Flaccid editorials and political corruption

On Friday last (July 26) the Irish Times published an editorial concerning the continuing abuse of the law on donations by political parties.

Over the years I have read hundreds of such editorials across a wide range of publications concerning a vast range of political abuse, scandal and corruption.

They all share a common trend: An outline of the corruption/abuse, a description/analysis of proposals to counter the corruption/abuse and the hope that the (corrupt) political system will, on this occasion, obey the law.

This Irish Times editorial is no different. It’s almost as if the various publications have a file marked – ‘Standard editorial on political corruption/abuse’, which they pull out when needed.

It was refreshing therefore to read the hard hitting and right to the point comment in response to the flaccid editorial by a Mr. Martin Roche.

MartinRoche

Standards and Ethics in public life?

Is this some form of sick joke played on the people who pay the excessive salaries and perks of the elected representatives.

After 20 years of tribunals and making millionaires of a certain members of the legal profession, nothing has been resolved, the findings gather dust in some government building, covering up massive deficiencies in the government of the day and the civil service in the running of the country.

A country where the leader of the government has been found guilty of corruption instead of going to prison is given a state funeral.

At present a junior minster is under scrutiny for standards and ethics, and in fact is an exact mirror image of the Callely saga.

Mandarin found to be incompetent, instead of being given the push, is promoted to a European post with a greater salary and perks.

Until the electorate state in no uncertain terms that the civil service and the politicians work for the state and not the other way round this cancer of corruption, as it has since 1916, will carry on eating into the fabric of our society.

Now that’s an editorial.