New Events

International

no events posted in last week

Blog Feeds

Anti-Empire

Anti-Empire

offsite link North Korea Increases Aid to Russia, Mos... Tue Nov 19, 2024 12:29 | Marko Marjanovi?

offsite link Trump Assembles a War Cabinet Sat Nov 16, 2024 10:29 | Marko Marjanovi?

offsite link Slavgrinder Ramps Up Into Overdrive Tue Nov 12, 2024 10:29 | Marko Marjanovi?

offsite link ?Existential? Culling to Continue on Com... Mon Nov 11, 2024 10:28 | Marko Marjanovi?

offsite link US to Deploy Military Contractors to Ukr... Sun Nov 10, 2024 02:37 | Field Empty

Anti-Empire >>

The Saker
A bird's eye view of the vineyard

offsite link Alternative Copy of thesaker.is site is available Thu May 25, 2023 14:38 | Ice-Saker-V6bKu3nz
Alternative site: https://thesaker.si/saker-a... Site was created using the downloads provided Regards Herb

offsite link The Saker blog is now frozen Tue Feb 28, 2023 23:55 | The Saker
Dear friends As I have previously announced, we are now “freezing” the blog.? We are also making archives of the blog available for free download in various formats (see below).?

offsite link What do you make of the Russia and China Partnership? Tue Feb 28, 2023 16:26 | The Saker
by Mr. Allen for the Saker blog Over the last few years, we hear leaders from both Russia and China pronouncing that they have formed a relationship where there are

offsite link Moveable Feast Cafe 2023/02/27 ? Open Thread Mon Feb 27, 2023 19:00 | cafe-uploader
2023/02/27 19:00:02Welcome to the ‘Moveable Feast Cafe’. The ‘Moveable Feast’ is an open thread where readers can post wide ranging observations, articles, rants, off topic and have animate discussions of

offsite link The stage is set for Hybrid World War III Mon Feb 27, 2023 15:50 | The Saker
Pepe Escobar for the Saker blog A powerful feeling rhythms your skin and drums up your soul as you?re immersed in a long walk under persistent snow flurries, pinpointed by

The Saker >>

Lockdown Skeptics

The Daily Sceptic

offsite link News Round-Up Wed Jun 25, 2025 01:12 | Richard Eldred
A summary of the most interesting stories in the past 24 hours that challenge the prevailing orthodoxy about the ?climate emergency?, public health ?crises? and the supposed moral defects of Western civilisation.
The post News Round-Up appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Electric Cars Crash in Value With Some Worth Just a Third of Original Price After One Year Tue Jun 24, 2025 19:00 | Will Jones
Electric cars are crashing in value with some worth as little as a third of their original price after just 12 months.
The post Electric Cars Crash in Value With Some Worth Just a Third of Original Price After One Year appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Lucy Connolly Being ?Manhandled? in Prison, Says Richard Tice Following Visit Tue Jun 24, 2025 17:14 | Will Jones
Lucy Connolly has been mistreated by prison officers who have handcuffed her, "manhandled her without provocation" and stripped her of privileges, Reform Deputy Leader Richard Tice has said after visiting her today.
The post Lucy Connolly Being “Manhandled” in Prison, Says Richard Tice Following Visit appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link The Kabuki Theatre of Trump?s Ceasefire Tue Jun 24, 2025 15:16 | Tilak Doshi
Trump had to appear to have imposed a ceasefire. Israel had to respond to Iran's breach. Iran had to save face. The events of the last 24 hours resemble a kabuki theatre of carefully choreographed roles, says Tilak Doshi.
The post The Kabuki Theatre of Trump’s Ceasefire appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Web 3.0: A Decentralised Revolution for Freedom Tue Jun 24, 2025 13:20 | Dr Rowena Slope
A technological revolution is underway as blockchain-friendly Web 3.0 decentralises the internet. This is good news for freedom, says Dr Rowena Slope, and will mean scandals like the rape gangs can't be hidden for so long.
The post Web 3.0: A Decentralised Revolution for Freedom appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Lockdown Skeptics >>

Voltaire Network
Voltaire, international edition

offsite link Will intergovernmental institutions withstand the end of the "American Empire"?,... Sat Apr 05, 2025 07:15 | en

offsite link Voltaire, International Newsletter N?127 Sat Apr 05, 2025 06:38 | en

offsite link Disintegration of Western democracy begins in France Sat Apr 05, 2025 06:00 | en

offsite link Voltaire, International Newsletter N?126 Fri Mar 28, 2025 11:39 | en

offsite link The International Conference on Combating Anti-Semitism by Amichai Chikli and Na... Fri Mar 28, 2025 11:31 | en

Voltaire Network >>

Debate Needed on Ireland Joining EU's Permanent Structured Cooperation on security and defence (PESCO)

category international | anti-war / imperialism | press release author Tuesday December 05, 2017 22:50author by sw - ShannonWatch Report this post to the editors

Press Release ShannonWatch - 3rd Dec 2017

The Fine Gael / Independents government is to propose to the Dail this coming week that Ireland join the EU's Permanent Structured Cooperation on security and defence (PESCO). This will mean a new EU Defence budget starting at over €1.5 billion a year (up from €590 million). Each participating EU state, including Ireland, will be required to reach an average of 2% of its GDP to ensure that the EU becomes a global military power.

As a result, Ireland will have to increase its military expenditure by 2020. According to the Phoenix Magazine (1/12/17) the Government is seeking a leap in defence spending from the current €946 million in 2018 to around €3 billion plus by 2020. This is likely to result in major cuts in other areas such as the health sector.

Shannonwatch supports calls by PANA and other organisations to have a serious and open debate before this decision is made. Despite the rhetoric coming from supporters of PESCO, increased spending on weapons and military affairs will not improve our security. Indeed it has little to do with fighting terrorism or extremism, and more to do with the emergence of a military-industrial complex within the EU. Its stated aim is to “jointly develop defense capabilities, invest in shared projects and enhance the operational readiness and contribution of their armed forces.” As such it is a significant step towards the formation of an EU army.

As noted by Afri earlier this week, the single greatest action that Ireland can take in order to combat terrorism is to withdraw the facilities of Shannon Airport from the US military for use in wars of aggression, wars which have played a major part in increasing the global terrorist threat in the first place.

If Ireland signs up to PESCO it will further erode our long-standing and valued policy of neutrality. But the government appear intent on pushing this through without giving the Irish people an opportunity to consider the consequences. And they are likely to do so with the support of the Fianna Fail party.

Shannonwatch opposes Ireland's integration into all EU/US/NATO military structures. Joining PESCO is a very major step in that integration.

Related Link: http://www.shannonwatch.org/blog/debate-needed-pesco
© 2001-2025 Independent Media Centre Ireland. Unless otherwise stated by the author, all content is free for non-commercial reuse, reprint, and rebroadcast, on the net and elsewhere. Opinions are those of the contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by Independent Media Centre Ireland. Disclaimer | Privacy