The Last Ditch by Tom Paine

THE LAST DITCH

The central problem of politics

Published by Tom

on

Those running schools, nurseries and children's homes know that paedophiles are attracted to the opportunities presented by such work. However, the law of unintended consequences means that making a fuss about the problem and treating every applicant for a job as a potential paedophile will deter non-paedophiles, making the situation worse. The best protection for the children is the quiet exercise of good judgement, coupled with a sad acceptance that – occasionally – a bad 'un will get through.

The equivalent problem in politics is that it presents tempting opportunities to those who love to interfere in the lives of others. Humanity seems to divide, not by left and right, but by those who want to be left alone and those who like to tell others what to do and how to think. A political career is as unattractive to those of us in the former category as it is attractive to those in the latter. Is it any wonder that the ratchet of tyranny clicks relentlessly through government after government?

Perhaps it is our collective fault. Every day there are stories like this one, which prove that – so far from quietly exercising good judgement – an infantile population is crying out for more "care" from Nanny; in this case demanding that she wag her finger at Hugo Chavez about poor health and safety on his nation's beaches. One can smile while imagining Il Presidente's "anti-imperialist" response, but the fact remains that this deluded woman believes the state should somehow protect her children wherever they go. Politicians are all too prepared to pander to that dangerous fantasy. They are more concerned to appear "caring" than they are afraid of being seen as idiots. Do they, or this ridiculous woman, imagine that the ugly warning signs she believes should have been there (as if the ocean itself is not warning enough) would have been in English?

Is there any way, now that we have reached this stage, that the nation can protect itself from attracting the wrong sort of staff to the national kindergarten?

7 responses to “The central problem of politics”

  1. David Davis Avatar
    David Davis

    (1) treat existing nanny-state staff, caught in the act of working for the State, in exemplary fashion. Himmler would have used “special treatment”: I would not go that far. But a promise that when a libertarian administration got in, all the fun of the fair as described by Sean Gabb in “Culture revolution, Culture War” would be visited upon them, their records, their institutions, their pensions, and their legislation – all of it.
    (2) So demolish the executive and legislative apparatus of State, together with most of its tax-raising powers, that it will be very difficult to rebuild anything like the structures it now has in place, in any timescale that humans would comprehend.
    (3) Abolish and close down the State Broadcaster.
    (4) Allow competition in the supplying, and use of in the Market, of Monies. Such that you and i, if we had a few grand and wanted to buy a couple of kilos of bullion as our security, could start a Bank. And issue our Money too.
    That would do for the first couple of days in power.

    Like

    Reply
  2. Kevyn Bodman Avatar
    Kevyn Bodman

    This is indeed the central problem and it is because of the psychological make-up of so many of our fellow citizens.They like to interfere.
    On bad days I fear that the problem may be intractable.
    On good days I think that an aggressive implementaion of point 2 from David Davis would be enough.
    Deny the state money, because if they have it they’ll only spend it.And they won’t spend it as well,as wisely,or in having as much fun as I will.And my spending won’t reduce your spending.
    Deny the state money.

    Like

    Reply
  3. JMB Avatar
    JMB

    It’s the same all over you know. This certainly made me shake my head at the time.
    I had worked in a hospital for 15 years when suddenly I (along with everyone else of course, not only new employees) was asked to sign a permission for the RCMP to do an police check on me — checking for paedophiles naturally. Not only was this ludicrous of itself after all that time, but this was an adult only hospital save for the occasional child who came into the emergency room to be stitched up, for they surely could not be admitted.
    Well the risk management people have to do something you know and must have finally come around to this on their to do list.

    Like

    Reply
  4. Moggsy Avatar
    Moggsy

    Well I can’t say I disagree with anything here. Sounds spot on.

    Like

    Reply
  5. jameshigham Avatar
    jameshigham

    This is an example of the mindlessness of big stick, one rule for all socialism. No discretion, no common sense.

    Like

    Reply
  6. Surreptitious Evil Avatar
    Surreptitious Evil

    Perhaps we now need “List 666” – people to be banned from standing for elections or accepting paid employment from an organisation constituted under either the Local Government Act 1999 or the Registration of Political Parties Act 1998.
    I can think of a number of acts that would qualify you for inclusion on the new list – being Chair of a student Political Party branch for one; I’m sure we could rustle up some “suspected of conspiracy to commit offences under the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925”; oh, and we could link it to the Local Authorities Standards Board too.
    Or we could just adopt DK’s solution and get out the piano wire and cockroaches.

    Like

    Reply
  7. Tom Paine Avatar
    Tom Paine

    I was chairman of a student political party branch, but perhaps that proves your point?

    Like

    Reply

Leave a reply to jameshigham Cancel reply

Your blogger

Tom is a retired international lawyer. He was a partner in a City of London law firm and spent almost twenty years abroad serving clients from all over the world.

Returning to London on retirement in 2011, he was dismayed to discover how much liberty had been lost in the UK while he was away.

He’s a classical liberal (libertarian, if you must) who, like his illustrious namesake, considers that

“…government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one.”

Socials
    Subscribe

    Receive content by email

    Latest comments
    1. Lord T's avatar

      They are servants. Just not of the public. He gets a full pension because he did his job for his…

    2. alec5384's avatar
    3. Lord T's avatar
    4. tom.paine's avatar
    5. Lord T's avatar
    Recent posts