“I Musk, I Musk Increase my Tusk”
Erroneously attributed to President Trump
Perhaps you think you don’t have a tusk? If so, you would be quite wrong. It’s not the tusk of the Neanderthal Elephant. Today it is the pedal on the floor of your car. Push it and the vehicle moves forward; ease it, and you slow down. As every car insurance salesman knows there are basically two types of pedal, one for the internal combustion engine, one for the electric engine. This last carries a higher insurance risk of accident than the IC engine because it accelerates faster than the driver can anticipate. So the vehicle runs into the back of whatever is in front of it. All too often.
Historically, the pedal or tusk has been an inanimate object manipulated by a human or animal. Its vital contribution to movement has never been questioned. Versions of it appear in all forms of mobility, management and manipulation. The Mob Boss never appears to be doing anything wrong but we don’t doubt s/he is in charge. The people who end up in the dock, if any, are the Pedals who were pressed to accelerate. Astute heads of businesses often keep a distance from the action, cautiously devolving their power just enough to avoid blame if disaster follows but not so much that they cannot claim success if it succeeds.
Politics is not, as many would have you believe, the art of the possible. It is the achievement of the possible.
Democracy is designed to have checks and balances built into the exercise of power to avoid too much devolvement of success but not so diffused that the Chief is deprived of credit for achievement. President Trump has learnt a valuable lesson from the increasing influence of the electric car pedal. Let it do all the accelerating and, when necessary, have the accidents. It’s the pedals fault. Devolve to it the powers of the driver and he avoids blame.
Political life worldwide today mirrors the Formula One International Race (F1). It accelerated dramatically with the result of the latest United States Presidential Election. The pace of the race is now breathtaking. That is no accident. With climate, space, technology, health and longevity issues developing faster that we can assimilate them the politicians could easily be left behind. Correction: ‘are swiftly being left behind’. Second correction: ‘Are already way behind’. Any attempt to accelerate to match science’s speed is bound to appeal to many people even if the consequence looks terrifying.
Physically and mentally we are not equipped for such speed. We don’t yet even know how to control the acceleration of the electrically-powered car. Political power is being devolved to escape the (now old) built-in controls. It will leave the courts with an unprecedented dilemma. Control the source of power and the devolved power is left in place and effective. Try to control the devolved power and a haystack of issues clouds the possible solutions since the source has been devolved. If you think you have nightmares, try to imagine a High Court Judge’s dreams.
The possible solutions look horrendous and totally undesirable.
But we need to find some workable ones soon.
If we don’t the F1 may turn into the FU.
Good morning
John Bittleston
You have the solution? Please share with [email protected].
And save us all.
10 February 2025
