Sir, – Noel Dorr has drawn a significant distinction between “non-alignment” and “neutrality” in Irish foreign policy (“What is meant by Ireland’s traditional neutrality”, Opinion, March 15th).
Non-alignment – this is, staying outside any alliance that would require us to come to the aid of others irrespective of circumstances – is indeed a defensible position, and one that I would support. But I cannot support – nor do I believe the majority of the Irish people would support – a policy of neutrality that ruled out ever taking sides in an international dispute.
How could we defend being neutral if the circumstances seemed to us to justify taking sides? Dorr has correctly reminded us that an independent foreign policy does not imply neutrality, but merely non-alignment. We needed to be reminded of that.
– Yours, etc,
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FELIX M LARKIN,
Cabinteely,
Dublin 18.
A chara, – Una Mullally’s opinion piece describing it as “militaristic” to want to fund our Defence Forces to be able carry out the bare minimum defence of our country’s territory is absurd (“Ukraine crisis will not be solved by macho posturing against Irish neutrality”, Opinion, March 14th).
Neale Richmond and his constituency colleague Josepha Madigan have understandably raised the prospect of changing this country’s defence policy given Europe is experiencing arguably the greatest security threat since the second World War.
Perhaps, rather than resorting to name-calling and personalised attacks, Mullally might read the report of the recent Defence Commission compiled by independent experts.
She seems to want “neutrality” without funding the Defence Forces properly to do their job. Meanwhile she conveniently ignores the fact that the UK and US look after the crucial aspects of our defence.
Either she wants Ireland to pursue a policy of pacifism or this is cakeism on a grand scale?
– Is mise le meas,
EOIN SCARLETT,
Terenure, Dublin 6.
Sir, – I am at a loss to understand your columnist Una Mullally’s banner headline (Opinion, March 14th), “Ireland’s greatest power is the fact we are no one’s enemy” and her subsequent defence of neutrality. Does the historical record not confirm that it is the “nice guys” such as Czechoslovakia in the last European war and Ukraine today who are invaded and conquered?
Furthermore, Germany in the last war and Russia today succeeded in annexing land without any retaliation from any other country simply because they had invested in the creation of a powerful military machine.
Surely the lessons from history are obvious! – Yours, etc,
JOHN McGRATH,
Ashford, Wicklow.
A chara, – I wonder if the West, for the defence of which many armchair generals have been writing to you to demand Ireland join Nato, is the same West that invaded Afghanistan and Iraq, killing many civilians and creating large numbers of refugees, while later turning Libya into a failed state?
None of this is to excuse Putin’s behaviour, currently in Ukraine and previously in Syria and elsewhere, but to remind your readers of one origin of Irish neutrality summed up in James Connolly’s slogan “Neither king nor kaiser”, a modern version of which might now read “Neither Kremlin nor Nato”. – Is mise,
TOMAS MAC SHEOIN,
Ballinamore, Co Leitrim.