Madam, - Shane Brophy's letter of August 7th was disheartening to read, for two reasons. First, there was his obsequious cowering to the US capitalists and businessmen who fund the Republican party, stemming from the ill-informed idea that the Irish economy depends entirely on US investment and that our future rests on the whims of such men.
By virtue of being a small, open economy, Ireland depends on more than just one country. The US is an important, but not the sole, contributor to the Celtic Tiger. But is Mr Brophy not aware that our low corporation tax is likely to affect the opinions of these business men far more than our stance on Iraq?
Second, it was ironic and sad that, for all his talk of being "morally courageous" and not "socially irresponsible", Mr Brophy spoke only of ensuring we "keep the champagne and caviar flowing", rather than condemning the lost lives of thousands of Iraqis. I thought this spoke volumes about his priorities.
It takes both courage and a social conscience to stand up for what you believe in. I firmly believe the majority of Irish people oppose the war in Iraq.
It's time our Government did too, regardless of US opinion. - Yours, etc,
IAN M O'MARA, St Helen's Road, Booterstown, Co Dublin.
Madam, - Tony Allwright (August 4th) berates those who call for an end to the misuse of Shannon to aid the US fiasco in Iraq. He cites as justification the 72 per cent of Iraqis who voted for a constitutional democracy.
A poll carried out by the Washington Post in September 2006 showed 73 per cent of Iraqis saying they would feel safer if the US and other foreign troops left Iraq; 65 per cent favoured an immediate withdrawal. A poll published last week by World Public Opinion shows that these figures remain the same. A notable addition is that nearly half those polled favour attacks on US troops.
How many more people have to die before the Bush apologists are convinced?
There will not be a constitutional democracy in Iraq. There will be an Islamic state aligned with Iran. That is the reward for this ill-considered exercise in futility. - Yours, etc,
LARRY WHITE, Mooncoin, Co Kilkenny.
Madam, - During the second World War Bishop Bell of Chichester made himself widely unpopular by condemning the Allied destruction of German cities. His words were completely ignored.
For Archbishop Neill to add his voice to the many populist voices already deploring the Iraq war seems to me something entirely different. What on earth is courageous about it? - Yours, etc,
MICHAEL TATHAM, Harrold, Bedford, England.