Lying And Deceit In High Places

The drama of the Peter Mandelson affair had the nation transfixed for days, and the national tabloids had a field day. The most common thread running through almost hysterical headlines was that Mr. Mandelson had told a lie, and the papers concerned argued that there was no alternative but for Mandelson to resign.

If it is accepted that the former Northern Ireland Secretary of State told a lie over the passport affair - and the jury is still out on that one - then the question which arises is - do different standards prevail when a 'lie' is told in relation to overall UK affairs as to those arising in Northern Ireland? An interesting thought!

How utterly relevant to the whole issue was the thought-provoking article in the Church of Ireland Gazette on Friday, January 5, contributed by the writer 'Cromlyn' - an article written incidentally weeks before the Mandelson affair broke.

In this article under the heading "What 'lies' ahead?" which should be read at length by every politician and indeed person of influence in Northern Ireland. 'Cromlyn' declared: "If there is any validity in the Gospel warning against putting up a structure on a false foundation we in Ireland are in for a pretty bleak time.

"Assuming, of course, that the warning applies to communites and states, as well as to individuals, and that the principle when thus applied has within its ambit such things as persistent breaking of promises solemnly given, cleverly contrived deviousness in public speech, even on occasion a resort to downright lies - and all of this in what the Pauling phrase would categorise as 'high places'. And if there be anyone is whose mind examples have not immediately arisen at this mere mention of such deviants, he can hardly have been living in Ireland with eyes and ears open since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement."

The writer went on to say he would be "hard pressed to think of three amongst the present political leadership; in either Dublin or London, to whom I would willingly entrust a pound of tea, let alone the truth and righteousenss that pertain to the Kingdom of God."

Pulling no punches 'Cromlyn' declared: "From where I sit and as I see it we are in the hands of a serialised breed of artful dodgers who will only say what suits them, and promise what suits them, but will at the next moment do and say the exact opposite - when it suits them. And do it with such indifference to the distinction between right and wrong that on occasion my mind had been taken back to that individual in the Gospel whose devious abuse of power earned him our Lord's appellation 'the fox'.

'To be precise, both Mr. Ahern and Mr. Blair are in this bracket for exactly the same reason - they are still scared of the I.R.A.

Tony Blair will do anything, and I mean anything, to avoid a re-run of Canary Wharf. Bertie Ahern will do anything, and say anything to avoid having to take the sort of action they and any administration that sees itself as the custodian of democratic government would be bound to take against an armed conspiracy which openly maintains dumps within its own sovereign territory.

"A moment's reflection on the full implication of the present situation will indicate the outrageous absurdity of things as they now stand."

The writer then went on to say the day might come when Bertie Ahern might start to wonder if it was such a good idea "To have taken the mickey out of Trimble when he was trying to push Sinn Fein-I.R.A. towards that promised meeting with General John de Chastelain, such a good idea to have kept backing Gerry and Martin at every nook and turn when it was as plain as a pikestaff that what they were on about was squeezing of each successive drop of juice out of the situation in pursuit of 'the national aim'- not one iota of which has 'gone away you know.'

"He might even begin to wonder if all this stuff about the Real I.R.A. and Continuity I.R.A. etc., might just be an umbrella coverage for what, along with the standrad Provisional I.R.A., is all just one and the same thing and Sinn Fein in reality the mouthpeice of the lot."

'Cromlyn' then proceeded to give two illustrations "of how far along the road of rake's progress we have now gone.

"They both concern Martin McGuinness but in two different ways. The first concerns the inevitable demand that the Brits 'demilitarise.'

"Of course, they have been having this for months, even years, past. It was an obvious main aim of the republicans 'war' from the start. Nothing new. But what is new is that now our Mr. McGuinness has gained such a degree of confidence in the progress of the 'war', such confidence that with one more brazen shove he will get even more, that he has the audacity to argue his case by blandly asserting the right of armed forces of Sinn Fein-I.R.A. to be regarded as of equal status with the armed forces of the State!

"The question has now been elevated to the level of like-with-like and a quid pro quo. And no-one in either Dublin or London seems to have even noticed!

"And secondly, I cannot rid myself of my sense of outrage as I watched a recent Late Late Show, where having most carefully tip-toed through an interview with Martin McGuinness, RTE's Pat Kenny brought it all to a safe conclusion by asking his guest to recite one of his poems. Martin McGuinness!"

"And he did too", declared 'Cromlyn'. "And the silly sheep making up the audience thereupon showed their appreciation and pleasure by a loud clapping of hands. I could not help but reflect that the said Mr. McGuinness has been credited with other expertise a great deal more worthy of note than the writing of poetry", added 'Cromlyn'.

