A CULTURE OF DECEIT AND DISHONESTY
Wednesday 13 May, 2009
Economy
World
UK
Politics
By Charles Gardner
As the row over MPs’ expenses rumbles on, there are inevitably those baying for their blood. And the nationwide anger over the affair is perfectly understandable, especially in the current financial climate of redundancies, pay freezes and workers hanging onto their jobs for dear life.
But many others – including the journalists busy exposing the abuse – have skeletons in their cupboard in this area.
The trouble is the politicians seem by and large to have played by the rules – though clearly not within the spirit of the rules – in making exorbitant claims that obviously have no bearing on their parliamentary work.
And as a result of the exposure, Parliament itself seems to be falling apart at the seams with the speaker – Michael Martin – entering the fray.
It would be unfair to blame it all on New Labour since Conservative MPs are just as culpable, but it is the long-term outcome of a culture where morality plays an increasingly diminished role. The whole sorry business cuts at the heart of what is perhaps the nation’s chief malaise – its lack of honesty and integrity.
The system has obviously been open to abuse for years but, since our MPs are given the title Honourable, we justifiably expect them to behave accordingly. The problem, however, is that we get the leaders we deserve because most of us, if we are honest, fiddle our expenses.
Journalists, for one, should be very careful about making accusations in this regard. For having worked in the industry for 35 years, I can vouch for the fact that there is a culture of gross exaggeration when it comes to claiming expenses. The top managers must know this, unless they are incredibly stupid, but choose to overlook such dishonesty presumably because everyone is involved and therefore it is a question of watching out for each other – even though some papers are in dire straits.
And yet the reality is that those who work on the basis of honesty and integrity are invariably better off – certainly in the quality of life they experience.
Take, for example, the South African farmer/preacher Angus Buchan, who recently hosted 200,000 men on his land seeking God’s way for their lives, their families and their businesses.
Quite apart from his prowess at preaching, Angus has made a huge success of his farm – his policy having been to grow crops “to feed the people” rather than just those fetching the highest price and keeping mechanised farming to a minimum in order to provide more employment, which means you will see Zulu women hoeing the land where otherwise they would have no work. Now that is radical, and yet it keeps a community together – happy, well-fed and in the knowledge that they are not being exploited.
Such radical policies spring from the author of life himself who says in The Book that wisdom “will save you from the ways of wicked men” and will give you understanding of “what is right and just and fair”. Who says, “Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice”. Who says, “Honest scales and balances are from the Lord,” that “Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value a man who speaks the truth” and that it is “Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.” And here’s another: “Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife.” And crucially, “He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker.”
These are some of the words of King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, preserved forever in Holy Scripture, Jesus himself underlining their truths with his teaching on the value of giving to the poor and how we should not store up our treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. St Paul adds that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil and St James warns against rich oppressors who deny proper wages to their labourers.
Unless we return to these values – and they are the principles on which our nation was built – dishonesty, sleaze and corruption will keep coming round.
Photo: Zsuzsanna Kilián
Ann Wills wrote:
Yes, since 1997 the Married Person’s tax allowance has been removed & unmarried parents who live apart receive much more in state benefits than married families. Tony Blair tried to introduce gambling casinos to local areas & brought in 24-hour a day pub opening. He obviously didn’t let his Christianity interfere with his policies!
Well off MPs abusing their expenses is a slap in the face to all those ordinary people who give their time free, voluntarily helping charities & churches & often spending their own money to do this.
Some government ministers & MPs also have too cosy a relationship with big business, which is why proper controls were never applied to reduce pollution. Asbestos was allowed to continue to be used in buildings decades after it was known to cause a fatal form of lung cancer. Toxic mercury was allowed to be dumped in the sea by industry - which is why pregnant women are warned not to eat certain kinds of fish because they’re contaminated with mercury. Those in authority ought to have set a good example. We need to bring back Christian honesty & ethics from the top down.
Alex Woods. wrote:
Christ taught a paradox- “Give, and it shall be given you, good measure pressed down and running over.”
The very opposite of the world’s system “Gimme and get.”
Dishonesty is rampant as it was in Christ’s day. He savagely rebuked the lawyers in His day for robbing widows and the money changers in the temple calling them a den of thieves.
Angus is to be commended for his policies.
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