The Apprentice: Proving grounds of the new elite?
We say we're tired of experts and of people who claim to be smarter than us. So why do we have so many commentators like this and why did we elect someone like this to the White House (I said claim remember).
To put this in context let's look at a couple of examples.
I was thinking about the weird connection between Katie Hopkins and Donald Trump, besides the anti-Muslim rhetoric. Both were in fact involved with the Apprentice a topic I've written about more than once on this blog. A program where cocksure blowhards are brutally put in their place by failing spectacularly at simple but convoluted business tasks, with Hopkins representing an example of a contestant and Trump in fact portraying the big boss. Why have we given people from the Apprentice (a show which openly mocks the big headed bravado of smarmy business idiots) such influential positions in society. Just because Trump got to smack down the ego-maniacal sales-people doesn't mean we should put him in charge of the world's largest economy, just so he can smack down some slimy career politicians, right? Also we probably shouldn't give Katie Hopkins (a literal embodiment of an internet troll) hotline access to mass media through newspaper columns or mainstream radio surely? Well we have and that's where we are today. Why have we given these big headed although straight talking clowns the highest and most influential positions?
Surely we've proven the most cynical sociologists right by elevating reality TV stars like this. Say what you want about how out of touch and elite academia and experts may be but at least they have a bit of statistical credibility to their claims of expertise. Besides which the other so-called experts, the career poltician class have spent years basically ignoring advice they don't like because it doesn't carry good political currency (David Nutt anyone?)
In fact it's worse than just the irony that we claim to hate experts but then elect people claiming to be experts or learned who have even fewer qualifications than the boring but probably otherwise practical political class we've come to hate. Say what you want about Donald Trump and Hopkins but you'd probably have a more interesting conversation with them than perhaps Jeremy Corbyn, Philip Hammond or Hillary Clinton. Yes you'd be spitting out your drink in disgust at the poorly thought through "common sense" bile they spew but you could probably have a cracking argument with them. The others would probably just not talk to you because you're a member of the great unwashed or would bore you silly. However that's not the point of a politicians. They are there to run the country, state or whathaveyou. This is a boring technical job and whilst charisma can turn the wheels of politics its not enough on its own.
I think when it comes down to it people get frustrated with politics because it's slow and indecisive but now with a lot of governments suddenly thrown into panic by the geopolitical and economic situations, with no time to think through the long term, we are seeing just how erratic people and politicians can be. Surely we shouldn't be promoting people who favour heart over head.
To put this in context let's look at a couple of examples.
I was thinking about the weird connection between Katie Hopkins and Donald Trump, besides the anti-Muslim rhetoric. Both were in fact involved with the Apprentice a topic I've written about more than once on this blog. A program where cocksure blowhards are brutally put in their place by failing spectacularly at simple but convoluted business tasks, with Hopkins representing an example of a contestant and Trump in fact portraying the big boss. Why have we given people from the Apprentice (a show which openly mocks the big headed bravado of smarmy business idiots) such influential positions in society. Just because Trump got to smack down the ego-maniacal sales-people doesn't mean we should put him in charge of the world's largest economy, just so he can smack down some slimy career politicians, right? Also we probably shouldn't give Katie Hopkins (a literal embodiment of an internet troll) hotline access to mass media through newspaper columns or mainstream radio surely? Well we have and that's where we are today. Why have we given these big headed although straight talking clowns the highest and most influential positions?
Surely we've proven the most cynical sociologists right by elevating reality TV stars like this. Say what you want about how out of touch and elite academia and experts may be but at least they have a bit of statistical credibility to their claims of expertise. Besides which the other so-called experts, the career poltician class have spent years basically ignoring advice they don't like because it doesn't carry good political currency (David Nutt anyone?)
In fact it's worse than just the irony that we claim to hate experts but then elect people claiming to be experts or learned who have even fewer qualifications than the boring but probably otherwise practical political class we've come to hate. Say what you want about Donald Trump and Hopkins but you'd probably have a more interesting conversation with them than perhaps Jeremy Corbyn, Philip Hammond or Hillary Clinton. Yes you'd be spitting out your drink in disgust at the poorly thought through "common sense" bile they spew but you could probably have a cracking argument with them. The others would probably just not talk to you because you're a member of the great unwashed or would bore you silly. However that's not the point of a politicians. They are there to run the country, state or whathaveyou. This is a boring technical job and whilst charisma can turn the wheels of politics its not enough on its own.
I think when it comes down to it people get frustrated with politics because it's slow and indecisive but now with a lot of governments suddenly thrown into panic by the geopolitical and economic situations, with no time to think through the long term, we are seeing just how erratic people and politicians can be. Surely we shouldn't be promoting people who favour heart over head.
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