Sunday 21 October 2018

"If I had to choose between betraying my country or

betraying my friend I hope I should have the guts to betray my country."
EM Forster
And what if your friend is also your country?
It doesn't matter where you sit on the political fence deliberately harming your country is not acceptable.
I have to say here that I am not a passionate nationalist. When I went to live in the UK for some years I didn't wear the flag of my home country on my sleeve. I avoided the areas where it was said a great many young people from my home country were said to gather.  It made far more sense to me get to know the locals - and I did - and get to know my fellow students from all over the world. I did that too.  I would have been more than happy to remain in the UK for the rest of my life because of the intellectual and other resources there. It is difficult to work in isolation - which I do in the sense that I work from home and can't even chat casually to a colleague in the tea room. 
But there is a vast difference between moving countries for any number of reasons and staying in one country, moving up the political ladder to lead the country - and then betraying it. This country gave the former Prime Minister everything. In turn he treated it as his personal plaything. He bullied his way into the job and he lost the job because he wasn't sharing, wasn't listening, and wanted to dictate. He has now effectively brought down a government and it is going to do the country immense harm. Unlike many other politicians removed from their positions he didn't even have the guts to remain in parliament until the next election. 
It would seem we are well rid of this man. It is an immense pity that, in his going, he has pulled down a country with him. He has betrayed both his country and his friend.
Forster made the choice sound simple but it isn't. 

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Good grief Cat! You don't pull any punches do you? Mind you I have to agree with you all the way. Bob C-S