The Power of Lies

"The more successfully someone lies, and the more people he convinces, the more chance he will end up believing in his own lies." These are the words of Hannah Arendt, who, according to Wikipedia,  was "a German-American historian and philosopher... one of the most influential political theorists of the 20th century." 

She died in 1975, not long after the Watergate scandal in the US. I cannot help wondering what she would have thought of the political scene today, not only in the US, but also over here. Because I can think of two particular blond-haired politicians, about whom her words are prescient...

According to my Concise Oxford Dictionary, the meaning of the word "politics" is "the science and art of government" and a "politician" is defined as "One skilled in politics, statesman; one interested or engaged in politics, esp. as profession." 

When I was a small child, sixty years ago, it seemed that most politicians were in politics for what they could give, not only for what they could get. They were required to have certain ethical standards, and if scandal attached to them, they were expected to resign. And I am sure that this is still true of some politicians - certainly a lot of good work gets done by House of Lords and House of Commons committees.

Yet sadly, it is a long time since I have trusted the word of most politicians. Many today, it seems, believe their own lies wholeheartedly. Take the climate change crisis as an example: the Paris Agreement was signed by most nations of the world in 2015 and yet, nine years later, we are little closer to doing anything much to mitigate the effects of our polluting, wasteful ways.

It can be hard to believe in the goodness of people sometimes, when so much evil is being done in our names. And when it seems we have little power or influence over the people who are supposed to be running the country "for us". I guess the least that any of us can do is to stand in our own integrity, stand up against the lies that many politicians tell, actively campaign for change, and try to make a positive difference in our own small corners of the world.

Policies, Not People

I've just sat and watched the Head-to-Head That Wasn't; the programme on Channel 4 in which Jeremy Paxman interviewed David Cameron and Ed Miliband in turn, and each politician also answered questions from the studio audience.

And it was dire. It all seemed to be so set up, so fake. And the fact that there was no debate *between* the two men was a disappointment.

But what really fed me up was the personalisation of it all, particularly in the case of Ed Miliband. At one point the Sky presenter, whose name eludes me, asked him whether he thought he was the right person to lead the Labour Party into this election, and whether his brother David would have been better. She then asked some totally irrelevant personal questions about Miliband's family - had the leadership contest caused friction? How did his mother feel? It made me feel sick.

I wouldn't usually use this blog to comment on political matters. But it seems to me very sad that members of the British public are deemed by the media and the politicians to be incapable to making up their minds about who to elect to lead them for the next five years, on the basis of what policies each party espouses (or allegedly espouses, because we all know that to promise something in a manifesto is one thing; to deliver it once you have been elected is quite another).

It all seems to be about personalities. MPs and MP wannabes are out and about, making the most of photo opportunities, while the smallest and most irrelevant details of their private lives are hauled up for public scrutiny. Of course, I'm not saying that our Members of Parliament should not be people of integrity, with honest, upright lives. Of course they should. But I cannot believe that how Ed Milliband eats a bacon sandwich (for example) is in the slightest bit important, or should have the least impact on voter choice.

It's a funny old world.

I for one will be reading the campaign leaflets that come through my door (if any - I live in a safe Tory seat) and looking on the websites of the parties concerned, in order to make up my mind. Or I'll check out the website Vote for Policies, which will at least give me a chance to evaluate what the different parties *say* they believe in. And yes, I will be voting - it's my duty.