Dirty Hands
What do we want of our politicians?
Virtue? It would be good to think so, but virtue is not a prerequisite to running a country. How many politicians have led us or their party while conducting secret affairs? John Major, John Prescott, Paddy Ashdown are but three from our recent past. If nothing else they demonstrate that personal decency is irrelevant in the arena of power and that betrayal is not related to the shade of your political persuasion.
Honesty? The same principle applies. How many of our elected representatives have been called to account for fiddling the books, fudging the accounts or using their office for personal advantage? Peter Mandleson, David Blunkett etc etc. Let us not open the Pandora's box of party funding.
So how should we consider the scandal of quashing the SFO enquiry in to alleged bribery in the murky world of arms dealing? From the points of view of virtue and honesty the decision is little short of outrageous.
But weight has to be given to the other issues. A £10 billion deal to buy 72 fighter planes that will secure up to 100,000 jobs. A relationship with Saudi Arabia preserved at a time when we need all of the friends we can find in the Middle East, not just to secure a flow of oil but also to provide intelligence in the so-called "War on Terror."
These are uncomfortable but undeniable factors to balance in the overall equation.
The decision may offend every principle of decency we have but it does have undeniable benefits - "it is in the best interests of the country" to use politician's speak.
Sp perhaps that is what we require from our politicians, not untarnished morality but an ability to be pragmatic, a willingness to get one's hands dirty.
Perhaps we should not pour scorn on our leaders for falling short on points of principle but instead acknowledge with grudging respect a hard decision made in difficult circumstances. Perhaps, but if so, where do we draw the line? If it is acceptable to deny the rule of law over an allegation of bribery, what about its avoidance over taking the country to war in Iraq?
Why do I have this uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach?
Virtue? It would be good to think so, but virtue is not a prerequisite to running a country. How many politicians have led us or their party while conducting secret affairs? John Major, John Prescott, Paddy Ashdown are but three from our recent past. If nothing else they demonstrate that personal decency is irrelevant in the arena of power and that betrayal is not related to the shade of your political persuasion.
Honesty? The same principle applies. How many of our elected representatives have been called to account for fiddling the books, fudging the accounts or using their office for personal advantage? Peter Mandleson, David Blunkett etc etc. Let us not open the Pandora's box of party funding.
So how should we consider the scandal of quashing the SFO enquiry in to alleged bribery in the murky world of arms dealing? From the points of view of virtue and honesty the decision is little short of outrageous.
But weight has to be given to the other issues. A £10 billion deal to buy 72 fighter planes that will secure up to 100,000 jobs. A relationship with Saudi Arabia preserved at a time when we need all of the friends we can find in the Middle East, not just to secure a flow of oil but also to provide intelligence in the so-called "War on Terror."
These are uncomfortable but undeniable factors to balance in the overall equation.
The decision may offend every principle of decency we have but it does have undeniable benefits - "it is in the best interests of the country" to use politician's speak.
Sp perhaps that is what we require from our politicians, not untarnished morality but an ability to be pragmatic, a willingness to get one's hands dirty.
Perhaps we should not pour scorn on our leaders for falling short on points of principle but instead acknowledge with grudging respect a hard decision made in difficult circumstances. Perhaps, but if so, where do we draw the line? If it is acceptable to deny the rule of law over an allegation of bribery, what about its avoidance over taking the country to war in Iraq?
Why do I have this uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach?
posted by Andy at 2:33 AM
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