Wednesday, 6 September 2023

The tragicomedy of Trussonomics

I just read this article:

Going for broke: the tragicomedy of Trussonomics 

 She was not a numbers person, she knew what the country needed.

The whole problem was that she was stupid. But why did Tory party members vote for her? Why did the Tory supporting newspapers hail the "mini" budget as outstanding and just what Britain needed?  I think it's endemic stupidity. The problem is that the mechanism whereby people get into positions of influence and power doesn't appear to pay much heed to people's actually ability or intelligence.  Influence and power is won by people being firm, being unwavering, in their convictions. Contrariwise, having a head for figures, having a nuanced stance on issues, doesn't win any favours with the masses, and it is the approval of the masses that precipitates a person's popularity and hence influence.

The myths and traditions of death

 An interesting Guardian article : It is worth reminding ourselves that the vast majority of our ancestors saw the world in a very different...