The debate in Ireland about joining NATO, or some sort of an EU military arrangement, is now on the political agenda like never before.
Pro-neutrality advocates argue that the country is sleep walking into a military alignment of one sort or another with Western military powers. They point to the fact that US air force planes routinely transport American soldiers to Europe and beyond via Shannon airport as an example of an erosion of our neutrality. The pro-NATO lobby must be encouraged by the acceptance of the activities at Shannon which contrasts sharply with the anger displayed against Russian naval exercises off our coast earlier this year.
What is missing from the debate is a discussion about the fact that Ireland has been playing a key role in lethal US military operations for years. Village described them in an article in 2017 which is as relevant now as it was five years ago. The piece can be accessed here: Technology neutralises our neutrality
