Post by cato on Apr 11, 2019 12:04:31 GMT
No this is not what you think it is....
Ireland is joining wait for it ... the Francophononie which is the French version of the British commonwealth! We have no linguistic or historical reason to join this club other than Samuel Bennett's French sojourn. The motive seems to be trade (of course ) and developing connections.
The irony of this is stunning. We refuse to belong to an organisation because it was linked to a colonial empire but join another one joined to the other main colonial empire. France does maintain an active military presence in Africa and regularly intervenes to protect its client states. This includes a highly controversial intervention in Rwanda were arms were supplied by the French to the Hutu butcherers.
As a general principle I think as a state we should participate in as much networking as possible but we should discuss which clubs we join. Post Brexit we will need need new markets but surely the nation's of the British commonwealth will also be open for trade too. And lest anyone raise the old chestnut of the monarchy Republican India and Pakistan are also full members.
This new diplomatic outreach got virtually zero news coverage in Ireland for some strange reason. Oh I forgot the main reason for becoming Francophones. Some bright spark in Fine Gael or the department for foreign affairs probably thinks it's a big two fingers to the nasty Brits.
Ireland is joining wait for it ... the Francophononie which is the French version of the British commonwealth! We have no linguistic or historical reason to join this club other than Samuel Bennett's French sojourn. The motive seems to be trade (of course ) and developing connections.
The irony of this is stunning. We refuse to belong to an organisation because it was linked to a colonial empire but join another one joined to the other main colonial empire. France does maintain an active military presence in Africa and regularly intervenes to protect its client states. This includes a highly controversial intervention in Rwanda were arms were supplied by the French to the Hutu butcherers.
As a general principle I think as a state we should participate in as much networking as possible but we should discuss which clubs we join. Post Brexit we will need need new markets but surely the nation's of the British commonwealth will also be open for trade too. And lest anyone raise the old chestnut of the monarchy Republican India and Pakistan are also full members.
This new diplomatic outreach got virtually zero news coverage in Ireland for some strange reason. Oh I forgot the main reason for becoming Francophones. Some bright spark in Fine Gael or the department for foreign affairs probably thinks it's a big two fingers to the nasty Brits.
