Agree with everything you’ve said. They only thing is China has been contesting a North Eastern border with India for some time so they might take the opportunity for some shenanigans.
Still don’t see it escalating beyond regional though as you said.
On one hand I think you’re right but on the other, if they’re correct, I’d say they want India to know they’re in their systems or have spies.
That kind of an opsec failure is going to be disconcerting at a minimum.
Relevant interview on the national broadcaster with their manager. He gets a decent grilling (the interviewer is famous here for grilling politicians to get past their BS) but it’s an interesting exchange.
India RN:
An I remember that one. It’s good. I’ll see your solid paddywhackery and raise you this (which I honestly pissed myself laughing at the first time I saw it).
She married an Englishman and raised her kids there because Ireland in 1980 was not exactly thriving. She was around 20 when she left so definitely old enough to feel thoroughly Irish for a lifetime. She still has her accent and all.
She does talk about moving back here occasionally.
You don’t have to but I wouldn’t naturalise in her situation either. Under no circumstances would I pledge allegiance to a country that I felt wasn’t mine and if I had a green card I wouldn’t bother.
That’s not to say I might not feel that way about another country in the future but as I said my sister has been living in the UK for over two thirds of her life and would never consider getting a British passport. Even her adult daughter chooses an Irish one.
If you don’t mind me asking why bother with the dual citizenship? And did you feel any weirdness pledging yourself to the second country?
Regardless, 40 years here and hasn’t naturalized yet? Odd.
Nothing odd about it. An Irish passport is measurably better than an American one.
Edit: You can live in a different country for the vast majority of your life and still feel like it’s not your home country. My sister has lived in the UK for over forty years and is very much Irish.
The old bigot who lived next door to me growing up called me a tater tot
Prick. I heard two young American girls refer to the Irish as potatoes, in Dublin. They thought nobody could hear them then were properly embarrassed when they saw me.
How do you give up territory “temporarily,”
A long time ago Ireland did it. We’re still living with that partition today and as part of the good Friday agreement we gave up our constitutional claim on the North. There was a referendum on it (all constitutional changes here require one) and I, along with the vast majority of the Republic, voted in favour with some caveats which would allow reunification.
If they concede now that land is gone though. Gone. There will be no caveats given to Ukraine.
No worries :)
I know we’ve had that label for a long time and I felt like it was reasonable but to give some context, the Ireland I grew up in was poor as fuck. Like there was literally zero kilometres of motorway when I was a kid. To get from Dublin to Belfast you had to drive through every poxy little town on the way.
So the government went all out on using our English speaking, well educated people to bring in multinationals to bring in revenue and stop what was an enormous brain drain in the 80s. The EU funded the shit out of infrastructure and we’re now a net contributor to the coffers.
I think we’ve reached the point that they won’t leave now (the companies or the talent) so the extra taxation is very welcome.
Ireland has a 15% corporate tax rate now for large companies to align with the oecd minimum.
That is higher than some other EU countries at this point (e.g. Hungary at 9%). The old tax haven status is all but gone.
Been to China a good few times for work. As a traveller as long as you’re set on the visa front at the border they’re very chill. Way more than the US.
US: What do you work in? Cyber security. Right this way sir. SSS stamped on my ticket. Bullshit long queue for SSS people. Deep search of everything and lots of questions (US immigration is this side in my country).
Actual experience.
China: Checks visa. Makes sure my face matches passport. Stamp. Nod.
Also actual experience.
Not just cost but logistics and economies of scale which would be a huge win.
That’s exactly what you get when you don’t punch the bully back. Russia broke the well defined post WW2 rule. It was a pretty simple rule too… Don’t try to rob your neighbour’s land.
They should not be rewarded in any way for it. If anything they already have been.
My (Irish) son did his third year of college on this program in Denmark. Had an absolute ball and went back after graduating to do his masters there then lived and worked in Denmark for some time after before moving to Germany.
Can’t recommend this program highly enough if you’re college age.
“Even if the U.S. continues to impose higher tariffs, it will no longer make economic sense and will become a joke in the history of world economy,” the ministry said in a statement,
Very concisely put. We’re at that point. Trade is effectively shut down at this point between the two. My limited understanding is that on the US side this will hit farmers the hardest.
Guess we’re going to see a flood of cheap Chinese stuff in every other market in the world too soon.
Sounds a bit treason-y.
Is that house arrest?
They have come out already and said they will.
https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2025/0502/1510729-tiktok-fine/