Politics + Science = Politics
So says one of the immutable laws of the universe. The political class is much the same as everyone else in this respect – it selects the advice it prefers to receive and whatever that advice may be transmutes it into politics.
Two scientists stand either side of a Prime Minister as he makes his announcements. Who conducted the selection interview for the scientists and on what basis? Suppose we make a guess.
How many letters do you have after your name?
Are you fully behind our policy?
Whatever our policy may be?
Tick, tick, tick and the job’s yours.
Far too simplistic and far too cynical? Of course it is, but how else could the selection process be managed? Not as depicted above obviously, but strip away the facade and that is what we are left with.
Two scientists stand either side of a Prime Minister as he makes his announcements. Who conducted the selection interview for the scientists and on what basis? Suppose we make a guess.
How many letters do you have after your name?
Are you fully behind our policy?
Whatever our policy may be?
Tick, tick, tick and the job’s yours.
Far too simplistic and far too cynical? Of course it is, but how else could the selection process be managed? Not as depicted above obviously, but strip away the facade and that is what we are left with.
Policies cannot be promoted by those who disagree with them or are liable to rock the policy boat once it has been launched. And outsiders don’t make policy. It’s all in the genes of the process.
4 comments:
A little thought experiment. Could you imagine one of Boris's bookends suddenly interrupting and saying "Respectfully, Prime Minister, that analysis is at odds with the facts. I've got here the results of a major study I've personally conducted, and the truth of the matter is..."?
He may have been certifiably bonkers on many matters but I often think of the late Tony Benn's five questions when faced with such people:
What power have you got?
Where did you get it from?
In whose interests do you use it?
To whom are you accountable?
How do we get rid of you?
I suppose we have to put up with the noise from these people.
I had to watch the opening sequence of 'Oh what a lovely war' several times, before I understood what they were actually saying!
By then it was too late...
Sam - that's a good way of looking at it. If one of the bookends ever broke ranks he'd only do it once. As they know.
Sobers - yes it's odd that Tony Benn came up with that but he was an odd bloke. Worth filing away because he was spot on.
Scrobs - I've never seen it. Probably too late for me too...
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