EU Army

[Grumpy Jack]

Hopefully they will ride to the rescue,its not a given.


Democracy does not exist when a gun is to the head of the people.

[Even limited brains such as Grumpyjacks might understand that.]

I suppose were a serious incident to occur in Ireland, like a missile strike or worse a nuclear strike,then Grumpyjack would consult the people in a referendum and abide by the result.

Complete irrelevant tosh.


The realpolitik is that Irelands continued subjugation and integration into the EU superstate makes the possibility of serious external aggression occurring in Ireland greater.

Grumpyjack calls me a Walter Mitty for daring to even suggest this.


He does this because of a naive and shallow view that Ireland is exempt from world emnity and protected by EU treaties.

His misty eyed romantic vision sees the EU as a benign monolith incapable of creating serious external enemies.

Even if it does, it matters not to Grumpyjack,his great EU will shelter Ireland from attack with its mighty all Europe umbrella.



As I said before Grumpyjack thinks like a naive junior ranking civil servant lost in filing cabinet undergrowth in the dept of foreign affairs.

Now and then he is asked for his opinion and trots out the latest unspeak
positive gloss propaganda he has picked up from his station boss.

The status quo is all Grumpyjack will only ever half understand and his ability to discern the march of history is non- existent.

I'm actually confused now, Marshall Mitty - are you for or against a common EU defence? Your latest post appears to ramble between the two.

Or is it you don't want us to join an EU Army and those evil Europeans can't be allowed to make us - but if we're attacked by the Ruskies or Iranians or the Martians, then the EU had better come to our rescue?

[The Field Marshal]

Surely everyone can relax? In the event of an attack on Irish soil we can comb through our museum-bound defence assets to supplement our standing forces. No need to worry.

Your dodgy record of Fine Gael trolling trying to derail this thread does not look good for you

Cant therefore see you being of much help.

If there are many like you we will probably have to do as you suggest .

[The Fusilier]

Your dodgy record of Fine Gael trolling trying to derail this thread does not look good for you

Cant therefore see you being of much help.

If there are many like you we will probably have to do as you suggest .

I'd be as much help as the aerial relics you think we should press into service?

Considering I started the thread about the hospital ship that you got so much idiotic mileage out of, I think we can discount me being a FG troll.

You being an idiot, however is much more plausible.

[The Field Marshal]

I'm actually confused now, Marshall Mitty - are you for or against a common EU defence? Your latest post appears to ramble between the two.

Or is it you don't want us to join an EU Army and those evil Europeans can't be allowed to make us - but if we're attacked by the Ruskies or Iranians or the Martians, then the EU had better come to our rescue?

Since you ask.

I am completely opposed to a common EU defence.
Such a policy makes us exposed to attack from any enemy created by the EU.

I am therefor completely opposed to a EU army again for similiar reasons.

[Unlike your supine position, I do not advocate that Ireland rely completely on the EU.]



My position remains what it always has been.

Ireland must maintain strict neutrality.

In order to achieve this it is necessary to increase our military budget to ensure that the country has a sound and reasonably effective defense capability.

Our geographical location to some extent ensures participation in the nuclear shield provided by Britains and to a lesser extent Frances capabilities.



Ireland herself,unlike the EU, is not likely to create serious foreign enemies.

Should Ireland be attacked it would most likely be because of action at EU level not supported by Ireland.

Under such a scenario it is very likely ,hopefully that the UK would see such an action as a threat to itself and consequently take mitigating action.

Again in view of the growth of Islam in that country this might not occur should Ireland be exposed to attack from Islamic terrorists.


The bottom line is that Ireland must play a strictly neutral role in the EU.

The creation of an EU army and foreign policy substantially undermines that position.

[These arguments were all made pre Lisbon 11.]

[Grumpy Jack]

Marshall Mitty

I have no problem with 'neutrality' but let's make it real, like the Swiss. If Ireland wants to be neutral then it should withdraw from the EU and UN and take no position on any conflict. We should also then defend ourselves properly - like the Swiss.

I personally would prefer that we took a full part in any EU common defence and all that that entails. We should be a full member of the club and bear the same burden as all the other states.

What I abhor is this cute hoor, Fianna Fail version of 'neutrality' were we are neither.

[louis bernard]

Ireland must maintain strict neutrality.

In order to achieve this it is necessary to increase our military budget to ensure that the country has a sound and reasonably effective defense capability.

Have you any idea how much it would cost (this bankrupt country) to have a sound and reasonable defence capability? Our army’s primary job is to protect the state from the enemy within, a job it has done very well since it defeated the insurgents in 1922. it is far too small and not equipped to fight a war against a modern army. We have no air force, (apart from the cunningly hidden fighter jets which only you know the where about of) and no Navy, just an under resourced Naval service.

[The Field Marshal]

I'd be as much help as the aerial relics you think we should press into service?

Considering I started the thread about the hospital ship that you got so much idiotic mileage out of, I think we can discount me being a FG troll.

You being an idiot, however is much more plausible.

More pedantic rubbish.

You accuse me of spamming your 1st thread! Thats whats really eating you is,nt it?

Nothing to do with this thread at all.[Readers Note]

A thread started by you that clearly invited ridicule and opprobrium on Enda Kenny and now your whinging because thats exactly what I did!


Perhaps you believed your Ist thread should be viewed completely seriously and no humourous content or satire was to be allowed is that it?

http://www.politics.ie/fine-gael/122...assets-25.html.

I enclose reference so readers can judge for themselves.

Boo hoo hoo.

I used Kennys mad photo in conjunction with title to drive home a point and to call this spamming is simply wrong.
There are many mad photos on that thread.
Are you going to call all those poster spammers too?

You have a lot to learn sonny boy Fusilier.

Stop being po faced ,get off the potty and grow up.

Your getting George Lee syndrome.

When you get a bit more experience on posting messages and threads I might listen to you.

[The Fusilier]

If I was being pedantic, Air Marshall, I'd point out you don't know what the word "your" means.

But I won't. I'm just not like that.

[The Field Marshal]

Marshall Mitty

I have no problem with 'neutrality' but let's make it real, like the Swiss. If Ireland wants to be neutral then it should withdraw from the EU and UN and take no position on any conflict. We should also then defend ourselves properly - like the Swiss.

I personally would prefer that we took a full part in any EU common defence and all that that entails. We should be a full member of the club and bear the same burden as all the other states.

What I abhor is this cute hoor, Fianna Fail version of 'neutrality' were we are neither.

Except for the gratuitous Walter Mitty slur and full participation in EU common defence I agree with everything you say.

[Al.]

I have no problem with 'neutrality' but let's make it real, like the Swiss

The Swiss are not neutral. The Swiss Army operated under the Bundeswehr's command as part of EUFOR, and they have standing troops in Kosovo today. They're also a part of NATO's Partnership for Peace, operating in Afghanistan with the Bundeswehr. And they aren't even a EU member state. How much more will the EU member states have to submit themselves to the German High Command in a "common defence"?