Sir, – I welcome JD Mangan (August 19th) to the important debate on "the value of truth" in our democratic discourse started by Patrick Nolan (August 17th).
JD Mangan has, however, narrowed down the debate from the issues of whether media coverage should be “responsible”, “rational” and “researched-based” to a debate on “austerity”.
He ignores the following facts. First, there would have been no need for the level of austerity endured by the people of this country if the country was not bankrupted by the virtually unchallenged decisions of a small number of its own most powerful citizens during the boom.
Second, when as a result this country needed an €85 billion euro bailout the alternatives to the austerity were default or even more borrowing. The Greek example, in which that country threatened default, ie letting the taxpayers and savers of other sometimes poorer countries pay for their mistakes, is relevant.
The fact that Greece is now on its third bailout is a reminder as to how serious our situation was in 2010.
Third, the alternative to the market economy, in which there are major economic inequalities with a minority controlling a high proportion of the wealth, collapsed in 1989.
That was the USSR, in which a much smaller minority not alone controlled all of the wealth but also all of the political power.
But JD Mangan is right about one thing and that is that the powerful institutions of democratic societies, including media, are going to have to deal with the issue of economic inequality through the “responsible”, “rational” and “researched-based” debate highlighted by Patrick Nolan on August 17th.
Otherwise, as we saw in the 1930s, propaganda campaigns can lead to totalitarianism in which the inequalities would be even worse. – Yours, etc,
A LEAVY,
Sutton,
Dublin 13.
A chara, – JD Mangan draws attention to the growing concentration of wealth. About 2,000 years ago, Plutarch pointed out that, “An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailments of all republics.”
I fully concur with Mr Mangan’s assessment that this imbalance can only lead to increased social unrest, with all its concomitant costs. – Is mise,
MICHAEL AHERN,
Galway.