OPINION: Buying arms or buying peace?

Another EU unelected official has just been screaming for EU member states to create an €800 billion fund to buy arms. How can humanity progress if this is how political leaders are thinking? There’s no talk of peace - just war.

Kaja Kallas, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, is gung-ho when it comes to bullet points.

“Her task is to lead a more strategic and assertive foreign and security policy that better enables the EU to pursue its strategic interests and shape the global system … She is responsible for: strengthening Europe’s security and defence, by helping to ensure that Europe stands with Ukraine for as long as it takes, and coordinating the work to build a true European Defence Union…”

Who is catering for peace in an EU ‘serving’ 448 million people? Why didn’t the European Commission appoint a Peace Minister? The three-year bloody war between Ukraine and Russia has already claimed thousands of lives.

Donald Trump, for all his faults, and they are legion, has forced the EU to start thinking about peace. Why did it take the US to broker a deal that is bringing some semblance of silent guns in certain areas of the war zone like shipping and energy infrastructure? The US, a known warmonger, can also act as peacemaker, something the EU has not and is not pursuing, even when some EU leaders have made genuine efforts at peace as leaders of their own countries. Instead, the EU wants to build an €800 billion war chest.

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In Ireland, all we can do is watch silently on while Micheál Martin removed the triple-lock that protected the deployment of Irish troops abroad. There is a certain arrogance on display in Leinster House by both Government parties on this issue and that of speaking rights. The bolshy attitude of Government is obvious in disavowing established democratic practices and protocols in Dáil Éireann. Couple this with Michael Lowry’s two-fingered ‘invitation to talk’ to Paul Murphy during the debate and you notice that basic good manners is sadly lacking on so many levels.

Irish politicians were dismissive of Conor McGregor’s St Patrick’s Day visit to the White House. The reality is that it actually happened. Another reality is that his comments on immigration, while not full of facts, resonated with some people who feel the Government is out of touch with people.

The Government has only itself to blame for this fiasco. The reason is simple. They let unelected and unnamed people make policy decisions on where people seeking international protection should be located without any reference to local people. This is grist to the mill to people who oppose ‘foreign nationals’ being accommodated in Ireland. The lack of consultation is used to whip up opposition and fear by outlandish and unfounded claims. This prevents many others from assisting people who need help.

Why does the Government consistently make it so difficult for regular people to extend the hand of friendship to those seeking international protection? Many local communities are insulted by the lack of consultation that also makes them helpless. It is not acceptable practice from the Government. All it does is provide fodder for those who oppose foreign people.

We hear so many stories of people arriving without documentation leaving Gardaí and airport staff to pick up the pieces. It begs the question, are the protocols and laws surrounding such people’s entry and acceptance into this country being fully implemented? If they are, state it; if not, fix it.

While the asylum battle rages on and the fallout enrages local communities, we are also being asked to increase our defence spending. The only increase that’s necessary is that those in our armed forces be paid properly. Instead of looking after our own we choose to be alongside the ‘big boys’ buying arms without looking after those we expect to deploy them. The media source, TheStory.ie reports: “More than 900 people recruited to the Defence Forces left within less than five years of joining the military since 2020.”

With so much talk of war and defence budgets, here’s a question this April Fool’s Day, ‘How much peace would €800 billion buy?’