Madam, - Why are the neutral nations Austria and Finland always presented to us by critics of Irish neutrality as examples of how we too can be fully involved in European military co- operation? Kevin Myers did it again last week.
Austria and Finland had their neutrality imposed on them after the second World War by the Soviet Union. Their public never were as happy with their neutral position as we are with ours.
As for Sweden and Switzerland, often cited as better examples of neutrality, their policy is armed neutrality. We don't want that either; both countries are armed to the teeth. Indeed, many of the computer components in the "smart bombs" used by Nato are exported from "neutral" Sweden.
Despite all our talk of "the fighting Irish" and the pride we have in our UN, peacekeeping operations, Irish neutrality is popular and anti-militarist. Could we please have more of that reflected in our print and electronic media? - Yours, etc,
STEVE WOODS,
Temple Cottages,
Broadstone,
Dublin 7.