A day of ethical questions

What a news day in Britian!  Last night, the shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alan Johnson, and this morning the Prime Minister's communications director, Andy Coulson, tendered their resignnations for unrelated reasons.  And former PM, Tony Blair, spent much of the day being publicly questioned by members of the inquiry panel established to ascertain the legitimacy of Britain's role in the war to topple Iraq's dicator, Sadam Hussein, in 2003.

Although unconnected, there is a common thread running through these three events.  Each raises interesting ethical questions, although they may be quite obscure to people from countries where corruption in public service is rife an endemic.

Alan Johnson surprised the nation when he announced his resignation for 'personal reasons' after just three months in the post.  At first, most thought this was a euphemism for something sinister.  But it turned out that he wife had been having an affair with one of his bodyguards from when he was the Home Secretary.  You could be forgiven for wondering why he would feel the need to quit his job because of his wife's wrongdoings.  But in British public service, there is a general notion that if a scandal threatens to detract from the job a person is doing, then the right thing to do is to step down.  It's a far cry from Italian public service where the PM is embroiled in an underage sex controversy and refuses to budge.

Andy Coulson is the former editor of a popular Sunday newpaper called the News of the World.  During his tenure, his Royal correspondent was found guilty of hacking into the phones of famous people.  He went to jail.  In spite of claiming he knew nothing about the criminal acts of one of his journalists and that this was a rogue act that the newspaper condemned, he felt the need to resign in the interests of protecting the reputation of his newspaper.  Once again, the notion of resigning for something you didn't do may seem quite strange. But this is the British way.  He was subsequently employed by the Prmie Minister to manage the government's external communications. 

Unfortunately for Coulson, stories about phone hacking being endemic at his former newspaper and rumours that he knew about it, continued to abound.  Although he protested his innocence, weeks of media gossip made him feel that it was time for him to go.  He beleived that when the person responsible for managing the reputation of the government is having his own reputation questioned that this is too much of a distraction and compromises his job.

As for Tony Blair, who has been out of office for more than three years, he is still being gruelled by the so-called Chilcott enquiry, which is investigating the rights and wrongs of government decisions taken eight years previously.  Blair continues to maintain that he believed that it was right to join forces with the United States and invade Iraq with the aim of unseating the country's dictator who was a threat to world stability.  The debate is complex, and with hindsight, the war now looks questionable.  But at the time, Sadam Hussein did appear to be a threat to the world.  He had previously invade Kuwait which was subsequently liberated by American and British forces, during which conflict he unleashed missiles on Israel.  And he had committed terrrible attrocities on ethnic minorities in his country.

It's right for politicians to be questioned.  This is part and parcel of the democratic process.  We have a right to know why certain decisions of real importance are made.  And our leaders should be held to account.  But I fear this enquiry is unearthing nothing new.  I certainly don't beleive that Blair is guilty of anything other than following his own convictions.  Now that's rare for most politicians.



Grandpa Jonathan
Prague, Czech Republic

Haircut in London

I have just returned from a day trip to London, primarily to visit my barber.

Now you may think it rather self indulgent to go to another country just to have my hair cut.  But you need to know that I have been going to the same barber, Anthony, for over 30 years.  He has become a good friend and it would feel like a betrayal to allow anyone else's scissors near to my scalp. 

My hair and beard were looking so wild that I really couldn't come and visit you in Israel next week in such a shoddy state.  I can now look in the mirror and see a respectable gentleman.  Looks can be deceptive.


Grandpa Jonathan
Prague, Czech Republic

100 days to go

There's now exactly 100 days until the wedding of Prince William to Kate.  And one of the biggest questions being asked is whether Kate's wedding dress will be successfully kept under wraps.  Or will the design be leaked to the media?

As trivial as this may seem, it's not everyday that Britain has a Royal wedding, and particularly involving someone in direct line to the thrown.  It also provides a welcome distraction from all the gloomy economic news.

I'm a royalist and am greatly looking forward to the festivities in April.  So let the countdown to the great day begin.


Grandpa Jonathan
Prague, Czech Republic

Israel's diplomatic farce

Today's news of a strike at Israel's foreign ministry forcing the cancellation of a visit from Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev's is absolutely farcical.  Apparently, workers at the ministry had threatened to “ruin” the visit if it went ahead.  They are demanding higher pay.

This is an embarrassment for Israel.  But at least it’s quite funny.  All-too-often Israel is in the news because of some awful security-related issue.  I suppose I am happier to see Israel portrayed as a diplomatic laughing stock as opposed to a bully.

Israel attracts far too much negative media coverage, much of it quite unfairly.  But the nation’s politics is pretty ugly, and this labour-relations debacle with key civil servants is something else of which Israel cannot be proud.  As it turns out, this is unlikely to have any lasting consequences. 

While I absolutely believe that everyone should have the right to take industrial action, it does seem to me that these civil servants should be considering other ways to pressurise the government into paying them more.

On a happier note, I today booked my flights to Israel for next week.  I will come for just three days, but can’t wait to see you, my dear Yael.  It’s been too long and I am going to do my best to visit more often.

Grandpa Jonathan
Prague, Czech Republic

Silvio and Ruby

He may be a crooked sleaze bag, but Italy's prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi is again entertaining us with his sexual shenanigans.  Today's news is full of the 74 year-old premier's deinial of any wrongdoing with a 17-year-old lapdancer called Ruby.

"I love life, I love women", Berlusconi is reported as saying, as he now faces allegations of having sex with a minor.  Ruby was only 15 when she first met Silvio who apparantly paid her 7,000 euros.  Although both deny there being any physical relationship.

For a country that's had a record 21 prime ministers since 1945, Berlusconi's politial staying power is remarkable staying power, being the only premier to hold the position in excess of four years.  Actually, he's now in his second term as PM, having held the position for a cumulative total of more than six years.  But his days must now be surely numbered.  It must only be a matter of time before business and corruption scandals, combined with his obvious interest in teenage girls, will catch up with him.

I admire Italy for many wonderful reasons.  It has some of the most wonderful food and wine in the world.  It's people are relaxed, friencly and warm.  It has some of the most maginificent countryside, as well as some of the most impressive towns and citiies including Rome, which is one of my most favourite of cities in the world.  But Italy's politics has always been an embarrassment.



Grandpa Jonathan
Prague, Czech Republic