Cummings's testimony today made absolutely clear that he gets a cathartic rush out of feelings of existential panic, and this drives his cognitive process. In other words, keep him a million miles away from power. Not saying it reflects well on anyone else, it clearly doesn't (who would hire the guy?). I wouldn't hire him to fix my car, as he would be far more interested theorizing about structural economic emergencies in the automotive industry, and setting up "red groups," than he would in just tuning the blimmin' thing.
There is no trace of wisdom in the way the thinks. Perhaps he is right about some facts. But without some wisdom and proportionality, any of that is worthless. Lack of wisdom is just toxic.
One detail stands out for me, bobbing in the vast sea of his incoherent grandiosity and state of panic, and that was when he said, "If I were Prime Minister... ." He said he would have delegated decision-making to someone else and made them "dictator" not only with the maximum "kingly" powers allowable under law but even pushing "the bounds of legality." Oh brilliant.
Indeed he must have pushed very hard for dictatorship, and we actually wound up with quite a lot of it. Extralegal, illegal. Human rights down the crapper. Emergency powers.
A long era of diktat, fiat, edict. And a supine Parliament allowing it all. A state of emergency self-preservation by the political class, and rot for the rest of us whose rights are diminished to a nullity, retractable at governmental discretion.
It has obviously been as bad in Government as it has seemed from outside. No wisdom, no proportionality. None whatsoever. Instead, panic and self-importance -- just what we never need. Pathetic.
Dom, and for that matter all those ministers, actual and shadow, would you please consider taking an apprenticeship in the trades, and just getting out of our lives? Nah, you couldn't stand the accountability.
I enjoyed reading your post FOA..
Thanks..
😀
This was the main thing that struck me about his comments.
Yes, another catch is that he said 'even with someone competent like Bill Gates in charge' the system couldn't work. So even if his idol Bill Gates magically became Prime Minister here, it wouldn't be enough for him, because he thinks the only way the system will work is if an unaccountable scientist has dictatorial powers. IIRC he also said that parts of the govt could do anything which might break privacy laws and 'assume it is legal'. The fact that he presents all these ideas as a good thing suggests that they are actually true and that the government has no respect for the rule of law.
There has been at least one in office for over a year: Hancock, principally.
