Friday 29 January 2010

Time To Start Bullying The Bully State


One can only hope that the [officially] recently-launched Big Brother Watch increases its influence in coming years if this is a taster of policy.

... media criticism is all our masters care about. Well, I accept their terms. Using those tools, we can and must turn that fear around – so that in a few years' time, when the jobsworth is on the verge of handing out that illiberal fine, he feels the chilling effect himself.

Donning the uniform of office doesn't – or shouldn't – entail unlimited power to exact petty bureaucracy. It ought to come with discretion, with common sense. Failing that, let's try to bully them back.

Of course, this requires a hand-in-hand reduction in government adherence to fake charities and well-funded righteous groups, but it's a line of attack which should be adopted enthusiastically nonetheless.

It is a skill which we seem to have lost in recent years. The proud refusal to bow in front of bullies and unfair authoritarianism. Instead, we have a largely indolent nation who wish to keep out of it and hope they aren't next for the chop (hello CAMRA).

Years ago, I worked in the public sector, and you should have seen the terrified scampering that went on if even the local paper got wind of a story which reflected badly on the local authority who paid me. Councillors would soil themselves at the thought of lost votes and bawl officers out at the earliest opportunity - and with the threat of livelihoods being curtailed, they acted instantly. That was 20+ years ago but public sector leeches have since become wise to the fact that 1) they can shift blame around until the storm dies down, 2) that the public are not as ferocious as they used to be, and 3) they can back down without any hint of apology.

The spirit of stubborn refusal to put up with their shit badly needs rekindling.

Complain. Annoy. Object. Irritate. Pester ... constantly.

Don't give them a fucking inch. Bully them as they are bullying us.

Perhaps one day they might get the message.




11 comments:

JuliaM said...

"...and with the threat of livelihoods being curtailed, they acted instantly."

And there's where the rot started. Remove consequences, and no-one feels a need to change anything they are doing...

JohnRS said...

I agree with JuliaM.

Currently I beleive around 80-90% of local gummint funding actually comes from central gummint. So the consequences of any "little local difficulty" are minimal. The tap won't get turned off, money will still flow to all the local leeches.

As well as dramtically cutting the range of activities these idiots are involved in down to a sensible core we need to return to local funding. Local income tax maybe?

Then the connection wil be restored and you stand a chance of them listening when there's a problem.

Anonymous said...

@Julia & John - Nevertheless individual public sector employees still respond to someone standing up to them. I did it a couple of years ago by letter in which I threatened legal action. Their reply, in which they backed down, included pages of information in an attempt to cover their backsides.

People in LAs want a quiet life implementing rules which they haven't thought about. They hate people who make a nuisance of themselves and take the course of least resistance to get them off their back. If people would just refuse to be bullied, it would stop.

Jay

Dick Puddlecote said...

Julia: As I scribbled it down, the part you mention did strike me too. These days, the spectre of tribunals stacked hugely in favour of employees has made it almost impossible to sack anyone. Employment law requires a bit of rebalancing.

Anonymous said...

An easy way of getting to the state
bullies. Target their "partners"
and close allies.A bit of hell
on earth close to the attention of
the controllers ,works wonders.
Anything goes,no holds barred,
no nice guys,no restraints.



Rheingold

DaveA said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
DaveA said...

Big Brother Watch is in fine hands with Matt Elliott and Alex Deane, who I have both met.

I had a run in 8.00pm at Victoria Station when a couple were smoking outside near the cab rank. The Network Rail jobsworths were in attendance as they obediently scuttled off immediately while I was arguing the toss on their behalf. After invoking some John Cleese Faulty Towers-esq index finger on the upper lip and a raised right arm, they called PC 49.

After threatening me with 1986 Public Order Act "causing alarm and distress" I asked him to take me down the station for a word with his inspector. He was very reluctant.

Asking to go to the station on the basis of shut up or charge me usually works.

JJ said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
JJ said...

Now then Dave...steady.

I tried restisting authority like this.
I managed to pivot on one leg and urinate into a PC's pocket...but to no avail...I was offered a nice cup of tea and a Mcvities ginger nut...after I'd filled in a questionnaire of course.

Twig said...

Arm yourselves with a copy of this:
Bureaucrats: How to Annoy Them

@JuliaM
Spot On re lack of consequences.
This is the root of a lot of our problems these days.

Anonymous said...

@Twig - thank you. Just bought myself a copy!

Jay