How much would the US pay for the Shannon?

Dannyboy83

Give me a wild estimate: How much would the US pay for Shannon?

We could let it to them for a few billion per year, or just sell them it for a base for a once off fee of 80billion.

The way things are looking right now, Ireland doesn't have a future, gonna be a debt slave for 30 years+, trying to pay off interest on 170 billion worth of debt on a 30 bill income.

What kind of money have they paid out for bases in the past?

phill106

Um, would I have to move?

Sponge Bob

Around €5bn for it with sovereignty thrown in. They would pay €10bn for Donegal as long as they did not have to employ the locals

Sticky_Fingers

Dannyboy83 wrote: »

Give me a wild estimate: How much would the US pay for Shannon?

We could let it to them for a few billion per year, or just sell them it for a base for a once off fee of 80billion.

The way things are looking right now, Ireland doesn't have a future, gonna be a debt slave for 30 years+, trying to pay off interest on 170 billion worth of debt on a 30 bill income.

What kind of money have they paid out for bases in the past?

Would you be comfortable having an American airbase in Ireland completely trashing our stance of non alignment (we are not technically neutral). Would you be comfortable trashing Irelands good name all over the world and making us a target for terrorist attacks?

Your selling your security and freedom too cheaply, our political and economic status may be going down the toilet but the good will and protection offered by an Irish passport still carries alot of weight around the world.

oppenheimer1

And the brits get the treaty ports back for their bailout money too :rolleyes:

Wibbs

We could rent it out as a training airport for other euro nations air forces though. Central european nations have many restrictions as their military training flights pass over populated areas. Not an issue with the Atlantic ocean. IIRC the Shannon authorities also bought in really hi tech cargo scanners that can scan containers. I say take advantage of the recent worries about terrorist threats and make Shannon one of the biggest cargo hubs in Europe.

Sunnyisland

our political and economic status may be going down the toilet but the good will and protection offered by an Irish passport still carries alot of weight around the world.


especially with the russians and israelis

Dannyboy83

Sticky_Fingers wrote: »

Would you be comfortable having an American airbase in Ireland completely trashing our stance of non alignment (we are not technically neutral). Would you be comfortable trashing Irelands good name all over the world and making us a target for terrorist attacks?

Your selling your security and freedom too cheaply, our political and economic status may be going down the toilet but the good will and protection offered by an Irish passport still carries alot of weight around the world.

I know it's hard for people to see past our current lifestyle.
But try to see where we will be in 2013 for example.

Labour got a majority in the coalition, making Irish history.
The Croke park agreement remains intact - no wage reductions in the PS.
Cuts had to be made somewhere, so services were drastically cut.

Now your Mother has been diagnosed with cancer, there is no money to treat her, so she is sent home to you for pallative care and to die.

Your best friend is suicidal because he has a severely disabled brother who's life is effectively over and you won't let your kids outside to play, because the nearest A+E is a good 100km drive away.

Class sizes have nearly doubled and your daughter sits in a freezing prefab all day, risking pneumonia. She is getting no education worth mentioning.

Labour announce another 5% income tax increase in the coming budget, there is barely money to feed the kids and you tell the wife that ye'll have to go without presents again this Christmas. Your wife accepts it but you know she wishes she never married you, she deserved a better life.

Unemployment has dropped a little to 22%, mainly due to emigration, but crime is rampant and during the night, some knackers have nicked all the veg you were growing in your back garden.

Does the abstract stuff still matter so much?

murphaph

Dannyboy83 wrote: »

I know it's hard for people to see past our current lifestyle.
But try to see where we will be in 2013 for example.

Labour got a majority in the coalition, making Irish history.
The Croke park agreement remains intact - no wage reductions in the PS.
Cuts had to be made somewhere, so services were drastically cut.

Now your Mother has been diagnosed with cancer, there is no money to treat her, so she is sent home to you for pallative care and to die.

Your best friend is suicidal because he has a severely disabled brother who's life is effectively over and you won't let your kids outside to play, because the nearest A+E is a good 100km drive away.

Class sizes have nearly doubled and your daughter sits in a freezing prefab all day, risking pneumonia. She is getting no education worth mentioning.

Labour announce another 5% income tax increase in the coming budget, there is barely money to feed the kids and you tell the wife that ye'll have to go without presents again this Christmas. Your wife accepts it but you know she wishes she never married you, she deserved a better life.

Unemployment has dropped a little to 22%, mainly due to emigration, but crime is rampant and during the night, some knackers have nicked all the veg you were growing in your back garden.

Does the abstract stuff still matter so much?

Fcuk me, I'm officially depressed reading that Dannyboy!

We need to get away from get rich wuick type schemes and just do what we did a decade ago. The 1990s were Ireland's golden age: productive people, working hard, increasing our GDP. We just need to get back to that.

TheDuderino

Was thinking the same myself. A new version of Lend/Lease.

Create a few parcels of land. The "tenant" has sovereignty over it for 99 years. Strictly speaking it isnt Irish Territory, so Neutrality is intact. Also, they would be open to all bids, so no favourites.

China, Russia, USA, Iran....

A large enough portion to support a Base but also private enterprise.

Around these areas Irish business would sprout at the "border" crossings.


The original lend/lease occured to help secure British sovereignty and protect the people. Whats so different now? We'd get them back in 2109.

chucken1

Dannyboy83 wrote: »

Give me a wild estimate: How much would the US pay for Shannon?

We could let it to them for a few billion per year, or just sell them it for a base for a once off fee of 80billion.

The way things are looking right now, Ireland doesn't have a future, gonna be a debt slave for 30 years+, trying to pay off interest on 170 billion worth of debt on a 30 bill income.

What kind of money have they paid out for bases in the past?

THE Shannon (title) is a big river..so I dont really know how much that would 'cost'..But heres an novel idea if you're thinking of giving away towns in Ireland..Sell CORK..

Liam Byrne

Sell them Dublin Airport instead.....apparently planes can fly directly there nowadays.

I do not want a U.S. airbase anywhere near me.

BlaasForRafa

Dannyboy83 wrote: »

Give me a wild estimate: How much would the US pay for Shannon?

We could let it to them for a few billion per year, or just sell them it for a base for a once off fee of 80billion.

The way things are looking right now, Ireland doesn't have a future, gonna be a debt slave for 30 years+, trying to pay off interest on 170 billion worth of debt on a 30 bill income.

What kind of money have they paid out for bases in the past?

I think certain types overestimated the value of the shannon stopover to the american military. Its a handy little pitstop for them on the way to somewhere else but why would they want a full base there when they've already got massive bases in europe at Ramstein and Spangdahlem amongst others?