Nothing justifies Russia invading a sovereign state. If it does then we have to acknowledge that our interests don’t match Russia’s and we should defend against them.
@Dave Doyle: Ukraine is none of Russia’s business. Do you think the British should have a say in what we do?
@Colm A. Corcoran: I would imagine Russia’s only warm water naval port has a lot to do with the Ukraine and Russia.
@Dave Doyle: So if Spain made accessing Gilbraltar more difficult through their sovereign land, that would justify Britain invading? And lets assume for a moment that gilbraltar couldnt be accessed by sea by the British in this scenario.
@Colm A. Corcoran: I would imagine that if Spain attempted to prevent UK access and egress from Gibraltar then yes, if all diplomatic measures failed, they would respond as robustly as needed to clear a route to their people, although I doubt it very much that invading Spain would be necessary.
@Colm A. Corcoran: If you want to talk about Whataboutary then why not discuss Europe’s claims of Russian aggression to justify their own aggressive build up of military might in the region, pot…kettle anyone?
“Nothing justifies ANY nation invading a sovereign state”, There, I fixed your comment for you. Or should we forget Iraq, Syria, Libya to name but a few. For your information, the UN Charter recognises two justifications for using military force against another country 1.Self defence and 2.Upon approval of the UN security council.
Just out of interest, will you be donning a uniform to serve in any EU army, should it go ahead?
@Derek Fergus: eh, my point was that I was not entertaining whataboutery. It’s a logical fallacy and a favourite tactic of the Kremlin. Indulging in whataboutery only renders any sort of action pointless.
Why do anything if you can argue against it with whataboutery?
Well done Luke. Our current crop of leaders will sell us out to any military alliance if they get have the chance.
I don’t think any funds from European Union or a Ireland should fund an army, we know from our past what a European army could mean for a Irish citizens. If countries want to form common European defense forces between themselves they should be allowed to do it, separately from the EU and Ireland.
@David Lafferty FCCA: have you actually read what projects ireland has gotten involved in under PESCO? Reading the comments here I doubt many have. One project to to help training missions for establishing security forces in developing states in Africa, the other is to increase maritime security to increase search & rescue capabilities and counter smuggling. Neither are likely to see the irish army ‘going over the top’. Plus, if for some reason the EU was to establish a standing army our constitution would still stop irish troops getting involved.
Luke is alive ! ! ! I thought he had fallen into an Eu Luxury Stupor .
Its nearly as good as news as ” Gordon’s Alive “
No to eu army.
Debate the rights and wrongs of an EU army all we want but can we please stop pretending we’re neutral or ever have been
Well Ming what would you have us do history repeats itself after the First World War England and America demobbed their armies of both men and equipment were caught by events unprepared when hitler invaded Poland as we are now the Russians annexed invaded the Ukraine by proxy they also invaded the Crimea without opposition .Should we wait until Russia rolls over her border and takes Poland or Lithuania or any of the Baltic states unopposed as I write British forces are stationed in Lithuania as a deterrent are we always supposed to stand back and leave someone else do the dirty work . when you are part of a club (eu) you must defend it however I am glad you have woken up obviously you have been hibernating for a few years.
We have never been neutral , we have always supported the USA and British get off your soap box Ming !
@Mrs M: so because we let a few planes land in Shannon we should commit ourselves to a dedicated defense pact and full time army?
Sold down the river goto love the Merkel lovers.
If Ireland moves towards joining an EU army (which it is stepping towards) then our sovereignty will be compromised.
I will then be for Irexit and I will join the “despicables”.
Remember when Lisbon (part 2) was just “about the jobs”? Yeah, now we are seeing the fine print come into effect.
If on March 19th 2019 some type of border infrastructure is put in place on the UK side, regardless of what section of the state it is then it will become a target.
History shows that after any attack, things will quickly escalate to the point of complete militarisation and sectarianism.
This would mean that the Irish government would also have to put border infrastructure in place, now if the government says that it is unwilling or unable to do so…then thanks to some of the EU treaties to which we have signed up over the last few decades, then some clause will probably be found that also presents the EU with a justification to defend not the Irish border, but its own EU border on Irish soil…where will that leave Ireland on the questions of both neutrality and sovereignty?
Fine lookin sight we’d be without the assistance of the Eu army. We may as well just join the UK now peacefully
“There have been countless attempts to dissolve and amend it throughout the years but the will of the people, who have historically always been pro-neutrality, has managed to outweigh the money-hungry politicians who bend to the will of the European Union any chance they get.”
You’re sounding more and more like the UK Brexiteers Ming my dear old friend. You seem to be imaging that any financial gain from the EU doesn’t justify staying within it? Please don’t head down that road, you’re smart enough to know that it’s a road where nobody wins except politicians like you, quite hypocritical no?
If Ireland is truly a good EU country it should sign up whole heartedly to the EU superstate.
If the EU can’t function as a single people and a single state under a single government what is it actually for and what are you in it for?
@Damocles: I believe the original idea was trade…. That is what we signed up for, this seems to have grown wings lately.
@angryDuck: every change and evolution of the EU has been accompanied by a referendum in Ireland. You have agreed to all of this.
Unless you are suggesting that an entire nation can vote for something while not understanding what they were voting for.
That seems extraordinary.
@Damocles: yeah, like remember that time we voted down Lisbon 1 and they forced Lisbon 2 through with scare tactics?
The EU: They really respect our descisions!
@Damocles: Seems the most likely reality really.
We need to get out now. A looser allience of ex- European member states based on economic cooperation is needed. No united States of Europe.
We need to get our troops into combat ASAP. Unless you want our kids to be called Ivan or Donald.
Hey Luke your sadly mistaken if you think Ireland is neutral any more. The new bread of terrorist doesn’t respect who the fook we are. So wake up smell the cow shit and get with the program.
It’s Funny that we’re only starting to hear more of Luke Ming with European Elections only around the corner. Haven’t heard tell of him since he got elected last. Turf Cutting last time, now this
All the time Ireland was neutral Irish people still fought in wars and our army took part in UN peacekeeping mandates. Seems like we can have soldiers in an army and still remain neutral.
We need to protect our nutrality. This is a bridge too far. I want our grandklds safe. Capitalism has gone too far we need to say no
@Sharon O’Brien: we are not neutral for Christ’s sake.
It’s Funny that we’re only starting to hear more of Luke Ming with European Elections only around the corner. Haven’t heard tell of him since he got elected last. Turf Cutting last time, now this..
I don’t agree with a European army, and I don’t think another country should fight another country’s war
@Des Decourcy: well then what’s the point of alliances?
Hey look, Ming is back must be an election soon
#EP2019
Clever chap Ming ! who writes his stuff ?.
It means F.G. will soon have a referendum on our neutrality as F.G. are the party using the film, “The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer” to give them ideas. I think that is why we are celebrating the end of WW1 in order to make war acceptable and something to look up to and it’s not as all wars do is lead to more wars.
Ming has been saying plenty but the media chooses what is aired. Sign up to his fb page etc and you’ll hear what he’s been up to.
It’s precious when we are not part of a Genocidal oil plundering pretence
Is neutrality cowardly?
Say for argument sake there are 3 countries, and two of them decide to go to war while the other stays neutral.
Whichever one wins the war will not appreciate the neutral country being neutral, and neither will the losing one.
If the neutral side took sides, there is a 50% chance they will be on the winning side, and if they are on the losing side they will have a friend in the loser.
If they stay neutral they have no friends.
Maybe it is better to take sides?
Go pescetarian not PESCO. Time for Eirexit
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