If being an unaligned country with a large army is no deterrent to Putin's ambitions is it time for ROI to join Nato?
Paranoia and servility?
How about rejecting British intelligence out of paranoia (rather than servility to Putin) while simultaneously wishing to hand over control of our Defence Forces to a British UN veto in the ultimate act of servility.
The only question for you is which you are most servile to.
No 'paranoia' involved. I am suspicious and guarded about anything British Intelligence says, as I am about Russina and US intelligence. That's healthy in light of what they have all been involved in.
Like Russia concocted an excuse (getting rid of Nazi's) to go into Ukraine, the British riding shotgun for the US did the exact same thing to justify going into Iraq.
Don't forget either what they concocted and stoked here on this island too.
The British are our friends, the Russians are not. Your suspicion and guardedness comes across as rampant paranoia, whatever you might think.
Concocted an excuse? Our media would have you believe it was as simple as that, a recent decision caused by no one but Russia, the baddies 😂
You don't get to tell anyone to shut up. Before, after or during any hypothetical referendum. We live in a democracy.
I didn't tell you anything.
I ASKED you would you. You won't, fair enough.
The British will do what is best for Britain(or a singular part of Britain), which as any one with eyes can see, means we suffer as well as a whole lot of other places that they have colonised and bombed into the 'acceptance of their gifts'.
Went to see Translations in the Abbey recently and Friel makes the point, through the character of Owen, that colonisation could only work if they had natives working with them. At least by play end he was seeing the error of his judgement.
As I said, in my opinion, your views on the issue of British intelligence with regard to the Salisbury incident come across clearly as rampant paranoia.
Of course they did. I have never heard you express a view that was critical of British foreign policy or the actions of their intelligence services.
I would not expect you to think anything else.
You are just adding to the sense of rampant paranoia eking from your posts. Next thing you will be accusing me of being a secret British agent.
As for criticising British foreign policy, I have said that Brexit was bad for everyone, I have forecast the problems with the Protocol compared to the May approach etc. Then again, those comments may be obscured by paranoia.
I have stated why I do not trust them. Credible substantive reasons. They have lied and concocted before.
Only a simpering fool would take them at their word.
I would love to see your posts criticising their intelligence service. But you don’t do back up.
Three things.
1) You supported the Russians 'Trolling' the British when with their airspace incursions.
2) You are going down the road of saying that, every side has its point of view. That is the same tactic used by the anti-vaxxers when it came to vaccines and the Putin apologists who firmly put the blame on the slaughter in Ukraine. The whole, 'Sure NATO and Russia are as bad as each other' malarkey. It's grade-A nonsense peddled by Putin bots who get their talking points straight out form the Kremlin. That is the side of history you are on.
3) You didn't support upgrading and investing our military capacity a few years ago. Now, low and behold you take a different view and have repeatedly taken potshots at the government over our lack of defence capability. You are a hypocrite.
TLDR:
You supported the Russians, you take the side of the Putin-bots when it comes to NATO and you are a hypocrite giving out about our lack of defence.
So you move the goalposts again, you asked where I criticised British foreign policy, I provided it, so you moved the goalposts to where I criticised British intelligence.
The thing is, I am not paranoid about British intelligence, so I don't spend my waking hours thinking about it or posting about it so I doubt there is any post where I either praised or criticised British intelligence. The only time I may have posted on it is to accept what was said by British and EU intelligence about Salisbury. Accepting the bona fides of friendly nations' intelligence service is neither praising them nor criticising them.
You still won't concede that your paranoia about British intelligence led you to the wrong conclusion about Salisbury, or maybe you still doubt Russian involvement and think it was some rogue operation stealing the stuff or some other conspiracy theory idea?
You do know there are other military alliances out there than NATO?
We are already part of the EU, and with that have legal obligations to come to the aid of another EU member if attacked. We voted for this. People need to realise what obligations we already have. Good look to SF or another crackpot party trying to undo it. Irexit?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Security_and_Defence_Policy
"If a Member State is the victim of armed aggression on its territory, the other Member States shall have towards it an obligation of aid and assistance by all the means in their power, in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.
I dont get this notion that 'Neutral' Ireland is something baked into us a nation, like a pint of Guinness or St. Patrick Day
First of all, we aren't really all that Neutral and as a nation, we are not Neutral when it comes to Ukraine. Even SF and the others agree with that.
They just don't want to be part of a greater whole. Reminds me of the EEC referendum back in 1974 when all the cranks and crackpots were going to decry the end of the Republic if we joined. Where are they now? Nowhere.... just like in due course when Ireland steps up and becomes a more military-aligned country, life will go on, as normal. Only then we will be protected under a better security blanket than before.
I fairness, you have form when it comes to not accepting the democratic decisions of Ireland going by past comments.*
*Internet doesn't lie Francie
You were 100% for the Russians 'trolling' the Brits with incursions into their airspace. You thought it quite amusing actually. I posted the link to your comment. Best take it on the chin.
For the nth time, other European nation states agreed with the British and American assessment to what happened in Salisbury. Yet, you seem to ignore that too. You come across as someone who won't accept anything, regardless of evidence, much like the anti-vaxxers of the day. The same playbook again and again.
Which decision was that Mark?
Back up time agin…no doubt it will pass by and the lies will continue.
We are ‘aiding’ Ukraine and I am sure we will continue to aid those who are subject to invasion.
No blanch. I asked you on both foreign policy and the intelligence service.
Stop setting up lies to have a go. It’s a tired tactic.
p.s. What ‘conclusion’ did I come to on Salisbury?
Aspects of the GFA for example. I don't want to get into it, as its off-topic, but yes, you tried to tell us all porkies about that one, even though the island of Ireland voted for it.
Among others mind.... I remember you were hugely upset the Queen visited Ireland, even though the vast vast VAST majority of the Irish people supported it.
Anyway... enough about that, its off-topic, but I did want to highlight to others that you are not as much a democrat as you like to portray.
.
Back to NATO and Ireland...
Therefore we are not Neutral. Thanks for seeing the light. :)
In terms of sending troops and physically fighting a war YES we are neutral. We are not politically neutral. Thought you knew this? Kinda important to know that if taking part in debate on NATO
And when talking about another EU member being attacked, we are obliged to offer military assistance.
If a Member State is the victim of armed aggression on its territory, the other Member States shall have towards it an obligation of aid and assistance by all the means in their power, in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.
Therefore, not neutral.
Aid and assistance Mark, same as we have done for Ukraine.
Go do some research.
Aiding an active conflict in which Ireland has firmly taken a side the side of Ukraine that is not Neutrality.
obligation of aid and assistance by all the means in their power, in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.
Key words, 'By all the means in their power'
This includes military aid and assistance.
Therefore we are not Neutral. This was debated earlier in the thread, where you didn't have an issue with it. Yet now, you want to redefine it.
Exactly…and what are we doing with regard to Ukraine?
Laughable what you are trying on here.
We are not politically neutral.
Ireland has supplied non-lethal military aid. We are not neutral militarily. And is going to Train Military personnel on IED removal. See the word Military come up a few times.
