Meritocracy V 'Positive Discrimination'

[Gormenghast]

35 minutes ago, L00b said:

You’re going to get a ‘balanced representation of current Tory vested interests’.

So its similar to how the EU vested interests operate then?

[Anna B]

31 minutes ago, L00b said:

You may need to define ‘merit’, I think.
 

Because if, by ‘merit’, you refer to the premiership hopeful who has demonstrated the best aptitude, capacity, capability and leadership out of all the others, then that there is arguably none in that crowd, to begin with.
 

And by the evidence of their past performance and current campaigns, several of the more prominent female contenders (Truss, Braverman, Patel) are tail-end charlies already in those ‘merit’ stakes.

 

Any notion of “positive discrimination” or meritocracy is wholly misplaced in that context: they’re all as talentless, opportunistic and venal as each other, irrespective of gender, race or other protected characteristic, and most have demonstrated it amply already.

 

Edit to add: with reference to getting a ‘balanced democratic representation of the electorate’, you’re not going to get that with this new PM. Not in a month of Sundays. You’re going to get a ‘balanced representation of current Tory vested interests’.

I agree, (especially with the last paragraph,) but we have this system, and as I said before, there's a lot more to it than meritocracy /positive discrimination. The Conservatives are all about power and control and winning general elections. They really don't care that much how they do it as long as that's the result, so they go whichever way the prevailing wind is blowing, and then once in power revert to doing their way.

People need to bear that in mind and remember kimi Badenoch's words when it comes to the General Election.

 

What we really need is a new system of government altogether. But turkeys don't vote for Christmas so it's unlikely to happen anytime soon.

[Jeffrey Shaw]

9 hours ago, Chekhov said:

It has just been reported by R4's Today programme that there has just been a poll by Conservative members (on Conservative Home) as to which of the leadership candidates was their preference.

There was no white male in the top 5.

Shall we also remind ourselves that the Tories have had two female leaders (= Prime ministers).

 

Of the first ten declarees, moreover, 5 were male and 5 female. Only two were white and male.

Much more equal than Labour, it seems.

4 hours ago, Anna B said:

Unfortunately, it's not a black and white issue.

 

I'm not sure that what you say is a permissible analogy!

[Guest sibon]

2 hours ago, Mr Bloke said:

Hmmm...

Well, I blame the schools!

They're the ones responsible for all this 'box ticking'...

... I think it all started with multiple-choice exams!

I think you’ll find that exams generally come at the end of school😊

[Jeffrey Shaw]

3 minutes ago, sibon said:

I think you’ll find that exams generally come at the end of school

No. If I remember aright, one goes home at the end of school.

Exams generally happen during school.

[Guest sibon]

3 minutes ago, Jeffrey Shaw said:

No. If I remember aright, one goes home at the end of school.

Exams generally happen during school.

Surely you go home after the end of school. 

[Jeffrey Shaw]

Why wait?

[Mr Bloke]

Hmmm...

OK guys, I know the heat is getting to a few posters on here today...

... but let's not squabble about a throw away one-liner (well technically 2 lines for any pedants watching).

[L00b]

2 hours ago, Gormenghast said:

So its similar to how the EU vested interests operate then?

Sorry, your argument is…..?

[Gormenghast]

14 hours ago, L00b said:

Sorry, your argument is…..?

No argument, just a statement.