Acceptable cultural apartheid

Pragmatic or cynical? Take your pick as to how you would describe this State's foreign policy, as enunciated by both the Government and our president, in relation to China, Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's Asia Strategy is designed to develop business opportunities for Irish companies even in places like China. Just like so many other countries, Ireland has parked its concerns about a long list of serious human rights abuses as it cut financial deals. If it has raised these issues it has been quietly and in private and clearly has caused the Chinese government little or no offence.

President McAleese has also acted as a trade ambassador to China and now she is doing the job in Saudi Arabia, a country to which we export around €300 million worth of goods and services each year. She is particularly keen to help in the restoration of beef exports.

This explains why we are so understanding of this country's traditions. This country treats its women as second class citizens, who are compelled to dress in a way that men dictate; refuses them the vote; does not allow them to drive cars and forces the few businesswomen present to enter through the tradesman's entrance to hear our President speak. Substitute black for women and see if you find this cultural apartheid acceptable.

This should be as much an issue as to whether it was acceptable for the President to say that "we abhor" the publication of cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad. Even those of "us" who may believe that some of those who published the cartoons only did so for commercial reasons and to deliberately cause offence may also believe that President McAleese overstepped the mark by speaking for "all of us", even if she believes her position gives her this entitlement. It was notable how quickly Ahern was out to support her.

The availability of Shannon Airport to US troops, and to CIA undercover operatives it seems, is yet another example of how supplicant our Government is in its dealings with powerful creditors. Maybe it is pragmatic given the level of investment by American companies in this country, the tourism inflows and the importance of our exports. Then again though, maybe money is the root of all evil, not religion.