The ANZACs, Churchill and a Lesson for our Politicians

For their part, the Tories failed to keep their word on a much-vaunted debate on the status of marriage, something that still rankles with many social conservatives. Whether or not this social change was irresistible is open to argument; the point is they were wrong to back down on a commitment made.

Meanwhile, all the parties in this campaign are making financial promises they likely cannot meet. They certainly are not outlining where the money will come from.

Late-campaign promises are made on the basis of their appeal to swing voters or people in marginal constituencies rather than their true feasibility.

All of this owes more to the philosophy of Dickens’ Artful Dodger than that of political statesmanship.

All of this represents politics by evasion. And it doesn’t end on election night. Once ensconced in government, politicians of all persuasions are likely to continue down the same road.

When mistakes are made, the fault is usually someone else’s. Responsibility is to be evaded, while glory is to be pursued. The higher up the ladder one goes, the more one sees this evasiveness at work.

On the rare occasion that we see a senior government figure tender his or her resignation, the event is usually accompanied by a letter which is prefaced by something like this: ‘Whilst I do not believe that I have done anything wrong…’ or, ‘Whilst I have only ever acted in the interests of the people…’

Of course, it’s not just within politics that accountability is a rare commodity.

Numerous business scandals, mid- and post-recession, have seen corporate heads passing the buck for gross corporate failures and, in some cases, outright misuse of shareholders’ funds.

Evasion always spells the end of constructive engagement with a problem; it leads us down a cyclic path where one problem leads to another. With each excuse we dig a deeper hole for ourselves.

Solving a problem begins with accepting whatever responsibility we can for changing it. Psychiatrists have long argued that a failure to accept personal responsibility for one’s life is a certain road to anxiety and even depression.

If I am merely a victim of the fates, then my decisions do not count. If my decisions mean nothing, I cannot change anything in my life. I am a sure candidate for despair.