Forum to discuss future of Shannon Airport

by Pat C Thu Mar 13, 2003 12:08

Obviously these people are in favour of US Warplanes using Shannon. The old Garrison Town mentality. I am sure that any local members of the RRRRRR-Revolutionary Parties will openly call for all US Airlines facilitating the War to be driven out.

by Dole Queue Thu Mar 13, 2003 12:10

Why dont we drive all the workers out of shannon while we are it at

by pat c Thu Mar 13, 2003 12:13

seeing the Airport Police lose their jobs.

by Joe Thu Mar 13, 2003 12:13

Do the workers at Shannon really want to depend on the killing of people in Iraq for their jobs? Surely its time they got off their knees and said they want their jobs guranteed BUT they are not got to play any further part in the drive to war? I think if they did this then all the anti-war movements would support them.

by Dole Queue Thu Mar 13, 2003 12:15

Irish people should be concerned about irish jobs not some bunch of toiwel heads

by TROTWATCH Thu Mar 13, 2003 12:19

Dole Queue must be in SY UCD.

by Sparks Thu Mar 13, 2003 12:22

Pragmatism would suggest that the amount of money earned by refuelling US planes in shannon is less than that paid by the state from taxpayers funds to cover the ATC costs incurred by US planes transiting Irish airspace. Therefore to refuse refuelling and overflight permission would save money, not lose it.

by Tim Thu Mar 13, 2003 12:33

unfortunately I'm not sure if I can go to it.
The hotel is in the airport grounds so I'm not sure if the injunction would allow me
(or if I'd be tarred and feathered by the narrow minded FF and FG heads)

personally I'd like to point out that the Governmnet has neglected getting sustainable business for Shannon and relied on a quick fix of US military blood money.
This not only gave us a moral dilemma, a vested interest in the war, and FF/PDs a break from doing real work for Shannon, but left Shannon with a problem in the event of peace breaking out.

Further, despite the bullshit about being used for decades by the US Military, the CURRENT level of activity (since Oct-2001) is way above normal so it shouldn't have been considered stable business anyway, so it should be no shock when it declines.

Is that the fault of protestors or short sighted greed by unimaginative lazy politicians?

by Mike Thu Mar 13, 2003 15:19 stepbystepfarm at shaysnet dot com

But maybe one you do not wish to hear.

The airport workers are probably not in favor of the "war planes" per se. But they realize something that you apparently do not. They realize that it MIGHT come to whether ANY planes use Shannon.

See they know that THEY (and you) don't get to make all the choices. MAYBE you can get JUST the war planes out of Ireland. MAYBE that doesn't result in the US considering ALL commercial flights direct to Ireland blocked and in response closes US airports to Irish commercial flights (that's the usual way the game gets played when countries "fight" over who can fly into which airports).

Yes I understand -- YOU are not objecting to ordinary US commercial flights. But the choice whether to "escalate" isn't something under your control and the Shannon Airport workers know this.

by Sparks Thu Mar 13, 2003 15:37

Then perhaps they should realise that the choice of whether or not the Irish State allows US military aircraft to use Irish airspace is not a decision that Shannon workers get to make on their own, but one which every citizen in the Irish State should be getting a vote on.

And the choice of whether or not protests should continue isn't one they have any right to attempt to make, given that it is a constitutional right for any Irish citizen to protest peacefully.

by S Aerobics - Reclaim the Runways Thu Mar 13, 2003 16:04

Will tonights forum be discussing how money can be made from the Fed Ex cargo planes now being used by the US military at Shannon ?
Will they be promoting Shannon as a Rest & Recuperation destination for US military after the Death & Destruction ?
Will they discuss the argument that US citizens looking for a safe foreign holiday might avoid Ireland due to it's part in the war/invasion system ?
Will the leaked UN document on the likely disastrous consequences to the Iraqi population in the event of war be featured in the appraisal of Shannon airports future ?

Who's promoting this war ?
You'll find accomplices at the Great Southern Hotel @ 8pm in Shannon tonight.

Elsewhere in todays Irish Times -
Bertie Aherns arrival at the White House and traditional presentation of a bowl of shamrock will be used by Bush in televised propaganda to again outline the argument that invasion must be taken, and taken NOW against Iraq.

Who's promoting this war ?
You'll find accomplices with a bowl of shamrock at the White House today.

by Avi H. Thu Mar 13, 2003 19:00

Sooner or later, someone in the US is going to wake up to all this hostility, and then the tourists and the companies could stop coming. Go on, harm the only big international airport in the west of Ireland, why don't you, along with the economy of the mid-West...What a master stroke.

by Tim Thu Mar 13, 2003 23:41

Avi wrote:

Sooner or later, someone in the US is going to wake up to all this hostility, and then the tourists and the companies could stop coming.

------------------------
I notice the scaremongering weasel word 'could' in the last sentence. Companies 'could' stop coming. Horseshit. Hilary CLinton, former Ambassadors and the IDA will all tell you that the companies are here for economic reasons to make a profit.

Tourists WILL stop coming, not might, or maybe but WILL. And why?
Because of the WAR stupid.
in 1991 because of the Gulf War there were 110,000 FEWER US tourists in Ireland.
They stayed home until the war was 'over'.
So Avi, tell me if you believe different, perhaps that the protests will scare off tourists, but the war won't? is that your argument?