McHugh's Miscellany: Democratic ways and accountability need language reboot

It was appropriate to see Micheál Martin getting due credit recently for introducing the smoking ban in Irish workplaces 20 years ago.

And boy did the tobacco industry and other so-called “alliances” try to undermine attempts to allow Irish people lead healthier lives. For everything has its price!

Martin also gave due credit to civil servant Tom Power, who passed away in 2005.

The different strands of government being able to act in unison for the benefit of the country.

It’s a pity, it does not extend into myriad political projects since, as we often observe today!

That incessant bureaucracy which disintegrates a good plan or project to such a degree that within a relatively short time of its conception or build start, the budget has rocketed.

And elevated to such proportions, that retrospectively the project no longer becomes economically viable or tenable. Ring any bells?

This needs changing big time, as it is a singular area where regular people who pay their taxes are increasingly saying, enough is enough!

And it is within the parameters of such frustrations that new entities, groups and individuals are there to exploit those frustrations.

People who have no better intention than to tumble everything, good or bad.

Those that would look at the word ‘good’ and tell you that there were too many o’s in it.

It was also interesting to note that the Tanaiste cited personal anxiety on the smoking ban introduction for fear of mass non compliance and that it was one of his greatest political achievements.

I hope that the same zeal and determination shown then can now be used in tackling the vaping scourge.

It was the initial answer by big industry, to help people come off cigarettes, but in reality spawned a new generation of addicts, and in particular our vulnerable younger generation.

Big decision

In this day and age, the idea of becoming a politician is a bigger decision than it was in the past.

Many genuine good people are putting their names forward in local elections. Many more are seeking reelection.

I think that the anger and antagonism which they now receive, most particularly from sources on social media and so called agitators, who agitate about everything and anything, can be a tough journey and disincentive to serve one’s community.

This applies especially to the way some of our female politicians are treated.

Despicable is the word that comes to mind!

Absolutely hold politicians accountable. Absolutely hold them over previous statements and commitments.

Absolutely pull them up when they fall short but let that debate and accountability fall within the parameters of acceptability

Like all things in life, they work within a system and with limited resources the pie has to be cut as evenly as possible.

In truth the best that they can do is to get an even share of the pie. That is it.

But they need to be more upfront, more truthful in their deliberations and drop the use of language that is evasive and obtuse, merely over fears that a slip of the tongue will get them in hot water, or getting rejected by the electorate at the following election.

Because of the nature of our Irish existence, our need to emigrate, our need to circumvent the challenges of colonialism and the fact that we are a little island in the north west periphery of Europe, we have developed a sometimes ambiguous language that often means different things to different people, that doesn’t necessarily paint a lie, but derogates from the truth.

We have developed a talent for not calling things as they are, meandering around the obvious and oft times, ignoring the obvious. This has cultivated a political language and discourse that digresses in the opposite direction, of what should be said.

Mind you, our ability to juggle and master the English language has allowed many of our modern writers to become the greatest exponents of that particular language!!