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Ireland, Global Inequality and the Fight for the World

Ireland sits in a unique seat in history’s grand theatre — both a colonised nation and now a wealthy Western player with a seat at the global table.

We know oppression; we’ve lived it, fought it, and, in many ways, survived it.

But now, with privilege in our pockets and the global south looking up at us from the same trenches we once occupied, the question is this: What are we going to do with it?

The Roots of Global Inequality: A Racket, Not an Accident

This world wasn’t designed to be fair.

It was built on a scaffolding of empire, extraction, and brute economic force masquerading as ‘free trade.’ Colonialism may have changed its wardrobe – swapping redcoats for corporate boardrooms – but the mechanics remain the same. Resources, labour, and wealth flow in one direction: from the hands of the many to the pockets of the few.

The ‘developing world’ isn’t underdeveloped. It’s over-exploited.

Wealthy nations, including our own, prop up global inequality through exploitative trade deals, climate destruction, and the quiet complicity of ignoring modern economic colonialism. While we sip our Barry’s tea, the tea pickers in Kenya struggle to earn enough to feed their families.

The same logic applies to cocoa farmers in Ghana, garment workers in Bangladesh, and lithium miners in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Their suffering fuels our comfort.

How Ireland is in a Position to Help (and Why We Should)

Our history should make us fierce allies to the colonised world.

We know what it means to be stripped of land, language, and identity. We know what it is to have our resources extracted for the wealth of an empire. We should, in theory, stand shoulder to shoulder with nations still in the throes of that struggle.

But here’s where it gets uncomfortable: Ireland is now part of the ‘white West.’ We benefit from the same global economic structures that once crushed us. Our multinationals thrive on cheap global labour. Our government cozies up to US tech giants. We are a tax haven for corporations that drain other countries’ resources.

Yet, unlike other Western nations, we have an ace up our sleeve: the memory of being on the other side. We have a moral and historical duty to use our voice, our economic policies, and our influence to break the cycle for others.

Real Solutions, Not Just Hand-Wringing

Fighting global inequality isn’t about charity; it’s about justice. Here’s how we can start shifting the dial:

1. End Corporate Tax Dodging – Ireland’s role as a tax haven robs poorer nations of much-needed revenue. We need to stop facilitating the same financial piracy that once starved us.
2. Fair Trade, Not Free Trade – We should be pushing for trade agreements that prioritise workers’ rights and sustainable practices, not just profit margins for multinational corporations.
3. Climate Reparations – The countries suffering most from climate change did the least to cause it. Ireland, along with other wealthy nations, must contribute its fair share in climate funding to mitigate the damage.
4. Decolonising Aid – Aid isn’t a gift; it’s often a leash. Irish foreign aid should be about supporting self-sufficiency, not dependence. We should prioritise funding local-led initiatives over top-down NGO bureaucracies.
5. Political Solidarity – Ireland has a strong history of standing up for the underdog. We need to push for international policies that support Palestinian rights, Indigenous sovereignty, and economic justice worldwide.

The Threat to Irish Neutrality: Resisting the Military-Industrial Complex

As Ireland gains influence in the global economy, there is a growing push – both external and internal – to erode our neutrality. The same imperial machine that once sought to dominate us now seeks to recruit us, turning us from a nation that fought oppression into one that funds and fuels it.

There is a reason why Irish neutrality has long been a source of pride.

It has kept us out of disastrous foreign interventions, allowed us to act as genuine peacekeepers rather than pawns in great power conflicts, and given us moral authority on the global stage. But neutrality is under attack, with calls for increased military spending and integration into EU and NATO defence structures.

This isn’t about ‘security’. It’s about money. The military-industrial complex thrives on perpetual war, and the more ‘customers’ it has, the better.

If Ireland allows itself to be dragged into military alliances, we become another cog in the war machine, funnelling billions into weapons contracts instead of healthcare, education, and climate action.

If we are serious about standing against global inequality, we must resist this push. We must protect our neutrality, not just as a matter of policy but as a statement of principle.

Ireland should not be a foot soldier for empire. It should be a voice for peace and justice.

The Irish Revolution Isn’t Over. It Just Has New Battlefields

The world’s inequalities are not accidental. They are crafted, maintained, and defended by powerful interests. But just as oppression is built, so too can it be dismantled. Ireland is uniquely positioned to take a stand – not just in words, but in policy, action, and economic choices. We can’t afford to be bystanders in the same system that once crushed us.

Many of us have enough and we’ve had enough.

It’s time to fight for those who don’t.