Prince Charles
Backword Dave takes issue with my critism of Charle's now-famous memo, saying that,"what he says in the memo ... is not contentious"
This I don't understand. Here's the memo:
What is wrong with everyone nowadays? Why do they all seem to think they are qualified to do things far beyond their technical capabilities? This is to do with the learning culture in schools as a consequence of a child-centred system which admits no failure. People think they can all be pop stars, high court judges, brilliant TV personalities or infinitely more competent heads of state without ever putting in the necessary work or having natural ability. This is the result of social utopianism which believes humanity can be genetically and socially engineered to contradict the lessons of history.
In order the contentious bits appear to me to be -- It's not true there's something wrong with everyone, not everyone believes they are qualifed to do things beyond their technical capabalities, even if they did I don't believe it's to do with a learning culture in schools, nor anything to do with not admitting failures, as that is a sensible policy for schools. People don't think they can all be pop-stars etc without putting in any work or having any ability. This is not a result of social utopianism (it's a result of common sense), and I don't know what he mans by the lessons of history.
Dave suggests that it's Charles who loses out from this attitude, as he gets less qualified people. This is obviously true, but it's true of racists who won't employ blacks. It makes it no less obnoxious.
I admit I don't like Prince Charles. But I don't lose sleep over it, as I'm pretty sure he wouldn't like me if he met me, not being a member of the aristocracy. Thus I tend to agree with Johann Hari's rundown on all you need to know about the man(via Nick Barlow).
But as Johann says we shouldn't be too hard on Charles, it's not really fault he's the man he is.
Yet the humane response to this is not to be angry with Charles himself. The institution of monarchy has inflicted terrible psychological damage on him since he was a toddler. The snobbery and hatred of meritocracy that have been revealed this week are simply inevitable further by-products of monarchy
If we abolish the Monarchy then I'd have no complaints with an elderly slightly dotty landowner commenting on education. For no-one would pay him any attention.
posted by Matthew @ 11/21/2004 04:26:00 PM
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