De Valera is widely regarded as a bit of a cunt, who lead the loosing side in the civil war and had a vision of Ireland that was both bucolic, backwards and priest infested. However, it must also be remembered at the time that the political situation with Britain was complex - with a good fraction the country quite happy to see London being bombed, and a small minority actively trying to trigger an opportunistic full blown war over Northern Ireland. Joining the British Army - for whatever reason - was, to be polite, frowned upon at best and seen as treason at the worst. The best thing the State could do was remain neutral in the conflict, as an internal compromise, and this was widely accepted by the people.
It must also be remembered that many of those had deserted from the Irish Army at the time - which may have been required had someone decided that an Atlantic port or airbase would've been a dead-handy thing to have. While at the same time, the military was in no condition to really offer much of a defense against either the Nazi's or the Allies, having been crippled by an economic war in the previous decade, caused by De Valera's attempts at economic self-sufficiency.
We stayed out of World War II, and I am damn proud of that fact. We took a moral stand, while at the same time asserting our own independance as a free country, able to chart its own course in world affairs for good or ill and not be subject to the whims of the great powers. It was an act that defined the nation we wanted to become - one which renounced the use of force in international affairs. You will hardly find an Irishman that would speak against our policy of military neutrality, and peaceful self-defense. Those that do, are regarded as foolish and rightly so.
And because of that decision, we were isolated from world affairs for years. That was the price of not being a pawn of the great powers. Even if he sounds like Snape.
Perhaps though, we should the man speak himself. About the only thing I respect about the man.
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?
It must also be remembered that many of those had deserted from the Irish Army at the time - which may have been required had someone decided that an Atlantic port or airbase would've been a dead-handy thing to have. While at the same time, the military was in no condition to really offer much of a defense against either the Nazi's or the Allies, having been crippled by an economic war in the previous decade, caused by De Valera's attempts at economic self-sufficiency.
We stayed out of World War II, and I am damn proud of that fact. We took a moral stand, while at the same time asserting our own independance as a free country, able to chart its own course in world affairs for good or ill and not be subject to the whims of the great powers. It was an act that defined the nation we wanted to become - one which renounced the use of force in international affairs. You will hardly find an Irishman that would speak against our policy of military neutrality, and peaceful self-defense. Those that do, are regarded as foolish and rightly so.
And because of that decision, we were isolated from world affairs for years. That was the price of not being a pawn of the great powers. Even if he sounds like Snape.
Perhaps though, we should the man speak himself. About the only thing I respect about the man.
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?