[Malcolm Armsteen]

Actually there are a number of similarities to Assange.

I've read interviews with both of their mothers, and it seems that they have spent their lives being told they are 'special' and way beyond the little people. On another level where they are almost worshipped.

I'm not enough of a psychologist to unpack that, but it does seem to lead to incredible levels of narcissism.

Both are unable to accept any form of criticism, which they perceive as rejection. They reply with an assertion of their superiority. Neither seems to believe that normal societal rules apply to them. They are literally above the masses.

Alexander Johnson is similar, but in his case the perpetrator was his father, which I suspect makes things a great deal more complicated.

[Andy McDandy]

Apocryphal story:

Defendant: as God is my judge, I'm innocent!
Judge: he's not, I am, you aren't, ten years.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Cummings is starting to publish awkward stuff. I still don't trust him.

[The All New KevS]

After looking through that, I can only assume that Hancock must have photos of the Prime Oaf interfering with a goat or something.

[Andy McDandy]

Johnson has pitched his entire leadership style as not caring for convention, and "just getting on with it". Quite clever in a short term way - after all, how many people have complained at one point or other that the government (or council, or any organisation) "just stop mucking about and get something done"?

The thing is that while they've all embraced this cavalier attitude, that means that they all have to hang in together, or hang separately. One loose cannon ex-minister on the back benches could spread some serious shit about goings-on in the corridors of power. And they could mount a leadership challenge. So you get an omerta at the very top.

[Crabcakes]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... y-hopeless

I think the problem is, he's not saying anything we don't already suspect as being true. No defence of Johnson, but people slag off colleagues all the time in any workplace.

This alone isn't much. What will be damning - and really show if Cummings has something worth sharing - is if he's got messages showing ministers/Johnson directly contradicting what they said in public at the time, or something absurdly callous like "send old folks to homes and let them die, they're too decrepit to vote for us".

[Samanfur]

As a friend of mine was saying elsewhere: if Johnson was calling Hancock that in private whilst continuing to keep him in the job and express full confidence in him in public, what does that make Johnson?

The problem is that we know what that makes Johnson, we've known for years, and very few people with power and/or influence appear to care.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Johnson agrees with the last person he spoke to, I expect. He can explain this away- we were under pressure, and I lost it with Matt momentarily etc.

Cummings is trying to monetize his revelations. I think it's going to sea in a sieve to hang too much on him at this stage.

[satnav]

I don't think that Cummings will damage Johnson too much but I think the real damage will come when the pandemic is over and the likes of Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance step down from their roles and start to spill the beans.

[Nigredo]

I don't think that Cummings will damage Johnson too much but I think the real damage will come when the pandemic is over and the likes of Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance step down from their roles and start to spill the beans.

Will that have much effect though? I know a few people for whom Whitty is a totem of draconian oppression e.g. "That baldy bawbag bastard told me I couldn't hug my gran at Christmas!"

[Andy McDandy]

Indeed. Look at Littlejohn and his ilk, framing the issue as scientists (evil, cold, sterile, bespectacled, clever) responsible for all the bad decisions, and the government (human, relatable, not perfect but who is?) credited with the good ones.

[davidjay]

Of course not. Whoever the other side might be, Johnson can always frame them as part of the Establishment, determined to scupper the man of the people as revenge for Brexit.

[Tubby Isaacs]

[Tubby Isaacs]

More genius from Dom.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Will there ever be a boy born who will be able to swim faster than a shark?

[Crabcakes]

If there's one thing that delights me about the Cummings second act, it's that more or less every time he tweets he makes himself look even more of an idiot by either getting something wrong, getting owned, or getting called out for trying to retcon his past.

A few more months and he'll have all the respect and gravitas of P. Hitchens searching twitter for anyone using his name, and then posting to demand they call him "Mr Hitchens" like he's their fucking form tutor.

[Bones McCoy]

Can we change the thread title to

Dominic Cummings: U OK Hun?

[Andy McDandy]

Thing that gets me is that he still seems to be treating it all as a game, a bit of student politics and JCR posturing. Fair, so do most of the cabinet (Gove and Patel being exceptions), but it's still immensely worrying.

[Bones McCoy]

Thing that gets me is that he still seems to be treating it all as a game, a bit of student politics and JCR posturing. Fair, so do most of the cabinet (Gove and Patel being exceptions), but it's still immensely worrying.

Some time soon I'm expecting a grown up to come along and pose some obvious questions.

What qualifications did Cummings have to suit him fr the job (Ans. - None)
How did a guy with 3 lost years in Moscow gain the "highest levels of security clearance" (Ans - Somebody high up pulled strings).
Is the meltdown we're witnessing now an example of his unique genius? (Ans - You should see teh rest of the Cunts that Johnson promoted).

[Andy McDandy]

Johnson does appear to be taking Napoleon's maxim about lucky generals to heart, while forgetting that Napoleon also liked it if they were good at their jobs.