How would you want the US to react if Ireland pursued a strict policy of neutrality, along with a defensive nuclear weapons program?

31 comments

  1. Well the US is already of the opinion that no more countries should have nukes and iirc, Ireland doesn’t have any now, so I hope disapproval of the nuclear weapons. The neutrality, who cares, but not more nukes

  2. Ireland managed to maintain such strict neutrality during WWII that even despite being bombed a couple of times by the Nazis were still the only country to offer official condolences to Germany upon Hitler’s suicide. It didn’t seem to bother us then. Don’t know why it would today. As for the nukes, whatever.

  3. Ireland’s already-extant neutrality makes it a free rider within NATO’s security envelope. I think it’s a bit shameful to functionally rely on others for defense without contributing anything, but whatever.

    An Irish nuclear weapons program would be profoundly silly, almost totally useless if successful and far beyond Ireland’s budget.

  4. Isn’t there an [international agreement against further development of nuclear weapons](https://www.nti.org/education-center/treaties-and-regimes/treaty-on-the-prohibition-of-nuclear-weapons/#:~:text=The%20Treaty%20on%20the%20Prohibition%20of%20Nuclear%20Weapons%20(TPNW)%20prohibits,or%20other%20nuclear%20explosive%20devices.), that Ireland has entered?

    I’d want the US to act in accordance with international law and treaties that govern this, what would you expect us to do?

  6. I assumed they were de facto neutral to begin with since they have only a rudimentary defense force and are protected by other, more economically powerful countries. I don’t think it would warrant any reaction if they decided to just continue being neutral. Weren’t they also neutral during WWII?

  7. I mean I personally don’t care.

    I’m sure we have State Department people who would manage those affairs on our behalf.

  8. Our government doesn’t want any more countries to have nukes, so I I’m sure some sort of official disapproval, sanctions and not allowing our company’s to use Ireland as a tax shelter anymore.

  10. “Defensive nuclear weapons program” a bit of an oxymoron if you ask me.

    Ireland has no business investing in nukes if they’re pursuing neutrality.

  11. We’d probably just sit back and watch Britain curb stomp you for trying to get nukes.

  12. Well logistically Ireland would have a difficult time under current policies, budgeting, and education to develop a nuclear weapons program to start off with. Ireland currently is a partner in an agreement to stop the development of nuclear weapons. Ireland has also made it illegal for nuclear fission and fission reactors to occur in Ireland. Ireland currently has been spending around $1.2 billion on defense with a plan to massively reduce that by 2028. To create a nuclear program Ireland would need to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to create facilities, to obtain materials, to conduct testing, to create nuclear engineering programs for students, to train nuclear engineers, to pay engineers, and to conduct initial experiments.

    Now let’s say that Ireland somehow did manage to do this, what can they expect from the USA and its close allies? Heavy economical and military sanctions. Ireland practically freeloads off other western countries for defense, at the very least you could expect that willingness to protect decrease significantly from the stronger of those countries (Canada, Germany, UK, and USA).

  13. Probably just giggle since you can’t afford a nuclear weapons program. You also have no ships, subs, or aircraft capable of launching nuclear weapons and you can’t afford those either. You also have no fighter jets or modern air defense systems and can’t afford them, which means any nukes you did attain would last about 4 seconds in a war before whatever fantasy enemy you have bombs them and makes them a moot point

  14. I support the non-proliferation treaty both countries are signatories to. So, by extension I’d support the crushing sanctions that the US, UK, and all EU countries would impose upon Ireland for developing nukes and which would utterly destroy the Irish economy if they attempted something so stupid. Fortunately no conceivable Irish government would ever attempt to do anything that stupid so it’s really a non-issue nobody has to seriously consider.

  15. The Irish are already neutral, and considering the UK is probably our best ally in Europe that’s fine with me.

    I am categorically against nuclear proliferation.

  16. The British are likely not going to like it regardless of neutrality so I’d assume the US would back our strongest ally in this scenario.

  17. What does a “defensive nuclear weapons program” look like?

    “Don’t invade us! If you do we’ll blow ourselves up!”

  20. Strict neutrality while sucking up partisan benefit is the comfortable policy position of the relatively irrelevant. The moment you pursue a nuclear weapons program you lose that privilege. Ireland would find itself required by circumstance to comport itself in a different manner, one inconsistent with a cowardly “neutrality”.

