"An extremely large, extremely powerful idiot"

There is a letter in Tuesday's Independent newspaper that I think bears repeating. It's in reply to a comment piece by Howard Jacobson supporting the 42 days detention without trial and questioning why people fear "the State". Here's the letter in full:

"Sir: I don't fear the State, Mr Jacobson (Comment, 14 June). I don't suspect it of base motives. I just don't think it's very bright, and nobody enjoys having a fool for a boss. Consider, for a moment, being required to work with an editor who, flying in the teeth of all available evidence, considers himself best placed to tell you how to write your books.

The State feels the need to get involved in all aspects of my life, without ever showing any particular aptitude for the job. It wants to educate my children, but can't quite decide from one week to the next on the best way to do so. It wants to keep me safe, but approaches the analysis of comparative risk with the mind of a four-year-old child; happy to play hopscotch on the M25, but terrified of dragons.

It wants everyone to behave themselves, but believes the best way for that to happen is for it to stand peering in through my kitchen window in case I do something wrong. It wants to collect as much information as it can but, like a bank that opens a branch before installing the safe, can't quite figure out what to do with it, or where to put it. It wants to go to war on our behalf, but can't bring itself to explain the real reason why.

It is surrounded by battalions of advisers, but listens only to the bad ones. It desperately wants to make things better for everyone, but is constantly distracted by its perceived directive to help rich people to get richer.

There is an overwhelming case for the State to finally decide on its core competencies, wherever they may be, and to be swiftly kicked when it steps beyond them.

What appears to have happened is that, in a moment of nervousness, lacking the comfort of any convincing Higher Power, we have decided to make our own, and in a ham-fisted attempt to do so, we've taken the brightest and best, the finest intellects of our age, put them in a room together and created an extremely large, extremely powerful idiot.

Tim Hinchliffe

Beckenham, Kent"

A good letter that makes some serious points but I must take exception with one part of the letter:

"we've taken the brightest and best, the finest intellects of our age, put them in a room together and created an extremely large, extremely powerful idiot.

"brightest and best"? In no particular order I give you for your consideration - Geoff Hoon, Des Browne, Yvette Cooper, Ed Balls, Ed Miliband, Harriett Harman, Hilary Ben, David Miliband, Alistair Darling, Gordon Brown. Brightest and best, really? Has the UK sunk that low?


Thanks to Mr Eugenides for the spot.