Politicians As Victims – Balderdash!

NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE

When Allan Bell MHK the Manx Chief Minister came out and attacked those who troll and spread malicious rumours on the Internet I personally applauded his stance and remarked that it complemented efforts being made in Ireland by Senator Lorraine Higgins to tackle cyber-bullying.

The Chief Ministers full interview with Paul Moulton can be seen below and I’m pleased that he does qualify his remarks by saying that he does not want a crack down on social media.

The anonymity afforded by social media undoubtedly can be abused but the majority of those who participate on the IOM are responsible and whilst comments can be acerbic and sardonic at times the number of occasions when vicious abuse is levelled is comparatively rare.

Several times during his interview however the Chief Minister stresses the impact of this type of attack on politicians and there families. However anyone in the public arena is subject to such attacks.

Additionally it ill behoves the Chief Minister to set political figures as some sort of class apart. One of the reasons for their current lack of popularity is the perception that they are remote and unwilling to listen.

There is also a more salient reason why the CM is wrong to ascribe this role of the victims to politicians.

This is a small Island and many of us know that the origins of much of the ‘tittle tattle’ about politicians emanates from within their own ranks. Lets get real even members of COMIN are not averse to making life difficult for their boss (that has been the case since the Council of Ministers was established) and if that involves feeding the rumour mill they are at the head of the queue.

So a call for tolerant and restraint in debate is to be welcomed but ‘politicians as victims’ quite frankly that’s balderdash!

http://www.manx.net/…/73796/chief-minister-i-m-being-trolled

BERNARD MOFFATT

Issued by the Celtic News

01/09/15

Chief Minister: I'm being trolled | MT TV | iom news on demand manx.net

In an unusual move the Chief Minister talks to MTTV's Paul Moulton about the effect of having wild rumours about him and his family put on social media and...

MANX.NET