    That said, if you investigate Irish geopolitics I think you will find it is far less neutral than you think.
    Also, as others have said, Ireland has no nuclear capability, nor does it have incentive to pursue one.

  23. Considering the recent history of terrorism in Ireland I’d be a little nervous about a nuclear program there, and I suspect the U.S. government and U.K. Government and E.U. would agree. Ireland would be economically isolated.

    Besides, who’s gonna invade Ireland? You realize that you’re an island nation that’s over a thousand miles from the nearest credible threat? Unless you’re worried about the U.K. Which is fair enough but they already have nukes and it’s probably not a good idea to nuke your immediate neighbor anyway.

  25. You need to understand something.

    There is immense love and good will for the Republic of Ireland in the United states. The Irish are one of the largest ethnic groups in this country, and a great deal of Americans sympathize strongly with Ireland in its disputes with England and Northern Ireland. I’d even say the majority of those who aren’t of English descent and who aren’t right wing politically.

    If anybody did so much as lay a finger on the Republic of Ireland, we’d jump in immediately to prevent any harm from coming to you. The love and the ties that exist between our people and your island are deep and intense. Russian ships and submarines have crossed paths with Irish vessels in Irish waters, so that’s where your concern should lie. Russia’s encroachment into the Arctic poses a far greater challenge for you than we do.

    If you were to join NATO, we’d welcome you with open arms. You choosing to go then neutral path also is welcome by us. The only way it becomes an issue is if you decided to become a proxy for forces that are hostile to regional security, as that would happen in any region in the world.

    There are plenty of nations within our “sphere” that act directly against US interests. Hungary and Turkey are two notable examples – but you don’t see us in open conflict with them. Ireland would be no different, and would be in a better position if anything, as america turning its guns on Ireland would make the American Irish Catholics turn their guns on the US government.

    If you wanted to pursue a pro Russia pro China policy, you’re free to do so and wouldn’t incur any wrath by America, but don’t be surprised if that causes you to become more isolated from Europe and the west.

  26. *Dear Ireland, Thank you for your years of support. Your recent political decision has given us reason to reassess our trade relationship. At this point in time, we feel that it is in the best interest of the USA and our allies to restrict the importation of Guinness Stout, Harp Lager, Jamison and Bushmill whiskey etc. Further we are considering a reduction on the export of US goods such as pharmaceutical products, electrical components and equipment, computers and peripherals, aircraft, and optical/medical instruments, as our more aligned trading partners have need for these products as well…..* **(FYI 30% of all Irish exports come to the USA)**

  27. Ireland is utterly irrelevant, geopolitically. The U.S. would not care what Ireland does unless they started shit in Northern Ireland and pissed off the UK.

    What the hell are the nukes for? What do you need them for? Afraid that King Charles is going to try and take you back?

  28. The nukes part would not be received well. I don’t know what the action taken would be but it would be bad. Why are you worried about this? You are already under both the UK’s and the US’ nuclear umbrella. This would be the surest way to fuck around and find out.

  29. 1. You couldn’t afford it, so it’s a non-issue.

    2. You wouldn’t need to startup a nuclear weapons program if the goal is maintaining neutrality, so it’s a non-issue.

    3. You guys already take a stance of neutrality, and even if you hadn’t, you wouldn’t be able to do anything of any consequence with it outside of allying with Russia or China, which is not likely to happen anyway. So, again, non-issue.

    4. *No one* is lining up to invade Ireland, and if they were, big brother UK would step in and handle that shit. So, again, non-issue.

    5. You all entered an agreement to outlaw the continued development of nuclear weapons. If for whatever reason you all did find it within yourselves to mount a nuclear weapons initiative, the UK would step in and shut that shit down before anyone else in NATO even needed to lift a finger. Non-issue.

    6. *Absolute no one,* and I cannot stress that enough, is sweating Irish aggression in *any* capacity.

  30. Ireland doesn’t have the will or the budget, nor the need. They are deep within the lines of NATO and don’t have any current threats to their independence. The best Ireland could do to increase its defenses would be to spend more of the Air Force, Navy, Army, etc, but it still isn’t needed at the moment

  31. That would violate the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which Ireland has signed and ratified.

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