If it is accepted that the former Northern Ireland Secretary of State told a lie over the passport affair - and the jury is still out on that one - then the question which arises is - do different standards prevail when a 'lie' is told in relation to overall UK affairs as to those arising in Northern Ireland? An interesting thought!

How utterly relevant to the whole issue was the thought-provoking article in the Church of Ireland Gazette on Friday, January 5, contributed by the writer 'Cromlyn' - an article written incidentally weeks before the Mandelson affair broke.

In this article under the heading "What 'lies' ahead?" which should be read at length by every politician and indeed person of influence in Northern Ireland. 'Cromlyn' declared: "If there is any validity in the Gospel warning against putting up a structure on a false foundation we in Ireland are in for a pretty bleak time.

"Assuming, of course, that the warning applies to communites and states, as well as to individuals, and that the principle when thus applied has within its ambit such things as persistent breaking of promises solemnly given, cleverly contrived deviousness in public speech, even on occasion a resort to downright lies - and all of this in what the Pauling phrase would categorise as 'high places'. And if there be anyone is whose mind examples have not immediately arisen at this mere mention of such deviants, he can hardly have been living in Ireland with eyes and ears open since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement."

The writer went on to say he would be "hard pressed to think of three amongst the present political leadership; in either Dublin or London, to whom I would willingly entrust a pound of tea, let alone the truth and righteousenss that pertain to the Kingdom of God."

Pulling no punches 'Cromlyn' declared: "From where I sit and as I see it we are in the hands of a serialised breed of artful dodgers who will only say what suits them, and promise what suits them, but will at the next moment do and say the exact opposite - when it suits them. And do it with such indifference to the distinction between right and wrong that on occasion my mind had been taken back to that individual in the Gospel whose devious abuse of power earned him our Lord's appellation 'the fox'.

'To be precise, both Mr. Ahern and Mr. Blair are in this bracket for exactly the same reason - they are still scared of the I.R.A.

Tony Blair will do anything, and I mean anything, to avoid a re-run of Canary Wharf. Bertie Ahern will do anything, and say anything to avoid having to take the sort of action they and any administration that sees itself as the custodian of democratic government would be bound to take against an armed conspiracy which openly maintains dumps within its own sovereign territory.

"A moment's reflection on the full implication of the present situation will indicate the outrageous absurdity of things as they now stand."

The writer then went on to say the day might come when Bertie Ahern might start to wonder if it was such a good idea "To have taken the mickey out of Trimble when he was trying to push Sinn Fein-I.R.A. towards that promised meeting with General John de Chastelain, such a good idea to have kept backing Gerry and Martin at every nook and turn when it was as plain as a pikestaff that what they were on about was squeezing of each successive drop of juice out of the situation in pursuit of 'the national aim'- not one iota of which has 'gone away you know.'

"He might even begin to wonder if all this stuff about the Real I.R.A. and Continuity I.R.A. etc., might just be an umbrella coverage for what, along with the standrad Provisional I.R.A., is all just one and the same thing and Sinn Fein in reality the mouthpeice of the lot."

'Cromlyn' then proceeded to give two illustrations "of how far along the road of rake's progress we have now gone.

"They both concern Martin McGuinness but in two different ways. The first concerns the inevitable demand that the Brits 'demilitarise.'

"Of course, they have been having this for months, even years, past. It was an obvious main aim of the republicans 'war' from the start. Nothing new. But what is new is that now our Mr. McGuinness has gained such a degree of confidence in the progress of the 'war', such confidence that with one more brazen shove he will get even more, that he has the audacity to argue his case by blandly asserting the right of armed forces of Sinn Fein-I.R.A. to be regarded as of equal status with the armed forces of the State!

"The question has now been elevated to the level of like-with-like and a quid pro quo. And no-one in either Dublin or London seems to have even noticed!

"And secondly, I cannot rid myself of my sense of outrage as I watched a recent Late Late Show, where having most carefully tip-toed through an interview with Martin McGuinness, RTE's Pat Kenny brought it all to a safe conclusion by asking his guest to recite one of his poems. Martin McGuinness!"

"And he did too", declared 'Cromlyn'. "And the silly sheep making up the audience thereupon showed their appreciation and pleasure by a loud clapping of hands. I could not help but reflect that the said Mr. McGuinness has been credited with other expertise a great deal more worthy of note than the writing of poetry", added 'Cromlyn'.