Politicians

[carrie]

50 years since the death of JFK and I was just thinking about how things have changed. Kennedy was a serial wonaniser, the press knew but didn't print anything about it until long after his death. Lloyd George was one of the most corrupt politicians Britain has ever seen. If they lived in todays day and age they would have been "outed" by the press. Clinton survived the Monica Lewinski episode, does it matter what the morals of a politician are if they do a good job.

[LovelyLadyLux]

I've often pondered the same thing. Seems the lives of many politicians, if known or exposed, would read like a bad cheap novel - however - If you are doing a bang up stellar job does it make a difference if you are morally bankrupt or corrupt?

[Dusak]

If you lack an excepted level of morals, integrity or are corrupt, then you lack the much needed level of honesty to justify your political position no matter how good at the job you are ''seen'' to be.

[LivinginLuxor]

"If you lack an accepted level of morals, integrity or are corrupt" then you are ideally suited to be a politician! Look at MPs expenses!

[LovelyLadyLux]

Canada presently had a politician to be(ahem) proud of and it is Rob Ford, Mayor of Toronto - our Crack Smoking (amongst other things) Mayor. This guy really does 'do it all' and seems he has been voted in twice by the people of Toronto! Apparently he somehow hails from the Fords of Ford Motor Company fame and fortune, donates his entire salary as Mayor to various charities and essentially works for free, does a pretty good bang up job of running a huge city - BUT - his antics are now featured on such shows as Saturday Night Live (SNL) and he has admitted he has smoked crack cocaine..........

http://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2 ... uncil.html

Makes one wonder.........really really really makes ya wonder about politicians.

[carrie]

He was one of the politicians I was thinking of when I posted, I have heard of his antics but his constituants seem quite happy with him.

[Dusak]

And to put light on the subject, they give him and his brother their own chat show. Just like giving a crack dealer the prime slot on Watch With Mother, create a captive audience.

[LovelyLadyLux]

Yes - this Mayor has been in office for the past 13 yrs. By and large he seems a character to say the least. I've worked out of country since before he came into office so haven't really been privy Canada-wise to his antics. In his 13 yrs in office he has never missed a day away, the city is fiscally responsible yet he is out there partying, cutting loose and shenanigans up the whazooo..........AND he seems to keep getting re-elected.

More interesting is that apparently the Canadian Constitution doesn't have a mechanism to remove him from office anyway!! He has made admissions but since he has never been charged with anything everybodies hands are tied.

Does beg the question - if a politician is morally bankrupt but doing the job - should they be allowed to continue?

[LivinginLuxor]

Well, yes - look at the present mayor of London!

[LivinginLuxor]

Well, yes - look at the present mayor of London!

[Hafiz]

Are politicians extra-marital affairs predictive of the political 'performance' in the job. I don't think so. I cant be bothered with examples but the 400-500 years of Roman emperors will do.

In any case the rot about morality is just a cover for prudery and narrow-mindedness. Who would say that extra-marital affairs are immoral. They may be hurtful and they may end your marriage but immoral I think not. Beating your wife, stealing, harsh judgement of others etc might be immoral

The French President usually has an 'official' mistress but I guess that is because they are more sophisticated about these matters than anglo saxons although Prince Phillipp's incessant wanderings and Prince Charles's activities, with one ex-lover committing suicide, might not pass the morality test advocated by some. Is anyone suggesting that they should be removed for moral reasons. I hope so. The cavorting of the Saxe-Coburg von Gotha family in the 20th century beggars belief beginning with the voracious Edward VIII and including the Duke of Kent and a current member yet to be outed. The Americans don't have a monopoly on these things.

Historians have suggested that Kennedy's libido may have been fueled by cortisone and barbiturates taken to treat his back pain and his Addison's disease so those who have jumped to judgement and seen his activities only in moral terms should learn their lesson and be less hasty and harsh in judging others.

[Remus]

'including the Duke of Kent'

Before you start to believe you are reading
the Daily Mail here, it's worth pointing out that this
reference is not to the present Duke of Kent.
Check your facts ....

[Dusak]

As far as I'm concerned, if you bestow your feelings of love onto your partner then have one or a number of affairs, you are indeed a slime ball, not worth bothering with. You have betrayed the trust of a person that loves and admires you. The person has practiced deceit so is not worthy of trust. In all walks of life and in all situations you are morally bound to be seen to do the right thing, to be beyond reproach.

[Who2]

Well, yes - look at the present mayor of London!

Well Boris is doing a damn better job of it than Livingstone that's for sure…..

[Hafiz]

Yes, the previous Duke of Kent and, if you include drugs, he and his brother. These are not Daily Mail allegations but widely published in book form. I've not read the Daily Mail, and we have nothing similar in Australia because prurience is not a national characteristic and private life is generally considered irrelevant to public office. Thank god our newspapers share the same view.

If Dusak only supports those who are beyond reproach (it is argued that Jacqueline knew much or all so no deceit may have been committed) then it will be a very small list for politics or marriage. Maybe it is only possible to take such a 'high minded' approach in a country which practices deceit on an industrial scale and where few actually talk about sex.

We could go on, FDR, Eisenhower etc who have made major contributions to world history. What would have happened if they had been screened by a morals tribunal?

No-one, or at least no-one in politics and public life, is 'beyond reproach' because that level of 'perfection' does not exist this side of the grave.

[Dusak]

Not really, its just that I prefer honest people to be part of my life. Honesty is not an unobtainable commodity.

[LivinginLuxor]

Honesty is the best policy when you've tried everything else!

[Dusak]

Honesty is the best policy when you've tried everything else!

Quite agree Stan, but unfortunately murder is still illegal in all countries.

[Brian Yare]

Quite agree Stan, but unfortunately murder is still illegal in all countries.

If it were legal it would not be murder, by definition.

[Dusak]

Quite agree Stan, but unfortunately murder is still illegal in all countries.

If it were legal it would not be murder, by definition.

... and if common sense was free, still some would miss out. Oh sorry, it is free by its very definition.