Is it time to join Nato

Why would they when we can't offer anything in return,

Nothing

I suppose the other concern is interference with the undersea cables going across the Atlantic from Ireland, carrying EU data ?

I think at the moment if Russian jets without transponders were or are detected off the west coast of Ireland, for example, it is the UK who detects them and intercepts them?

I suppose we can shelter behind the UK, same as we did in WW2 and the Cold war. I suppose our usual policy is let them pay the money and put in the blood, sweat and tears.

In WW1, if someone did not go to the defence of little Catholic Belgium which Germany invaded, where would it have all stopped?

In WW2 our government did not exactly do much to help the 6 million victims of the holocaust (Jews, gypsies, handicapped, communists etc). I am aware a large 5 figure number of Irish people did volunteer and serve in UK forces, and many more emigrated to help their war effort.

I suppose in the Cold war we let other do the effort. An independent voice is all very well but other independent voices in ww2 were invaded by the Nazi forces for example. Denmark and Norway on 9 April 1940—then Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. Neutrality did do them or their Jewish citizens much good. Admit it, in WW2 our government sheltered behind the UK.  

Geography, nothing we can do about it. Anyway the most likely hostile force was and still is the UK itself.

@ittakestwo I think a lot of west brits cant stand the fact Ireland is neutral and is the correct descion.

Stupid statement,

We're a nation governed by cowardice we hide behind a skirt while expecting everyone else will come to save us because we have allowed government after government to deminish our defense forces , decade after decade investment in defense has been non existent while quoting eu defense policies will protect us ,why spend our money when the Brits will protect our skies and waters.

It's embarrassing

Treason my hole.

And wars usually come looking for you whether you like it or not.

https://youtu.be/XsCgBXhrXf0

We are non-aligned. Even in the 1930s De Valera wasn't neutral.

'de Valera intimated that Ireland might go to war with Italy in defence of Ethiopia under the covenant of the League of Nations. Had his advice been heeded, Italy would have been compelled to back down or Ireland would, as part the league, have gone to war against it.

Three years earlier he took a similar stand in relation to Japan’s attack on China after his government had inherited a seat on the council of the League of Nations. When the league met in September 1932 to discuss the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, it was the Irish Free State’s turn to assume the revolving presidency.

As president of the council, de Valera delivered the opening address to the assembly. His speech, which was supportive of the league’s aims, caused an international sensation.'

Wedo need to greatly improve our defence forces. At least be able to defende ourselves.

Neighbourhood watch! 😂

Be very careful if you invite the yanks to watch over you... it's a bit like inviting a serial killer to babysit your kids.

Ukraine are essentially a de-facto NATO member right now. NATO are using their territory to fight a proxy war with Russia.

And where exactly has this taken Ukraine as a nation? To the brink of total destruction, that's where. The Ukrainians were so confident that they had the support of the yanks/NATO/the west, that they could stick 2 fingers up to their actual neighbour and do whatever they pleased. And it will go down in history as one of the costliest political misjudgements of modern times. Their nation is now in ruins... another grand western/NATO inspired mess!

The yanks are the sort of friend you don't want to invite into your house. You don't want them as your enemy, but you also don't want them to have the free run of your nation... because you know eventually they will trash the place!

We have the perfect balance right now. Our neutrality gives us this balance. And it's far too valuable an asset, to simply throw away because of some fantasy idea of the Russians invading our Island. We're not Ukraine, and in fact we are nothing remotely like Ukraine. Our circumstances and position in the world, are completely different to their's. People attempting to draw any parallels because of this conflict, are simply deluded opportunists looking to create a big stupid political bandwagon!

South Africa? It was part of the British Empire at the time so not a fully independent country. Same with Canada and Australia. The policy of neutrality in WW2 was sensible especially as lesst than 20 years earlier we had fought the British and owed them nothing.

Actually South Africa achieved its independence from Britain on May 31, 1910. General Louis Botha formed a government as prime minister on May 31, 1910. South Africa made significant contributions to the Allied war effort. Some 135,000 white South Africans fought in the East and North African and Italian campaigns, and 70,000 Blacks and Coloureds served as labourers and transport drivers.

Neutral counties like Denmark,Norway,Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg were all invaded by Nazi Germany, and their Jewish + Gypsies + handicapped etc sent to Nazi extermination camps. Being neutral did not save them. Do you think China or Russia respect weak neutral countries? What contribution to freeing Europe and the world from Nazism did DeValera make?

What an unbelievable load of crap. You hard of thinking types blaming NATO for the destruction in Ukraine really is quite the stretch. You really should be ashamed of yourself for that nonsense because apart from being a completely mortally bankrupt stance it's also total and utter idiocy. Jog on Forest, jog on.