Joe Horgan A man has just been released from prison after serving a short sentence relating to his activities in opposing the use of Shannon by US troops on their way to Iraq.
The use of the airport has become something of a focal point for those in Ireland who feel the war in Iraq to be unjust or illegal. They also feel that Ireland’s position as a neutral country is seriously undermined by the government’s decision to allow Shannon to be used as a facility by the US military.
On his release the man in question stated that he was committed to continuing his protest, as were all those in the anti-war movement. What they may not have realised is that they had in their ranks one Bertie Ahern who also performs as An Taoiseach of the very state that had just put our aforementioned activist in prison.
Charlie Haughey, who presumably should know about such things, famously described Bertie Ahern as the most devious, the most cunning of all, but even he must be amazed at how Bertie has deceived us all over this one.
While US troops walked around Shannon Airport in battle dress on their way to fight a war opposed by the United Nations and while more than one government politician hinted at the economic foolishness of not siding with the Americans, Bertie Ahern was secretly at one with the peace loving pinkos.
So, Bertie can now stand in front of us all and say that he was always against the war. Then again the wonderful world inhabited by our leader means that he feels free to describe himself as a socialist, though presumably not whilst standing inside the big business tent at the Galway races or sharing a canapé with the Progressive Democrats.
Now, even while helping to facilitate military action, he has stated that he was against war from the start. If politics in general is losing credibility then the elastic morality of Mr Ahern is moving beyond satire. Still, we shouldn’t take his mutterings too seriously or judge a country on the somewhat dubious principles of one individual politician, whether he is the most senior or not.
Surely of far more concern is the insidious morality free zone of the free market, which now sees small, beloved Ireland as a producer of arms that could be used in military situations around the world.
Military exports are now worth in the region of ¤30million to the Irish economy with dual-use exports now having around a ¤2billion value. Dual-use exports are those, which, in a chilling echo of Bertie land, may or may not be used for military purposes. How many are not used in a military capacity is not I believe officially documented. One commentator recently wrote that ‘Irish exports are crucial to America’s nuclear weapons programme, the Apache attack helicopter favoured by the Israelis and Turks, and numerous other weapons systems, including anti-aircraft guns shown to have been used against civilians in East Timor.’
This I suppose makes us competitors in the modern, global market and as such must be seen as a good thing.
As the old saying goes war is good for business and as the commerce loving politicos must have hoped war in the gulf has been a big bonus for many.
A number of firms in Ireland have won big deals with bodies closely associated with defence agencies in Europe or the US. Now that’s not such good news if you are a citizen of Iraq or whoever is designated enemy number one next week, we’ve had Afghanistan already remember, but, ah sure, that’s business boys.
So, is this okay? Is this healthy? Is this just the way the modern world is and is it the case that if dear old Ireland wants to be a prosperous player then this is the sort of thing we must engage in. If it profits us and aligns us with those who are in essence our global financial masters is that all we should be concerned with?
Are those who oppose the current war and those who express deep concerns about our growing role in the arms trade merely idealistic simpletons? Should we just be grateful that we have any role at all? Maybe those who say their prime concern is always jobs and financial protection for Ireland are those who move in the real world.
If that is the case then we must put aside our misgivings and get on with it. We must forget those who lose homes, limbs and lives as the end result of this aspect of the Irish economy for to harp on such things would just be immature and idealistic.
To believe that Ireland could truly behave ethically and act in a moral sense in the way that it conducts its economy is obviously childish. For a country that is supposedly haunted by history, that was one of the first countries in modern times to throw off the control of a superpower, the journey from idealistic inspiration to warehouse of the powers is complete.
To think that this country was once an inspiration to oppressed peoples around the globe, well, that was before we grew up. That was before we could re-fuel armies and somehow still oppose war.
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