Should Ireland always be neutral?

Xcellor

Is it cool to maintain an always neutral standpoint and allow others to fight and die to protect European interests?

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/independent-tds-want-neutrality-enshrined-in-constitution-387644.html

We denounce terrorism on one hand but then state we want to be neutral on the other hand.

Roger_007

We have always been neutral on the side of somebody?

Gatling

No we should have the ability to defend our country and waters by having modern military capacity to take actions if needs be ,
How many other countries in Europe would require it's neighbours to defend airspace and waters from foreign aggression (hypothetical)
Another for a start the defence business is a gold mine and we should be able to develop weapon systems here to sell on the global markets

beach_walker

Should Ireland always be neutral?

Well I think we should have a clause allowing us to use force in the event of an alien invasion.

osarusan

Neutral like a fox

armaghlad

Gatling wrote: »

No we should have the ability to defend our country and waters by having modern military capacity to take actions if needs be ,
How many other countries in Europe would require it's neighbours to defend airspace and waters from foreign aggression (hypothetical)
Another for a start the defence business is a gold mine and we should be able to develop weapon systems here to sell on the global markets

Yeah. When Luxembourg and San Marino come to invade Ireland we need to be prepared..

Maximus Alexander

Being neutral doesn't mean you won't defend yourself. On the contrary, neutral countries normally have decent standing armies. Ireland is a weird exception to this.

Captain Chaos

Always be neutral, we are not.

1) We allow other countries to use our land and airspace to conduct their own affairs.

2) We cannot defend out sea, land or airspace from an opposing force or have the basic ability to do so.

3) We send our own special forces abroad to take part in other people's wars.

On those 3 points alone we are not neutral.

IllBeGrand

Yes of course, we should have a fixed immovable position on this regardless of the realities of what's happening in the world.

Agricola

I think we should always be neutral but continue to support American/Brit imperialism wherever possible.

Gatling

armaghlad wrote: »

Yeah. When Luxembourg and San Marino come to invade Ireland we need to be prepared..

Ask the same in Ukraine and the Crimea

darkpagandeath

When has Ireland been a Neutral country ?

Skylinehead

I don't like these trends of "enshrine X in the constitution" (neutrality, water charges (!!) etc). Populist crap is all it is. Leave the constitution to do what it's supposed to do.

Xcellor

I think most Irish people would like ISIS destroyed but yet most Irish people want someone else to do it and go as far as stopping US military using Shannon.

Icemancometh

What makes a good man go neutral? Lust for power? Gold? Or were you just born with a heart full of neutrality?

Dyr

Skylinehead wrote: »

I don't like these trends of "enshrine X in the constitution" (neutrality, water charges (!!) etc). Populist crap is all it is. Leave the constitution to do what it's supposed to do.

Prevent abortion?

Skylinehead

Bambi wrote: »

Prevent abortion?

Get rid of that too. Should be legislated for, I'm not saying our constitution is perfect, far from it.

screamer

We're lucky that up to how we've been able to be a country of nimbys. If / when the time comes for us to defend ourselves we just won't have the resources nor the expertise. You'd think we'd have learned years ago from the experiences with our imperialist occupiers.
Anyways remember all it takes for evil to prosper is for a good man (or woman) to do nothing...............

darkpagandeath

screamer wrote: »

We're lucky that up to how we've been able to be a country of nimbys. If / when the time comes for us to defend ourselves we just won't have the resources nor the expertise. You'd think we'd have learned years ago from the experiences with our imperialist occupiers.
Anyways remember all it takes for evil to prosper is for a good man (or woman) to do nothing...............

Ha sure we have all the firepower we need with them Pylons firing out death rays. And those Wind farms causing Acoustic problems.

Maximus Alexander

darkpagandeath wrote: »

Ha sure we have all the firepower we need with them Pylons firing out death rays. And those Wind farms causing Acoustic problems.

In fairness, they wanted to build a barracks and an aircraft carrier in my back yard and I told them to sling their hook.

conorhal

Captain Chaos wrote: »

Always be neutral, we are not.

1) We allow other countries to use our land and airspace to conduct their own affairs.

2) We cannot defend out sea, land or airspace from an opposing force or have the basic ability to do so.

3) We send our own special forces abroad to take part in other people's wars.

On those 3 points alone we are not neutral.

You seem to have a poor understanding of what neutrality is.

It doesn't mean you don't get involved in the shooting, it mean you do so by making the decision to, not because some Serb shoots and Autrian toff and you have a mutual defence treaty with sombody that Austria does.

IllBeGrand wrote: »

Yes of course, we should have a fixed immovable position on this regardless of the realities of what's happening in the world.

This is the fixed position.

To get stuck into sombody elses war three things are required:

A UN Security Council resolution or UN General Assembly resolution;
A formal decision by the Irish government;
Approval by a resolution of Dáil Éireann

What exactly is your problem with this fixed position?

KingBrian2

It saddens me how our Defence Forces are treated.

Dyr

Give all us true born sons of erin guns for the anniversary rising,

Declare strict neutrality

shoot the baddies, if needs be

Fratton Fred

Ireland is not and never has been neutral. Neutrality is a flag of convenience that the government flies when appropriate.

It is a sop to the vocal minority and helps keep them quiet, but also allows them government to underspend on the military.

armaghlad

Gatling wrote: »

Ask the same in Ukraine and the Crimea

That ship has sailed old bean. Currently 6/9 counties of Ireland's northernly province is already under foreign occupation... but of course we don't look at things like that anymore

Gatling

armaghlad wrote: »

That ship has sailed old bean. Currently 6/9 counties of Ireland's northernly province is already under foreign occupation... but of course we don't look at things like that anymore

It's theirs they can keep it ,

StudentDad

Fratton Fred wrote: »

Ireland is not and never has been neutral. Neutrality is a flag of convenience that the government flies when appropriate.

It is a sop to the vocal minority and helps keep them quiet, but also allows them government to underspend on the military.

The Irish Govt. (assuming we ever have one again ) knows damned well that if we ever need real military support all they have to do is ring London.

SD

armaghlad

Gatling wrote: »

It's theirs they can keep it ,

Thankfully they surrendered the right to decide that.