Tuesday, 10 March 2009

Lying with integrity


The issue of 'lying with integrity' is more than just telling a 'white lie' to your mate about the size of her derriere. It has the implications of safety and protection of others. I found this newpaper article which I thought illustrated the point rather well. In it the moral question is; Should the Brigadier have told the truth about the problems our troops face in Afghanistan, which had been increased by troops being diverted to fight in Iraq, or should he have 'toed the party line' and kept quiet in order to support Tony Blair's decision.

The Brigadier's actions are termed unconstitutional and a threat to National Security. Yet, he is simply trying to illustrate the difficulties and risk the men he is responsible for, are facing!So, in order to protect TB's integrity he should sacrifice his own!!

This is what Kevin Magill demonstrated in his lecture. Machiavelli had said that a good leader, a successful leader, should have the ability to lie for the good of his nation. Here we see an example of someone's absolute honesty being used against him, in order that Tony Blair is seen as strong and decisive.
">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/columnists/article-411334/Whos-really-affronted-national-integrity-An-honest-soldier-lying-Blair.html">

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