7 ms·

I am reminded of a post I once read[0] on how coyotes are 'too clever by half'; smart enough to realise how to win each skirmish, but without realising they're

by ruytlm 7y ago

I am reminded of a post I once read[0] on how coyotes are 'too clever by half'; smart enough to realise how to win each skirmish, but without realising they're losing the metagame. Johnson strikes me as someone who has learned to 'hack' the skirmishes (e.g. by playing the fool when giving speeches as discussed) in order to win in the short term, but who seems oblivious to (or to be willfully disregarding) the long term detrimental effect his skirmishing has on the UK. [0]: https://www.epsilontheory.com/too-clever-by-half/ https://www.epsilontheory.com/too-clever-by-half/

crdoconnor 7y ago
He is a fool who pretends to be playing one. The upper echelons of the conservative party are not at all meritocratic - you do not have to be whip smart to get there, but being personable counts. He's made enough self inflicted strategic blunders. Nonetheless he holds a certain appeal for the upper classes in the UK. I don't think his appeal translates down to people who work for a living though.
- growlist 7y ago
  Say what you like about Boris, but there is good evidence he's not stupid as lots of people would like to believe: 'Johnson excelled in English and Classics, winning prizes in both, and became secretary of the school debating society, and editor of the school newspaper, The Eton College Chronicle' Also I think the whole upper class/working class dichotomy you present is kind of old hat these days (and somewhat patronising to the people you cite that 'work for a living' - whose viewpoints and aspirations are generally somewhat beyond merely hoping for an indoor toilet), often pushed by the left as an electoral tactic against the right (even in spite of the fact that all UK political parties are stuffed full of ex-Oxbridge types). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Johnson#Eton_and_Oxford:_1977%E2%80%931987 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Johnson#Eton_and_Oxford:...
- Nexxxeh 7y ago
  Whip smart is an ironic choice of words, in the context of political parties. Unfortunately his appeal does translate down. Even to those for whom his proposed tax cut will be detrimental. The Mail readers, the people who have been convinced that EU migration has stolen their jobs, the people who want to be in the £50k bracket... And those who are fed up with political spin and disillusioned with politics, the Brexit voters. They have been led to believe Boris is the answer, whereas he's arguably just the cliff we'll be jumping off of.
grey-area 7y ago
but who seems oblivious to (or to be willfully disregarding) the long term detrimental effect his skirmishing has on the UK. He's not oblivious to it, he just doesn't care. Why should he? His ego is the only thing that matters, other people are a means to an end. He has the same low cunning as trump, I think he's quite good at reading people, and manipulating them, but others are just tools to him. He is remarkably similar to Trump in fact, and as Sarah Kendzior said about Trump: "If Trump senses he may have to make a personal sacrifice, he will sacrifice the world instead." https://www.fastcompany.com/40558314/donald-trump-will-do-anything-to-avoid-prosecution-and-john-bolton-will-help https://www.fastcompany.com/40558314/donald-trump-will-do-an... The same holds true for Johnson. He will happily sacrifice the UK for the sake of his political career, so that he can be prime minister.
- growlist 7y ago
  He did pretty well in London - certainly better than Kahn, who has been disastrous.
  - vidarh 7y ago
    The office of mayor in London does not carry enough powers for any mayor to be "disastrous". That's just ridiculous hyperbole. Other than that, the views on London mayors tends to mostly follow party lines, so it's not a particularly worthwhile discussion.
    - growlist 7y ago
      Objective measures say different. Just look at the bloodbath on the streets, about which Kahn appears to be perfectly sanguine.
      - fcarraldo 7y ago
        Can you cite a source that defines the “bloodbath on the streets” of London?
      - mayniac 7y ago
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
HenryBemis 7y ago
Great article, thank you. As for BoJo, he is smart as a fox. Trump is the same. They make 1-2 stupid things, so people call them stupid. On the back side they scheme and plan. Haters see the stupid actions and hate. They play a game of chess, sacrificing a pawn (some 'credibility' by saying something stupid), and while people are getting tired of their artificial stupidity, they march on doing their thing left alone. Someone who managed to be the mayor of London, then get in the Parliament, then managing to be in the top 2 candidates for Prime Minister, have a net worth of a couple of million (of the £€$ we know), he CANNOT be THAT stupid. He plays the game and he's winning. I don't like the man. But I don't like him because I don't like his policies, his ideas, and I don't like Brexit. But as a politician/player, he's rocking this game. People who think Boris is stupid, are completely missing it. He is like Varoufakis. He sees an opportunity and grabs it. Maybe the 'bet' will pay off, maybe it will not. But: Mayor of London --> Minister of "Foreign Affairs" --> Prime Minister.. I call that an intelligent human being.
- NeedMoreTea 7y ago
  You're aware of what a complete cock up he made of his entire time as Foreign Secretary?
  - MagnumOpus 7y ago
    Bring smart is not the same as being well-prepared, diligent, conscientious, tactful or having your constituents' best interest at heart. You don't get to be King's Scholar at Eton being a buffoon.
    - onion2k 7y ago
      You don't get to be King's Scholar at Eton being a buffoon OK, so he's a clever buffoon.
    - NeedMoreTea 7y ago
      Buffoon is pretty much exactly what I took from the fairly well known interview with Eton's former headmaster speaking about Johnson's time there.

