Fakers, chancers, charlatans & blaggers
Who’d’ve thought that, following her hilarious plagiarising of Michelle Obama’s speech t’other week, the third Mrs Trump would go even further by telling a few porkies about her early academic life? Contrary to her vociferous claims, the lovely Melania did not in fact obtain a degree in architecture from the University of Ljubljana. Instead, she left after the first year to pursue a modelling career in Milan, and no-one can blame her for that. Indeed, our very own Melania, Ms Leadsom, was rightly accused of stretching the truth when it transpired that, far from being the investment fund mogul she’d claimed to be, was little more than a glorified marketing manager!
What’s shocking about this is not necessarily the white lies and exaggerations as, truth be told, we’re all guilty of this at different times in our lives. No, what matters is that the general consensus appears to be moving towards the belief that experience, actual hands-on knowledge and solid, bona-fide wisdom, built up by doing the hard-yards, counts for nought.
After placing himself as a seconder in Andrea’s blue corner, Michael Howard was asked if he thought it was a problem that she had never held a position higher than junior minister. Baron Howard of Lympne, whose own long political career included stints as home secretary and opposition leader (not to mention being ‘something of the night’ to his very own Ann Widdecombe), purred: “I don’t think experience is hugely important.” WTF. Call me a political-party-pooper but you would have thought that the next Tory leader, the Prime Minister no less, faced with some of the UK’s most complex problems since forever, might have benefited from a wee bit of experience? And if experience doesn’t matter now, what exactly does that say about the job!
So, this is the world we live in and here are my rules for the non-expert, under-experienced wannabees:
– First, don’t worry about it. Play to your strengths. No political experience? So what, you have a family, which clearly demonstrates your decision-making ability within highly stressful & confrontational situations. And the country is just a one big happy family after all.
– Second, planning is for losers and winging-it is for winners. Immigrants? Build a wall. Abortion? Put ‘em in jail. Mass shooting? Give everyone a gun. Catch-phrases, sound bites & tweets are the future, and in any event, we no longer have the attention span to be interested in such tedious things as manifestos and policies.
– Third, develop Teflon-toughened skin and don’t give a hoot what anyone says. Affix those blinkers on, arm yourself with the Jonathan Aitken’s unmistakable sword of truth and maintain an air of invincibility. You’ll go far. Hopefully.
And remember, just when you think it can’t get any worse, it will. Think you’ve hit rock-bottom? So did the US with Sarah Palin.
