21MAR Flashcards
The fourth episode of ‘Yes Minister’ Season 2 narrates how Jim Hacker, the Minister for Administrative Affairs, successfully prevents the construction of a porate’s fears of metadioxin, erroneously equated with the notorious dioxin.
This episode prominently highlights the peril of uninformed masses wielding influence. It’s unsettling to realize that the British Chemical Corporation’s two years of diligent work were undone due to the public’s basic chemistry ignorance and politicians’ vulnerability.
显眼地
distressing
It exposes a critical issue: the considerable sway of uninformed and short-sighted citizens, posing an extreme opposite to government overcontrol.
influence
Moreover, the episode reinforces my perspective on political rules: politicians and civil servants can only act beneficially if it aligns with the majority’s will or governmental interests, regardless of moral correctness.
This underlines the notion that sometimes, harsh measures are necessary for kindness, suggesting that gaining power might require ruthless tactics to ultimately benefit the public. However, in reality, many politicians
either lack moral integrity, lose their conviction, or harm the public with ill-advised policies.
idea
seems to
In the story, Humphrey appears to advocate for justice, supporting the chemical plant’s construction as it poses no threat to civil servants, thus aligning with the industry’s interests.
Conversely, Hacker has no option but to halt the project, as no politician can afford to alienate protesting voters. The episode adeptly demonstrates how easily interests can compromise individuals, illustrated by Hacker convincing the committee of metadioxin’s hypothetical dangers to their future careers.
in a way that shows skill at doing something that is quite difficult
This tactic reflects the broader themes of the series, encapsulated in the offering of quangos, knighthoods, and peerages to manipulate political allies.
