Sir, – The British ambassador tells us that British policy is driven by the need to address the threat posed by the states that are driving instability (Letters, March 16th).
The main state driving instability in Europe for the last decade has been the United Kingdom. It looks set to continue doing so.
Britain has been demonising Russia since the middle of the 19th century: imperial rivalry was the cause then; it is now.
The ambassador refers to “democracies like ours”. The UK is at best a partial democracy: a hereditary head of state; an unelected second chamber with members appointed on a whim; an electoral system that returns vast majorities with less than a plurality of the vote.
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Ireland has shared history with the UK: the first World War still acts as a reminder of the reality of great power rivalry. The ambassador’s letter should remind us that even moth-eaten old lions dressed as leopards never change their spots: even in times of mass poverty, money can be found for armaments.
And even if it doesn’t remind the Irish, it may well remind the Scots. – Yours, etc,
EOIN DILLON,
Dublin 8.