Sunday, March 27, 2011

Thanks Darren

I would like to thank Darren Hughes. For adding to the public perception that most politicians are a pathetic lot. Most do not have the talent to reach similar levels of public recognition and attention in any other sphere. The ones who are attracted to politics very young are particularly suspect. Their convictions almost exclusively rest on the acceptance that government is good and government is power. In that order. And they want a piece of the action. They fancy themselves as leaders because they have more apparent confidence and certainty than their compatriots. They think that they are more capable and compassionate, when, in fact, they simply have an utter lack of compunction about using other people's money to take the easy way out of any given situation. In their minds, life is black and white. Because government is good and powerful, as agents they can do no wrong. And the recompense for being agents just happens to be well above anything they might earn elsewhere given their paucity of skills and talent. They increasingly believe in their goodness and infallibility. Which can be contagious, especially for impressionable wannabes made in their mirror image. But there is a vast difference between admiration of a mind and attraction to a body. If they do co-exist, great. But to assume as much is very, very dicey.

So that's a mistake most mere mortals make at some point. But our politician isn't a mere mortal. Not in his mind. Not until it is convenient to re-assume such a humble position anyway. Hughes is a victim of his own self-regarded success. Yes, lots of people say what a popular guy, what a great wit, what a great debater, what a future. But notice that they all share the government is good and powerful world view.

We yearners-after-small-government sometimes use the quote, a government big enough to give you everything you want is also big enough to take it all away. In an ironic way Hughes has just had a nasty taste of that.

7 comments:

Adolf Fiinkensein said...

Very well said, Lindsay.

As with Australia's erstwhile rising star Latham, where the hell were Labour's minders who, in this case, should have been pulling the reins on this idiot's perverted private life?

Manolo said...

Thank you, Lindsay. That was an excellent summation of what the Darren Hughes of this world are.

I cannot believe the bias and leniency shown towards this sexual predator, i.e., the utterances of how charming and witty he is and so forth, but not a word of sympathy for the alleged victim.

Can you imagine the same scenario if the offender were a politician from the other side of the spectrum, or the victim a female teenager? Incredible.

Anonymous said...

The sexual mores of the labourites. At least Shane Jones was only abusing himself.

Dirk.

Kiwiwit said...

I think the fact that the likes of Darren Hughes earn "well above anything they might earn elsewhere" is an argument for significantly reducing the remuneration politicians receive. I think their compensation should be more in the nature of an honorarium. Far from reducing the caliber of political candidate, I think it would increase it as only those with a degree of financial independence would stand.

Barnsley Bill said...

It makes you wonder what his own experience as a youth MP was like in a party that had Jonathan Hunt as it's elder single man of dubious tastes.

Cactus Kate said...

Can we now weed out all young people who say "I have always wanted to be a politician" when they have no career whatsoever doing anything outside the Beehive?

Anonymous said...

Well said Lindsay.

aC