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Wednesday, October 19, 2005

"Smart" policy and the casual jargon of governance

From NRT:

"Helen Clark has given some idea of her agenda over the next three years in an address to the CTU conference yesterday:
This term will be about smart policy and strategies for growth, innovation, and productivity in the economy, and for quality and best practice in our social policy and services."

So, the government's policies to date have not been smart? A bold admission indeed. It wasn't more smart policy was it - so I understand that to mean they will begin to have policies that are smart in this term. Because, you know, you don't want to just crack on immediately into smart policies in the first or second terms - that wouldn't be smart. You have to do all the dumb policies first - get them out of the way - and then begin with all the smart ones once you've tried all the dumb ones...?

Shipley was captured by "linkages" and Tamihere beguiled by "going forward," now the Prime Minister is advocating "smart policy." More bureau-speak jargon parroted by a lifetime politician for whom reality has now morphed into a collection of departmental statistics and ministerial wish-lists. The rest of the speech seems similarly detached from the coal face.

"Strategies"? Who believes the government has anything at all resembling strategies? They have no principles or philosophy or purpose for being in government except to keep National out so the only strategy is to:
1. Continue the the status quo everywhere with increasing budgets regardless of outcomes.
2. Act in a reactionary/knee-jerk way to all the mistakes that they were too dumb to see.
3. Have new policies only if a) the bureaucracy tells them they need it, or b) a supporting party demands it for them to stay in government, or c) as a desperate grab for the most ignorant of the swing voters.

"Innovation"? How has the government innovated in the business of government? Centralising control, extending control, expanding the State. "Productivity," "quality and best practise"? I just don't believe a word of it because the people in charge of it are incapable of the judgement needed to discern it, nor are they intelligent enough to see the self-interest inherent in the information they base it on, nor do they have a philosophy to underpin it, nor do they possess the will to steer it through rough water, and nor do they have the wits to maintain it satisfactorily.

And the blithe routine of "nationhood" platitudes after the foreshore and seabed confiscation is now just an utterly monstrous lie:

It will be about the development of our national identity as a unique nation; as a tolerant and inclusive nation able to accommodate diverse peoples and beliefs and proud of its heritage;

Tolerant? Inclusive? Not of Maori though. Their beliefs and accomodation must always come second to Pakeha - that's all part of Helen being "proud of its heritage" (of colonialism). An over-stuffed sheep mascot is preferrable to authentic Maori concerns about turning the natives back into second-class citizens - she said so remember. And she's intent on taking farmers property rights away too so she can hike up and down other people's property. Smokers have been included have they? Literally left out in the cold - and why? Punitive petty zealotry - the only substantial ideological commitment of the Labour government.

The Labour regime is so morally bankrupt that it was NZ First - a conservative centre-right party - that has forced the Labour government in to raising the minimum wage! Are they not ashamed? I see a brighter future for the Green Party.

2 Comments:

At 21/10/05 5:34 pm, Blogger Bomber said...

Thanks PQ. I'll have to link to it on the side bar however as your jpg is too big and I haven't figured out how to reduce the size via html.

I like the other set of arrows hiding behind the olive branch. It is just a teency, weency bit Ameriko-Israeli, but I'll attach it and accept the investiture as a form of inclusiveness as well as of recognition of service.

You have made me consider making some awards of my own at the end of the year.

 
At 21/10/05 5:54 pm, Blogger Bomber said...

It's so big I've decided to attach it to the bottom of the main section for the time being.

 

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