The empire sails in

IT’S incredible how history can be turned so easily on its head. Five brothers of Irish descent perish in the Pacific during a World War II naval battle.

A tragedy, yes a tragedy that descendants of Famine emigrants lost their lives while fighting in an imperialistic war on behalf of the world's most belligerent superpower. It was a pity, then, that the organisers of last Saturday's commemoration in West Cork for the Sullivans invited the US navy to the event, and permitted a killing machine (for what else is a naval destroyer?) to take centre stage on the occasion.

The US military, always on the look-out for opportunities to ingratiate itself with the populations of its client/compliant states, must have been delighted with this propaganda coup.

Really, it's obscene that the red carpet was rolled out (again!) for the military hardware and personnel of a superpower bent on world domination. Last time I checked, we were supposed to be a neutral country.

Yet I can't imagine the navies of China, North Korea or even little Cuba being invited into Castletownbere. Thankfully, not everyone accepts the gradual absorption of this country into US defence/offence arrangements.

Dominic Carroll,

Ardfield,

Clonakilty,

Co Cork.