If Brexit isn’t a clear warning that ireland needs to decouple as much as possible from the UK, I don’t know what is.
Absolutely agree with Sinn Féin on this. It is embarrassing that we have to rely on the military of a country that we fought to gain independence from. Too many Irish governments have used neutrality as an excuse to underfund our Defence Forces. They won’t even pay the men and women who are members of them a decent living wage for christ sake, never mind investing in modern technology like sonar or basic fighter jets. Ireland has to be able to stand on our own two feet when it comes to defence.
It is. And we need to improve our military. Anyone who thinks we don’t is in serious denial.
It’s about time. At what point does a country realize that, with Russian subs and shit poking around your waters, some countries don’t care if you’re neutral? And frankly, if you’re neutral and won’t defend other countries, you should be under the expectation they won’t lift a finger for you, and be prepared just in case something does happen. The Swiss are neutral too, they still have a very competent armed forces.
Ah the daily anti-Irish post on r/europe
I’d say it was time for Ireland to join NATO, as well as spending more on its defence forces.
But it’s probably best to wait and see whom America elects in 2024 before pinning any hopes on NATO.
Not that it’s a realistic prospect. But even rhetorically, why invest any time, effort or intellectual capital in an organisation that the GOP might be about to mire in dysfunction?
I really hope Sinn Féin actually addresses this, healthcare and the housing crisis should they get into government.
Now that Sinn Fein have stopped shooting us they want the defence forces beefed up.
The case for an EU Army becomes louder and louder as time progresses
It doesn’t even have to go ‘full military’, Coast Guard patrol boats (with (military)sonar etc) and small-ish multi-functional civilian airplanes should be adequate to keep an eye on things.
ireland should just form a defence force. a dozen supersonic trainer jets and few dozen more large patrol vessels with sonar
From my perspective, as an Englishman, I don’t mind my taxpayer money going towards Ireland’s defense and safety. It’s the least we do.. but at the same time, it’s pretty strange.. I can’t recall any country that relies on their historical oppressor for defense and security
Start taxing your international mega corporates who are doing tax evasion in Ireland. Should give you enough money for a decent military..
Yet mention increasing funding in our Defence Forces and the say people will claim you’re “dismantling our neutrality” and “militarising Ireland”
UK media would like to sell defense to ireland and is using emotion to try and shame the subject to be something on the european stage.
Modern politics is simple peer pressure to extort money to defend against no foreseeable war.
China has built up their forces in part due to unification goals. Doesn’t Sinn Fein also want unification?
If you can’t enforce your own neutrality then your not neutral, your a puppet to greater powers.
Sweden and Finland only maintained their neutrality through the cold war because they could do just that
19 comments
Even a broken clock etc
If Brexit isn’t a clear warning that ireland needs to decouple as much as possible from the UK, I don’t know what is.
Absolutely agree with Sinn Féin on this. It is embarrassing that we have to rely on the military of a country that we fought to gain independence from. Too many Irish governments have used neutrality as an excuse to underfund our Defence Forces. They won’t even pay the men and women who are members of them a decent living wage for christ sake, never mind investing in modern technology like sonar or basic fighter jets. Ireland has to be able to stand on our own two feet when it comes to defence.
It is. And we need to improve our military. Anyone who thinks we don’t is in serious denial.
It’s about time. At what point does a country realize that, with Russian subs and shit poking around your waters, some countries don’t care if you’re neutral? And frankly, if you’re neutral and won’t defend other countries, you should be under the expectation they won’t lift a finger for you, and be prepared just in case something does happen. The Swiss are neutral too, they still have a very competent armed forces.
Ah the daily anti-Irish post on r/europe
I’d say it was time for Ireland to join NATO, as well as spending more on its defence forces.
But it’s probably best to wait and see whom America elects in 2024 before pinning any hopes on NATO.
Not that it’s a realistic prospect. But even rhetorically, why invest any time, effort or intellectual capital in an organisation that the GOP might be about to mire in dysfunction?
I really hope Sinn Féin actually addresses this, healthcare and the housing crisis should they get into government.
Now that Sinn Fein have stopped shooting us they want the defence forces beefed up.
The case for an EU Army becomes louder and louder as time progresses
It doesn’t even have to go ‘full military’, Coast Guard patrol boats (with (military)sonar etc) and small-ish multi-functional civilian airplanes should be adequate to keep an eye on things.
ireland should just form a defence force. a dozen supersonic trainer jets and few dozen more large patrol vessels with sonar
From my perspective, as an Englishman, I don’t mind my taxpayer money going towards Ireland’s defense and safety. It’s the least we do.. but at the same time, it’s pretty strange.. I can’t recall any country that relies on their historical oppressor for defense and security
Start taxing your international mega corporates who are doing tax evasion in Ireland. Should give you enough money for a decent military..
Yet mention increasing funding in our Defence Forces and the say people will claim you’re “dismantling our neutrality” and “militarising Ireland”
UK media would like to sell defense to ireland and is using emotion to try and shame the subject to be something on the european stage.
Modern politics is simple peer pressure to extort money to defend against no foreseeable war.
China has built up their forces in part due to unification goals. Doesn’t Sinn Fein also want unification?
If you can’t enforce your own neutrality then your not neutral, your a puppet to greater powers.
Sweden and Finland only maintained their neutrality through the cold war because they could do just that
‘Go on home British soldiers go on home’
Or not as the case me be