The risible spectacle of another Irish Taoiseach with a sad-looking bowl of shamrock and a perplexed American president is nearly upon us. Portrayed as the annual display of Irish diplomatic genius, this year’s show in Washington is destined to be more tragedy than uplifting drama.

That’s because – as evidenced by the desperate flight of half the Cabinet to various US states on March 17th – Ireland is woefully unprepared for Washington’s new political mantra. This is the “America First” strategy of weaponising dependencies and exerting maximum pressure; dependencies in allies that can be traded and leveraged for other – often unconnected – strategic goals. Just ask Canada, Mexico or battered Ukraine, now fully abandoned as the White House presses pause on military aid.