The Fascist State organizes the nation, but it leaves the individual adequate elbow room. It has curtailed useless or harmful liberties while preserving those which are essential. In such matters the individual cannot be the judge, but the State only.
The Doctrine Of Fascism - Benito Mussolini
6 comments:
From the BBC:
Mr Gove said that although governments have not done enough to tackle climate change, "in the past few years it has become inescapable that we have to act".
He said: "The time to act is now, the challenge could not be clearer - Greta, you have been heard."
This is truly something significant. A minister in Her Majesty's Government, plus lots of those who aspire to power, being lectured to by a foreign child with learning difficulties; and then practically apologising for not being good enough. It's worth noting that Greta's supernatural self-assurance is not rare among the exceptionally privileged. Her parents are both well-known artistic and media figures, so she's a kind of high-culture Pixie Geldof or Stella McCartney. It's also worth noting that her autism and other conditions can lead to the kind of blank affectless delivery which also passes for self-assurance. There's nothing frightening about speaking truth to political power when you don't know what the truth is, and don't understand the concept of power.
As you note, the significant bit is whether she knows anything at all about climate science.
I think this marks an important feature of our political system today. The emotional tone and empathy of politicians, their sensitivity, is now more important than their knowledge of practical stuff. Providing you are seen to be caring and compassionate, your ability to actually work the levers of power and change the country is all but irrelevant. For once, credit to Theresa May for having something more useful to do than pandering to this drivel.
Unfortunately for the kids, it's a bit like getting anyone to watch women's football, or baseball - nobody really gives a toss!
Perhaps Caroline Lucas could spend more time trying to clean up Brighton, where she apparently has some sort of job as an MP...
Sam - you have it spot on. "The emotional tone and empathy of politicians, their sensitivity, is now more important than their knowledge of practical stuff."
Astounding if you stand back and think about it, but there it is for all to see.
Scrobs - I've never been to Brighton but it sounds weird. A place which is capable of electing Caroline Lucas as its MP has to lack something important.
The picture says a lot, two politicians, neither whom have ever had a proper job, in awe, or as I prefer to put it bandwagoning, to a child who for no obvious reason other than her age has gathered a following of sorts.
The photo of Gove at a speech by the same child was in the sick bucket category, he had that face you see when somebody has discovered religion, all he needed to complete the picture was a halo above him.
It comes to something when we are prepared to pay money to be lectured by autistic children and people with advanced dementia such as David A. It makes me consider buying a boat and living offshore, free from all these governments and weirdos and crazy regulations
Wiggia - it certainly is in the sick bucket category but also quite difficult to understand in the sense of putting yourself in their place. Completely cynical I suppose.
Graeme - I know what you mean about buying a boat and living offshore. I'd like to be away from it all.
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