by ruytlm 7y ago

crdoconnor 7y ago

He is a fool who pretends to be playing one. The upper echelons of the conservative party are not at all meritocratic - you do not have to be whip smart to get there, but being personable counts. He's made enough self inflicted strategic blunders. Nonetheless he holds a certain appeal for the upper classes in the UK. I don't think his appeal translates down to people who work for a living though.

growlist 7y ago
Say what you like about Boris, but there is good evidence he's not stupid as lots of people would like to believe: 'Johnson excelled in English and Classics, winning prizes in both, and became secretary of the school debating society, and editor of the school newspaper, The Eton College Chronicle' Also I think the whole upper class/working class dichotomy you present is kind of old hat these days (and somewhat patronising to the people you cite that 'work for a living' - whose viewpoints and aspirations are generally somewhat beyond merely hoping for an indoor toilet), often pushed by the left as an electoral tactic against the right (even in spite of the fact that all UK political parties are stuffed full of ex-Oxbridge types). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Johnson#Eton_and_Oxford:_1977%E2%80%931987 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Johnson#Eton_and_Oxford:...
Nexxxeh 7y ago
Whip smart is an ironic choice of words, in the context of political parties. Unfortunately his appeal does translate down. Even to those for whom his proposed tax cut will be detrimental. The Mail readers, the people who have been convinced that EU migration has stolen their jobs, the people who want to be in the £50k bracket... And those who are fed up with political spin and disillusioned with politics, the Brexit voters. They have been led to believe Boris is the answer, whereas he's arguably just the cliff we'll be jumping off of.

grey-area 7y ago

but who seems oblivious to (or to be willfully disregarding) the long term detrimental effect his skirmishing has on the UK. He's not oblivious to it, he just doesn't care. Why should he? His ego is the only thing that matters, other people are a means to an end. He has the same low cunning as trump, I think he's quite good at reading people, and manipulating them, but others are just tools to him. He is remarkably similar to Trump in fact, and as Sarah Kendzior said about Trump: "If Trump senses he may have to make a personal sacrifice, he will sacrifice the world instead." https://www.fastcompany.com/40558314/donald-trump-will-do-anything-to-avoid-prosecution-and-john-bolton-will-help https://www.fastcompany.com/40558314/donald-trump-will-do-an... The same holds true for Johnson. He will happily sacrifice the UK for the sake of his political career, so that he can be prime minister.

growlist 7y ago
He did pretty well in London - certainly better than Kahn, who has been disastrous.
- vidarh 7y ago
  The office of mayor in London does not carry enough powers for any mayor to be "disastrous". That's just ridiculous hyperbole. Other than that, the views on London mayors tends to mostly follow party lines, so it's not a particularly worthwhile discussion.
  - growlist 7y ago
    Objective measures say different. Just look at the bloodbath on the streets, about which Kahn appears to be perfectly sanguine.
    - fcarraldo 7y ago
      Can you cite a source that defines the “bloodbath on the streets” of London?
    - mayniac 7y ago

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

HenryBemis 7y ago

Great article, thank you. As for BoJo, he is smart as a fox. Trump is the same. They make 1-2 stupid things, so people call them stupid. On the back side they scheme and plan. Haters see the stupid actions and hate. They play a game of chess, sacrificing a pawn (some 'credibility' by saying something stupid), and while people are getting tired of their artificial stupidity, they march on doing their thing left alone. Someone who managed to be the mayor of London, then get in the Parliament, then managing to be in the top 2 candidates for Prime Minister, have a net worth of a couple of million (of the £€$ we know), he CANNOT be THAT stupid. He plays the game and he's winning. I don't like the man. But I don't like him because I don't like his policies, his ideas, and I don't like Brexit. But as a politician/player, he's rocking this game. People who think Boris is stupid, are completely missing it. He is like Varoufakis. He sees an opportunity and grabs it. Maybe the 'bet' will pay off, maybe it will not. But: Mayor of London --> Minister of "Foreign Affairs" --> Prime Minister.. I call that an intelligent human being.

NeedMoreTea 7y ago
You're aware of what a complete cock up he made of his entire time as Foreign Secretary?
- MagnumOpus 7y ago
  Bring smart is not the same as being well-prepared, diligent, conscientious, tactful or having your constituents' best interest at heart. You don't get to be King's Scholar at Eton being a buffoon.
  - onion2k 7y ago
    You don't get to be King's Scholar at Eton being a buffoon OK, so he's a clever buffoon.
  - NeedMoreTea 7y ago
    Buffoon is pretty much exactly what I took from the fairly well known interview with Eton's former headmaster speaking about Johnson's time there.