Department of No Sh*t, Sherlock
The Independent has an interesting article on the curse of Whitehall performance targets - this one rather caught the eye:
In the reports, the Government admits to "major slippage" on its goal to create a "stable, united and law abiding state" in Iraq and to secure a Middle East peace settlement.
Well, 'major slippages' is one way of putting it. It's strangely revealing of the ghastly nature of New Labour that they apply the same reductionist management-by-measurement techniques to everything from blowing up countries to creating jobs for the disabled and reducing teenage pregnancy.
What isn't made clear is what branch of government is tasked by Gordon with delivering stable, united and law abiding Middle East states. Is there a Nation Building Agency or a Young Democracy Support Service that's sprung up with no one noticing?
"What isn't made clear is
"What isn't made clear is what branch of government is tasked by Gordon with delivering stable, united and law abiding Middle East states. Is there a Nation Building Agency or a Young Democracy Support Service that's sprung up with no one noticing?"
Emphatically no! On the contrary, this is a goal with such a huge prospective downside that you can bet no individual or organisation is in any way committed to being responsible for it.
Official opinion, both in London and Washington, at the moment inclines to the view that it's all the fault of the Iraqis themselves - those that are still alive, that is. Essentially, they turned out to be the wrong kind of Iraqis. Who knew?
You mean no one's Taking
You mean no one's Taking Responsibility For Sorting Out The Problem? Fancy that.
The major slippage needs to
The major slippage needs to be in the knot forming the noose for all our "successful international statesmen".