Neutrality

🇨🇭🇮🇪🇨🇭 Switzerland has made neutrality cool and chic, but neutrality actually works for Switzerland. They are a landlocked country in the middle of Europe surrounded by Alpine mountains and NATO territory. Their neutrality comes from an age when wars in Europe were frequent. In a pre-nuclear, pre-aircraft age, safely secured behind the Alpine mountains, Switzerland was able to remain neutral and stay out of the endless conflicts in Europe. Now they are so secure by the surrounding NATO powers that they have no need to change that policy. No one can touch Switzerland by land or by air without going through NATO territory or air space first. And NATO will defeat the aggressor long before they make it to Switzerland. Switzerland is sitting pretty. Switzerland can play the neutral card without sacrificing their security.

The British were never really neutral, they were isolationists. Their alignment constantly changed to maintain a balance of power on the continent. But in a pre-Nato age, the British could form an alliance with anyone they wanted at any time on an as needed basis. They could drop Russia one day and become aligned with France the next day or vice versa. The British also had an outstanding navy. They could protect their island state from anyone on the continent that might try to attack them. The British are a nuclear power now, and they are a member of NATO - no one will dare attack them.

Ireland is not a nuclear power. Ireland is not a member of NATO. Ireland is not protected by Article 5. Ireland does not have a navy. Ireland does not even have fighter jets. They have absolutely no way to protect themselves if someone attacks them. And they can not quickly form an alliance on as needed basis like the British used to do in Europe, because almost everyone on the European continent is already in NATO. Ireland can't join NATO quickly, nor can they join while they are in a conflict. If Ireland is attacked, they will be in the exact same situation Ukraine is in right now - facing the aggressor alone. The difference between Ukraine and Ireland is that Ukraine has the manpower to defeat the enemy on their own, Ireland doesn't even have that.

Neutrality is a really bad policy in this day and age for any state vulnerable to attacks, especially island states like Ireland. Ireland is a sitting duck.

xo