They get the rewards, we get the penalties

Broad brush this, and entirely familiar, but perhaps worth revisiting during the Tory party circus.

 

There is a difficulty in classifying certain political ideas, government policies, projects, laws or regulations as stupid. Even if they are obviously stupid the problem remains because we are almost compelled to add that the promoters of a stupid project must be stupid, dishonest, corrupt or perhaps all three.

A more useful outlook is that the stupidity of a government project must in some way reward those promoting it, otherwise they would not promote it. It’s a change of emphasis from the stupidity to the rewards. We do it all the time in a what’s in it for them? sense, but don’t take it far enough.

As we all know, even stupid things are done because they are rewarding in some way for some people. The reward may only be to assure the approval of an important social group, but that in itself is of interest because then we know a social group is promoting the stupidity.

The point to be made is not that stupidity is stupid, but a far more useful outlook is to focus on rewards and penalties because this is how human nature works. A rational political outlook will mesh seamlessly with commonplace experience of rewards and penalties, the reasons why we all act as we do.

In other words, the people we elect as MPs plus the permanent administration should all have a personal history of experience and practical achievement. Parliamentary candidates should have a history of getting things done which reward more people than themselves and their social circle.

 

• Voting for a candidate for party reasons makes no sense. Personal history is more important.
• Voting for a very young candidate hardly ever makes sense, with too little relevant history there is not enough information to be worth a vote.
• Voting for a professional politician makes no sense for reasons similar to candidate who are too young.
• Accepting a permanent administration with obscure capabilities makes no sense for similar reasons. Not that we are in a position to do much about it, yet we vote for people who could change the situation but find it more rewarding not to.

In general we don’t vote rationally and don’t demand anywhere near enough from the permanent administration. They get the rewards, we get the penalties.