A Political Statement…

This piece of writing has been fermenting in my conciseness for years.I could not have articulated the argument if i had not went back to education and completed hons.in Philosophy,anthropology and a year in sociology.The irony in this statement is reflected in the argument. To begin, the reason for starting the piece today is a result of the effect of a investigation documentary on the ethics in ‘public life’. This excellent piece of journalist by the national broadcaster R.T.E exposed the blatant arrogant of three politicians receive money and flavors while executing their duty.This is not a moral or ethical judgement although the people involved were in breach of ‘best practice’ procedure.
Is today’s headline story but an example of a greater and endemic ethical standard ,or lack of, in the country in general? Can it be that this complete disregard of the responsibility involved in the office they hold, is the norm ?

I am at heart a democrat and I will ask the question can democracy work in Ireland and more importantly can it be seen to work?. Going on the evidence on the documentary it would seem that the system is serious need of a complete reexamination. I will try by means of basic explanation , examination and deduction ,then hopefully reach at a conclusion,or perhaps a suggested new beginning.With that intro. I will Begin.

The excepted definition of democracy is a government ‘for the people by the people’. This assumption means that the elected political voted in to power represents the people and their wishes. This majority government has its problems as the minority are left exposed to neglect.However enshrined in the Constitution(which is the overall guardian of human rights) is the immortal words “To threat the children of the nation equally.” This would seem a simplified definition of democracy,and it is. That aside why is the democracy system so difficult? Why is there such a bureaucratic nightmare.

The subject is by definition enormous,it covers sociology,political science,philology,history and many other related subjects.There are many theory as to how to achieve a successful nation.The field is so great that I need to keep the argument within the realm of what I,firstly believe in and secondly am qualified in to make my case.There is one subject that is included in all description of social structure and nation making and that is ethics.It seems to be that the subject of ethics tends to find its way into small print and is somehow lost in the bureaucratic mountain of legislation.This subject only and always appear to the surface when there is a problem of a financial nature or morals are involved. The usual pattern occurs when something happens of a ethical nature there is a public outrage .The government appoints a person or a body of people or public inquiry ,probably costing millions, to examine the issue,the public believe them and everything returns to ‘normal.In a word nothing happens,except the tax payer pay ,for what?

What seems to me without a common goal of an acceptable ethical behavior or code and this held secret to all that are employed in public work , if not than any attempt is doomed to repeating a ‘slippery path’ at best.
This is a big ask ,and would demand the subject to be introduced firstly in public service and next in the schools and then and only then will the improvement begins in earnest.This would seem a simple answer to a complex problem,well it is not .First the word ethic is a word that is not easy to define.Ask ten people and you could possibly get ten different answers.Many philosophers would say that this word alone stand the difference between success and failure.Well if this is true ,and I argue that it is, then the way forward is research, phd and serious brain storming.This ,you may think, will take a long time,well so be it ,it has taken almost one hundred years to get where we are and we are not going to cure the ‘curse’ over night.

Collins students dictionary define ethics as “a moral principle or values held by a set of groups or individual.” To begin with the value we have on ethical, ethos, surely defines who we are.This simple truth is enough to want and need change our behavior. This present disclosures exposing to the world ,yet again that we are a nation who are struggling with a population of people who do not know who they are and people who do not know their identity are unsafe bed-mates.This present shameful behavior is another in a long line of dishonorable behavior.The Chinese have a saying that crisis equal opportunity.For me this is an opportunity to open up a national discussion and show the world that the old Eadith of ” death before dishonor” is alive and well and the “Land of saints and “scholars” can return.

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All embellishments inc. writing/paintings/sculpture are conceived of and executed by the artist Brendan Walsh