@IrishRail @TFIupdates What platform

Turkey is not part of the EU or the eurozone - we are less dependent on the customs union and our agreements with them. Our economy is much more intertwined with other eurozone member’s, in such a way that is much more than just a simple trading arrangement. I am saying that an attack on another euro nation’s state / energy / economy would effectively be an attack on our economy too. Support for allies can be at several / various levels (military and non-military) way before we get to a point of “dying” for each other.

I don’t think it’s so simple as that for the economy though. Travelling at the slower speed prob reduces accidents so the deliveries are made more reliable - slower speeds also make fuel usage more efficient (and reducing our imports / our economy’s dependence on the Middle East). Now of course a person’s time / loss of time here is the most valuable thing but if we are gonna have automated deliveries/ drone / autonomous vehicles in the near future so this could be a step in that direction.

In theory it is not a defensive bloc (although our enemies might consider it otherwise). In actuality though, if our eastern partners were to be attacked, we would be left with some very real choices to either support them or to leave our comfy trade bloc. Would you not raise a finger to help an ally if such a situation arose? Instead just run for the hills, claim neutrality and hope to be left alone?

@Bill1Ryan @DunlaingRob @BrigidLaffan 🤣🤣🤣

@danobrien20 Interest rates went up - as rates drop again this is likely to turn positive again

@ChayaRaichik10 It’s all for show - just for some tv drama Can’t trust politicians, they’re all sociopaths, both sides. Common knowledge.

@deewill35 @RonSwanson145 @joesummer100 I dunno - it’s a bit of a compliment. Somebody you would definitely rather have on your own team rather than getting riled up by him from the opposite side

@DanMulhall @mjc0ughl4n “appear to live” being the key words there. Just because we claim neutrality, it does not mean that others don’t consider and act towards us as if we were an enemy.

@natmakar @blucomazz @GregorSamsa8 @isabelleboemeke Decisions definitely still need to be made though - extending the lifespan from 40 -> 50 years - there is only so much longer they can keep this up before a proper programme for replacement needs to ramp up

@natmakar @blucomazz @GregorSamsa8 @isabelleboemeke I feel like some of France’s issues are related to policy / at an EU level. They have been unhappy in the past as they get low prices for their energy exports (usually at times of plentiful supply) but then pay high / over the odds for energy imports at times of peak demand.

@blucomazz @natmakar @GregorSamsa8 @isabelleboemeke I don’t know that they are intentionally shutdown. I thought they have a lot of issues maintaining them / and a lot are down just for repairs

@dpento01 @jockserbrown101 @simoncoveney He said he would reduce inflation and in a couple of weeks we get +1% inflation. How is that for keeping his promises?

@qualann @DavQuinn @finn_mcredmond How are these exceptional times? They’ve been killing each other for thousands of years and they’ll be killing each other for thousands more. It’s basically the status quo in the Middle East. Worst president ever for getting us involved. This president does not represent me.

@CulturlDiabetes @isabelleboemeke What about offshore where you would struggle to see them? On the demand front - would batteries play a part in balancing supply and demand?

@GregorSamsa8 @isabelleboemeke If nuclear is so great - then why are the economies of the likes of France / Belgium struggling so much? They have been majority nuclear for decades and it does not seem to have worked out as a policy decision.

In the long run, any particular (supposedly strong) model can turn out to be a liability - just look at the German car industry. To address the original post :- - we are (certainly!) not moralizing about our economic model - we are not asking you to defend our over-reliance on a handful of American firms (this is discussed locally ad nauseam) - we are not seeking moral credit (many Irish people were heavily involved in the spread of empire) - we are not complaining about our prior state - the past is the past - the majority are far more interested in what the future has to offer We are already investing in sovereign wealth funds (or more like re-filling those that were emptied out during the GFC). Out of the best ideas on how to make use of the unexpected windfall, the most likely might be to build out a metro for Dublin but perhaps that would be a touch unambitious.

@ArlSbg @dohdohtree @DavQuinn When you realise that most “Irish” social media traffic originates from outside of Ireland that might make you think critically about who is looking to sow division between us, could be majority from Russian bot farms or even the Palestinians themselves