No cead mille failte for Bush
We Irish pride ourselves on our hospitality. In a smug way, we convince ourselves that we’re better than less welcoming nations (perhaps starting with the letter “E”) who refuse to get out the nice biscuits when company comes round. This June however, when a former Texan oil man comes to town, he is unlikely to get a warm reception. George W. Bush is due to visit Ireland for the annual EU/US summit. Put bluntly, he will not be welcome.
After the Madrid bombing, this year’s summit went from a security headache to a full-blown migraine. Protecting so many western heads of state is a formidable challenge for Irish police. Ensuring the safety of the president of the United States is more difficult still.
However the US Secret Service have angered public opinion in Ireland by asking for immunity should they kill an Irish citizen. A similar demand was turned down by the British when Dubya visited London last year. It’s to be hoped that the Dublin government shows the same disdain for this type of request. When Clinton visited Northern Ireland in the 1990s the inconvenience of his elaborate security was tolerated, even welcomed. It was seen as part of the package of a presidential visit which makes it so special.
The controversy over Bush’s personal security is a symptom rather than a cause of Irish hostility towards him. I believe that the lack of good will towards the US leader comes from two sources. Firstly, a lot of the animosity stems from the war in Iraq. Anger at the US invasion is significant, especially because the supposedly “neutral” government in Dublin is allowing the US military to use Shannon air port. Protestors have promised to harry Bush every step of the way.
If Dubya’s trip to Northern Ireland last year is anything to go by, the protestors won’t get anywhere near him. Conversely, Bush’s handlers are unlikely to let him near any “ordinary” people for fear that he’ll be heckled. Any walkabout will be among the carefully pre-screened only.
It didn’t used to be like this. In more innocent pre 9-11 days, Clinton, Reagan and Kennedy were given the warmest of welcomes by the Irish public. Of course these three men were helped in no small part by their (sometimes tenuous) Irish roots. Bush by contrast is the archetypal blue-blooded Anglo-Saxon. He doesn’t even drink!
Past American leaders drank from a deep well of Irish goodwill towards the States. No other European country sent a larger proportion of its people to the US. The size and success of Irish-America is a source of pride for a small country. The strong family links with the US enhanced this goodwill.
Which brings me to the second reason that Bush will not be welcomed in Ireland. These days, Ireland looks east rather than west. The Ireland which millions left in search of a better life was one of the poorest countries in Europe. Today, thanks in no small part to EU funds, Ireland is among the continent’s richest states. Instead of constantly exporting people, Ireland is now importing new workers. America, as a means of escape, is less significant than it once was.
When the EU and the US cross swords, the Irish know which side their bread is buttered on. In this new context a visiting US president is not guaranteed the same warm welcome as his predecessors. If Bush hopes for some nice pictures for his campaign ads, he may well be disappointed.