American foreign policy in the age of Trump will not be for the faint of heart. In short order, he has managed to insult many allies with what the WALL STREET JOURNAL has called “the dumbest trade war in history’; confuse and infuriate NATO leaders over his Ukraine strategy; and shock the world with his insulting ‘Gaza Riviera’ proposal for Palestinian resettlement. Now may be the time for new thinking for an old problem: the undemocratic partition of Ireland, the garrison sectarian rule imposed thereafter, and, most recently, Parliament’s cover-up of Britain’s crimes in the North and the Republic.
The Irish people have long disappointed the British beginning with the 1916 rebellion for independence, opposing the sectarian garrison called N. I., leaving the British Commonwealth and their failure to join Britain’s exit of the EU. In return, Conservative and Labor parties have obstructed Irish peace agreement obligations and often ignore or mislead Irish and American political leaders. The U. S. Department of State has publicly chastised nations for abuses of human rights, corruption of law and justice or ignoring of treaties. But Britain’s undermining of Ireland’s peace pacts remains free of U. S. public rebuke. Only the ghastly Legacy Law compelled Secretary of State Blinkin to issue a demarche, the diplomatic equivalent of a belch, warning to Britain.
Do these circumstances appear to be a likely setting for a win-win foreign policy initiative? Consider that Britain’s misrule in garrison Ulster gets darker with every Coroner’s Inquest and a functioning democracy remains dormant. Northern Ireland, England’s poorest region, requires high subsidy or subvention costs from British taxpayer. Ending the colonial era in Europe sounds appealing but will world attention be focused on conflicts elsewhere? This is a made for President Trump moment employing both his transactional and his theatrical skills. Who among us imagined a U. S. President wanting to buy Greenland, occupy the ‘Gaza Riviera”, or adopt Canada? The only downside to a reunited Ireland, frankly, is Britain’s bruised ego and that ship sailed with the BREXIT disaster!
So, expect this St Patrick’s Day for President Trump to propose a ‘deal’ wherein Britain agrees to return sovereignty of 6 counties of Ireland to the Republic in three years’ time and in return the U. S. would provide Britain with a new US-UK trade deal and exemption from America’s blanket tariffs. The U. S. would be helping two allies. Britain’s economy and competitiveness would grow. Ireland would finally agree with Britain on something. And the 40 million plus Americans of Irish descent….well
Michael J. Cummings
201 W Evergreen Ave, Apt 715
Chestnut Hill, PA 19118
267-766-5028, 518-330-6765
Michael J. Cummings, a native of Springfield, Mass. is a graduate of St. Anselm’s College (B. A., 1968) and New York University (MPA., 1970). He co-founded the American Brexit Committee in 2016 and served as Secretary from 2016-March, 2023. He is a former member of the National Boards of the Irish American Unity Conference (1996-2013), the Ancient Order of Hibernians (2001-2008), and the Irish Northern Aid Committee (1988-1996). He is the only person to serve on all three. He also served as Chairman of the Capital District Irish National Caucus (1979-1982). He worked for the State of New York for 36 years in various capacities including as Assistant Deputy State Comptroller and Director of the Justice Court Fund. He served on the Peace and Justice Commission of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany.
Cummings has appeared on American, English, and Irish television and radio and his commentary and letters have appeared in major American, Irish-American, and Catholic print media. He is married 52 years to Nuala Hogan, a nurse and native of Ireland. They have five children and 8 grandchildren.
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