Letters to the Editor: World War Three gamble is all Trump’s
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval office at the White House with US president Donald Trump. Picture: Mystyslav Chernov/AP
March 1 marked the 64th anniversary of John F Kennedy’s founding of the Peace Corps in 1961, a symbol of American goodwill and global engagement.
Kennedy believed in service, diplomacy, and the strength of alliances, urging Americans to contribute to the world rather than retreat from it.
He stood firm against Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, defending democracy while maintaining America’s global leadership.
By contrast, Donald Trump’s foreign policy is transactional, isolating allies while favouring autocrats.
Instead of standing up to adversaries, Trump has fawned over Vladimir Putin, undermined Nato, and abandoned key allies, including Ukraine.
His abhorrent treatment of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, disdain for international co-operation, and dismantling of global aid programmes, contrast sharply with Kennedy’s vision of America as a leader in service and unity.
While America’s hegemony has never been perfect, for more than 80 years it has provided stability, security, and a framework for global co-operation.
Leadership on the world stage requires more than self-interest and bravado, it requires considered engagement and a commitment to allies, even when inconvenient.
The great irony is Trump’s accusation that Zelenskyy is “gambling with World War Three”.
In reality, it is Trump, by undermining allies, emboldening adversaries, and dismantling diplomatic norms, who is making that gamble.
I don’t approve of representatives of our Government travelling to the US for St Patrick’s Day to dance attendance on US president Trump and his chief vizier Elon Musk.
But I recognise that, here in Ireland, we’re economically and politically vulnerable to developments in the US.
I hope our Government also recognises that we need to become less vulnerable, rather than more.
The US’s support for authoritarianism abroad is mirrored in their domestic environment.
Friends working for state government in the US assure me there’s a concerted attempt to reshape the contours of American political life towards an authoritarian centre.
Our tax revenue depends in no small part on the contributions of US-owned multinational enterprises, while Irish-owned multinational enterprises have about 50% of their turnover in the US. This leaves us exposed to the vicissitudes of the US economy and to economic leverage from the US to achieve its foreign policy goals.
I don’t know if we can disentangle ourselves from this relationship. I know we can’t do it easily.
I believe we must try.
In the face of an American leadership willing to abandon Ukraine to Russia, to employ tariffs in contravention of prior treaty agreements, to threaten Canada (its closest ally), and to send its vice president to support illiberal far-right parties in Europe while spurning the existing head of government — as Mr Vance did in Germany — can we afford to do otherwise?
Our economic vulnerability to US pressure has the potential to have adverse affects on our democracy and on our society if the US turn towards authoritarianism is not checked.
If we aren’t to be bullied by people who think doing a Nazi salute is a whale of a time, the present government must reduce our risks and our vulnerabilities with regard to American money, American energy, and American technology companies.
It’s in this light that I have very strong concerns about deepening our reliance on the US in any way, particularly with regard to the proposed commercial LNG terminal.
Do we really want our energy security as well as our economy to be held hostage to a country whose leadership is capricious at best?
Do we want to find ourselves in a situation where we are compelled to go along with US policy or find ourselves subject to energy tariffs as well as other economic pressures?
Personally, I don’t.
There is a mistaken belief that being neutral will ensure a peaceful co-existence with nations at war with each other.
We are one of four nations classified as neutral.
However, we are an exception in that we are an Atlantic island sitting on a confluence of communications cables and part of our island is within the influence of Nato.
Given our current military strength, we are not in a position to guarantee the continued safe operation of subsea cables or the airspaces controlled at Shannon.
To be neutral and defend our national territory we must provide a credible defence ourselves, to prevent a range of intrusions in our areas of responsibility. It is not warmongering for a nation to defend itself and prevent default intrusions by others.
Irish TV presenter and fashion designer Brendan Courtney is to my mind a national treasure.
Last Friday, he courageously spoke on RTÉ’s about how he was attacked on Thursday.
Brendan delineated that there was a strong homophobic element to his attack.
On the night in question, he was walking on the street minding his own business when he was attacked from behind.
Brendan described being knocked to the ground where he received a boot to the side of his head as well as a boot to the back of his head.
As a clinician, I have seen the rise in these awful attacks.
However, I would encourage gay couples not to be afraid to show affection in public.
Let’s not forget that people fought really hard for much more and gave up a lot of their own safety to fight for it.
It would be true to say that whether one is straight, gay, transgender, etc, there appears to be an upsurge in these wanton obscene attacks.
Alas homophobic attacks seem to be more prevalent.
I believe anybody found guilty of such an egregious crime should be named and shamed and face the full rigours of the law.
I want to wish Brendan a speedy recovery and a special word of thanks to this good man for sharing his story.
As an arts worker, I want to respond to recent media coverage of the Irish arts sector, which became a hot topic for politicians and journalists ever since the controversy surrounding the Arts Council.
Their decision to spend €6.6m on a not fit for purpose IT system is inexcusable.
But I’ve become increasingly concerned about the narrative being peddled in its wake, one that seems intent on sending a worrying message: The arts aren’t worth investing in.
Many artists, arts organisations, and venues rely on Arts Council funding to sustain their livelihoods and keep their doors open.
They navigate a lengthy and demanding application process where every single euro must be accounted for — only to face the possibility that they will not even get funded at the end of it all. Artists know very well the value of money.
Yet the media would rather fixate on the occasional financial misstep — often by major public entities as opposed to individuals — all to stir up performative outrage. And the government is lapping it up.
Take the Tánaiste’s reaction of “absolute fury” in response to the National Gallery’s failure to find suitable facilities for a €120,000 X-ray scanner purchased eight years ago.
This comes from the same politician who, as health minster, signed off on the construction of a €2bn children’s hospital which still has not opened.
The double standards are glaring.
Some may think that the Government tightening the purse strings on arts and culture may not affect them.
I’d urge them to cast their minds back to lockdown: No concerts, no cinemas, no theatres, no museums, no summer camps or creative outlets for our children.
It was the arts that got us through that dark time, and it would be a tragedy to let this new appreciation slip away — especially over the mistakes of a few people.
