THE PEOPLE'S FOREIGN POLICY

Sir, - Both the politicians and the people declined to, make foreign policy an election issue

Sir, - Both the politicians and the people declined to, make foreign policy an election issue. Only Mary Van Lieshout (World View, June 14th) took any notice of this grievous omission.seemed to hold the floor; everyone to their taste.

Foreign policy remains, as a result of this inexplicable lapse, circumscribed and strangulated by flat-earth slogans out of date in this interdependent global village.

A stated central purpose of Dick Spring's landmark White Paper on foreign policy was "to encourage debate about all aspects of policy, more transparency in the user conduct of policy and the maximum degree of ownership of policy by the people." What happened to that? Or was it all a pious aspiration, political palaver?

Ownership of policy by the people requires an awareness of where policy is coming from and how it came about. The background should be depicted in accessible language. The universities and the media have a big part to play in this. Programmes such as Marion Finuncane's Live Line could play a crucial role in encouraging this debate by airing aspects of the White Paper as they become newsworthy from time to time. An exchange of ideas and the clash of opinions is the life-blood of debate. I happen to think that The Irish Times is the best forum for that. By the way, does the new programme for Government adopt all of Mr Spring's White Paper? Or what? - Yours, etc.,

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Mount Merrion, Dublin.