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Shot in the head

The refusal of the Metropolitan Police commissioner, Ian Blair, to resign over the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes in July 2005 is understandable. Like nearly everyone who has clawed their way to the top in our laughable meritocracy he refuses to accept that he can do any wrong and is there, at the top, because he is, almost by definition, infallible.

Ian Blair shouldn’t resign. He should be demoted. If he can fight his way to the top once on his own merits then, presumably, he can do it again. Surely a meritocrat should accept that a meritocracy should works both ways; if you’re promoted for doing well then you should be demoted for doing badly. Oddly, it doesn’t work that way does it? Perhaps not so odd given that the people at the top are the very ones who make the rules.

Posted 2 November 2007, 21:02
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