The ‘shamrock’ shenanigans that will take place at the White House between President Trump and Ireland’s Taoiseach Enda Kenny on St. Patrick’s Day may mean more than in previous years. British plans to leave the European Union (BREXIT) have given hope to those who, like Richard Haass of the Council of Foreign Relations, sense the break-up of the United Kingdom is near. Could Ireland’s re-unification be closer than ever?
The initial signs were ominous. First, the President restored the Winston Churchill bust to the Oval Office. It was removed by President Obama who felt uncomfortable with the imperialist, anti-Semitic, and racist English leader glowering at all who entered. Then a leaked memo from UK Ambassador to the U. S., Kim Darroch, advised Prime Minister Theresa May that they were better placed to capitalize on Trump’s inexperience and shape his policies “… then the whole D. C. diplomatic corps.” Ms. May then came calling to the White House for photo-ops with the man who claims to be called “ Mr. BREXIT” and to plead for trade deals and U. S. assistance.
But there were also opportunities for U. S. initiatives. Britain has to now deal with a strong showing for Nationalists in the recent N. I. Assembly election. The Belfast peace Treaty of 1998, which America supports, was being ignored by the British. The prediction of a ‘hard’ BREXIT promises to hit the partitioned island very hard. Northern Ireland Unionists can no longer do Britain’s bidding. May’s promise to remove EU Human Rights convention from English law will be challenged. The UK has reneged on key justice provisions of the Belfast and Weston Park pacts. This includes refusing to cooperate with inquiries into the Dublin-Monaghan bombing in 1974 (Ireland’s 9/11) and an independent inquiry into the murder of attorney Patrick Finucane, and blocking the investigations and inquests of hundreds of Catholics killed by security forces. Parliament has moved to grant amnesty for soldiers involved. As for BREXIT, $1.1 billion annually (subsidies & grants) in EU funds for N. I. will be on the negotiating table as part of the divorce. Scotland voted to remain in the EU so there is also the prospect of another Scottish independence referendum. In other words, the stars could be aligned for new and dramatic thinking and alignments in this Age of BREXIT.
U. S. Presidents, indeed most Americans, gave little thought to Ireland much less its reunification until England violently destroyed the civil rights campaign like the Russians crushed the Hungarian Revolution in 1956. President Carter voiced human rights concerns but President Reagan was preoccupied playing cowboys and Indians with Contras, mujahedeen, CIA regime destabilizations and, not to be overlooked, selling arms secretly to the lawless and corrupt Royal Ulster Constabulary. Not until visas were granted by President Clinton to Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams did Britain see the handwriting on the wall.
But can the President who authored The Art of the Deal apply his business acumen to what could be a win-win situation? America has long and friendly ties to both Ireland and Britain and there is no reason why Ireland should suffer Britain’s BREXIT angst. In 2015 two independent economists, Canadian economist Dr. Ken Huebner and Irish economist Michael Burke, have provided ample documentation justifying an end to partition. The question is, does this very different President have the political skills and will to be a catalyst for change when it is most needed?
I am confident that Brexit will help lead to a United Ireland.
I used to dislike this talk of the inevitability of a UI.
The reason being, that I felt it was used by southern politicians as an excuse to do nothing
And for others as well.
I am loathe to use that word.. but Yes it is ” inevitable”
You only have to look at some recent British experiences for example; BSE and Foot and Mouth disease.
The reader can discern the British attitude and competence in the agri-food business from those events.
Also unionist farmers designated their beef as Irish to export.
Well, these same farmers will soon be designating their land as Irish, too 🙂
Then extrapoliate from that data the Brexit solution and there you have it folks.
The writing just isn’t on the wall…. It is the wall.
The wall being the object that unionism smashes it’s head against.
Time after time after time…… after time.
British Union in Ireland?
Sure that was buried in 23rd June 2016
Sick Counties
1922- 2016 ( the 23rd June 2016 to be precise )
Brexit is not the begining of the end but it IS the end of the beginning.. to Paraphrase Churchill.. El Alamein 1942.
Brexit is Unionism’s Stalingrad.
Only the DUP voted for Stalingrad themselves.
Eejits.
In short Brexit will take place in 2019.
By 2021 the effects will start become known.
Give it 5 years after that; 2021 for the penny to really sink in.
A united Ireland between 2025 and 2030 will either exist or it will be seriously considered in what heretofore would be the most unlikely quarters.
The future’s bright.
The Future is Green, white and orange.
Michael John, good piece but, Britain’s ‘Brexit angst’ certainly appears to be occasioning significantly more concern to the government of the Twenty Six counties than to Britain. It is on the agenda at almost every conversation I hold in the capital.
As before, M.A.G.A. Trump is set to return American job’s to America, making the long policy of the Twenty Six county government’s, to attract FDI to make up for a lack of national initiative, be assured, I have tried, will mean a return to USA of Intel, Facebook, Google, Twitter etc. Intel ink being closed presently.
The economy of the Twenty Six cannot survive the loss of such FDI, especially after permitting whole scale tax avoidance by many such US companies over decades.
I still cannot understand the Sinn Féin approach to Brexit v. EU federalism and, myself, voted amach on June 23rd last since, without doubt, with Der Netherland and Francais both likely to elect anti-EU governments this year, why sit on the Titanic’s deck chairs while there are seats in life boat’s, notably, EU exit.
Forget about the soundings from RTE and BBC, read other media, the world is changing and I’d rather be a part of a peaceful trading one than one bent on completion of the war they lost, twice.
Trump is not the danger you make him out.
He said he’d scrap Obama care.
He reformed it.
You single out Ireland for FDI?
Replace all those Company names.
With Toyota ( Japan ), Nissan ( franco-Japanese ) Honda.
Ford and Opel and you have the FDI phenomen of Britain.
You are reading the tea leaves wrong.
It’s Britain that’s doomed Not Ireland,
In actual fact. You couldn’t be more wrong.
There are 1000 companies looking to set up operations in the 26.
That is DIRECTLY from Brexit.
Barclays bank being just one of them
Also, you are wrong ;as Irish owned companies create over 150,000 jobs in the USA
And USA companies employ about 100,000 people in here.
Ergo if the USA was to pull those companies.
Irish companies could simply fill the void with some of those USA jobs.
Trump has Mexico in his sights….Not Ireland. nd after Mexico China.
And as I said at start his rhetoric is different from his bite
You’ve taken the British propaganda.
And your General Knowledge is lacking.
As to single oue Ireland for FDI attack whilst ignoring that Britain and many other Countries do the same thing is an Amateur mistake.
FDI exposure is not unique to Ireland.. You seem to think it is.
But EVERY single country depends upon FDI.
How do you think China got behind the wheel of all those Volkswagens and Buicks? For instance.
Your lining in 1930’s Autarky World And how did that work again?
Also The British export some products through the Sea port of Rotterdam
This will mean they’re really vulnerable to Cabotage regulations
The EU have the Brits over a barrel.
The UK buys a lot of German cars.
German cars are luxury goods
And as every economic student knows the Demand curve for luxury goods are inelastic, due to the fact that they are hard to substitute.
Result : England will still buy German cars.
End result : UK has no threat over the EU.
The effect of having No threat…. They got no bargaining power.
Unless you want to seriously tell me the Brits will park their BMWs and Audis and start to drive Lexus and Jaguars???
Lexus has been sold since 1990… They are failures in Europe.England included
jaguar…They don’t have the range and they sell more 4×4’s than regular cars
Ergo It takes too much time to retool to make saloons over SUV’s.