Thursday 5 November 2009

Trust: earned, not learned

Cameron's probably undergoing an excruciating learning process - one where trust is earned, not learned.

Benedict Brogan posts a cogent analysis on why we must demand a referendum on the EU.

One would hope that politicians have learned that semantic games backfire.

Why can they not simply be straight with us?

The answer is obvious. They have too much to hide. They serve more than one master and when the inevitable conflict of interest arises, they have no choice but to fudge or lie.

They become emboldened with each lie/fudge that pays off, but eventually, the electorate cottons on and an almighty boil builds.

Sensible, integrity-steeped politicians will recognise the building boil and will seek to lance it. These wonderful souls (Dan Hannan) are, of course, ignored.

Until they resign and thence, lance the boil.

Then, the very subjects which the politicos wished to avoid discussing, become the very subjects which the electorate most want discussed.

Who wins?

Knowing that they have lost the argument on the big issues that concern the electorate, they try to buy us off with concessions on minor issues.  Avoid 'difficult' issues at all costs.

And so, debate is denied, lying becomes entrenched.

My mother warned that the danger of a lie is that one had to be able to recall ones previous lies to be credible. The real danger of lying is that the web of lies that invariably ensues, entraps us and forces us to face that which we sought to avoid - magnified. 

Integrity is in vogue, but our politicos appear to be the only people in the nation who don't know it.

Apart from UKIP, that is.

Cross-posted