Soon the candidate who wishes to be Taoiseach or Minister will call to my door looking for my vote. However, the candidate will not qualify the request by asking also for my vote for 'six advisors, six programme managers and a plethora of spin-doctors'.

These faceless, unelected spin-doctors are the new high priests of our democracy. We do not know who they are. We do not elect them. They do not stand before the people. They are paid salaries between €100,000 and €135,000. They are the new growth industry in Irish political life.
They take precedent over backbenchers who have stood before the people. They take precedent over everyone within the party. These people are a threat to our democracy. Their job is to undermine honesty, truth and integrity.

Their job is to spin the truth until the truth becomes a blur and the people cannot tell what is right or wrong anymore. They have created apathy in the hearts of the people towards politics. Apathy is a spiritual disease and destroys democracy.
The Dublin media write that Brian Cowen was a star pupil in school. They describe him as intelligent and witty. Yet the man was a rambling, incoherent wreck in the Dáil chamber.
He was forever reading from a prepared script words he did not believe in. Why? Because his advisors had traumatised and petrified him from articulating his thoughts. Similarly with Enda Kenny.
Each day we read that 'his handlers are trying to rein him in'. What does this mean? Enda Kenny is educated and a former teacher. He is able to speak. I am sure he has his own thoughts and vision.
Why does he need handlers and spin-doctors? Last weekend the football pitches were frozen in the south and the authorities had to wait until 4 o'clock for a pitch in Mallow to thaw out so that Nemo Rangers could play Dr. Crokes.

Yet, Micheál Martin appeared in a picture in an open-neck shirt and without a jacket whilst the person standing with him was dressed as if they were about to climb Everest. This is the falseness that the people are sick of.
Watch Prime Time and the politicians on the panel spend an hour saying nothing. One can visualise when the programme is over the said politicians mobbed by their handlers and praised for saying absolutely nothing!
This falseness is the disease at the heart of our political system. Our politicians are afraid to articulate and think for themselves. All is political correctness dictated by the party and the 'advisors/handlers'.

It is interesting to note that Vincent Browne described Éamon Ó Cuív as an interesting politician 'because he had a mind of his own'. What does this comment say about the rest of Dáil Éireann?
Sadly, the spin doctors have their political journalist friends in the Dublin media to do their spinning for them. Why wouldn't they?
The political journalist's livelihood depends on filing copy each day for his paper. He depends on the media wing of the Government to provide this copy. If the political journalist is outspoken, radical and investigative, will he/she find copy easy to come by?
No doubt when the next administration is formed the first and most pressing job will be to create a team of advisors and spin doctors on inflated salaries. The people already pay for a Civil Service to support government.

James Daly, esteemed former owner and editor of The Connaught Telegraph, used his paper to defeat Landlordism. He was jailed for his beliefs. He walked amongst the people and attended every Land League rally.
If the political system needs reform I suggest The Connaught Telegraph follows in the footsteps of James Daly and uses the newspaper to investigate the role of spin doctors at the heart of our government. The control of their influence would be a major reform.

Finally, the ordinary man who stands on a sideline at a match, who writes a bet in the bookies and who drinks in a pub knows 'the score'.
The ordinary man is able to articulate his feelings about our society without a script in his hand from an advisor. The ordinary man knew Anglo Irish Bank should have been closed down immediately. Our politicians need to speak from the heart. They need to articulate truth and honesty at the heart of government. If they have the courage to do this the people will respond and apathy will disappear.

 

-Written by Padraig McLoughlin, The Demesne, Carrowholly, Westport.

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( 3 Votes )