McDowell and Goebbels

Madam, - In the wake of the third public usage of the Nazi analogy by three prominent people - a president, a priest and a politician…

Madam, - In the wake of the third public usage of the Nazi analogy by three prominent people - a president, a priest and a politician - it must be high time that this kind of language be dropped for good.

No matter how hot the debate or contentious the issue, the comparison is odious, insulting, damaging and totally unacceptable in public discourse and has no place in civil or civilised society. - Yours, etc,

ROBERT DUNLOP, Brannockstown, Co Kildare.

Madam, - The Minister for Justice has invoked Joseph Goebbels as a comparison in his comments on Richard Bruton's use of the Department of Justice's own figures.

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The Mayor of London was removed from his job for four months for the use of a similar but less potent slur on a Jewish journalist.

Can we expect similar, or even condemnation from Ms Harney or from the Taoiseach?

I will not be holding my breath on either count.

This latest outburst further confirms the Minister's sense of his own infallibility - it is not only the 18th century French monarchs who appear to believe "L'état c'est moi "!

Is this behaviour what we should expect from a minister and especially the Minister for Justice? - Yours, etc,

JOHN R BAILEY, Cowper Downs, Rathmines, Dublin 6.