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Don’t sell her short: Patel’s track record on immigration and refugee issues shows she can enjoy causing suffering at least as much as any other sociopath.

Patel just treats everything like a task in the Apprentice

The Apprentice is an excellant reference - a participant in an early series episode where the groups are still quite large, is exactly what she reminds me of.

I think she is independently vile though, she seems to relish her role in deporting people like her parents.

should distinguish between "competency" and "being a grifter", patel, in current politics, is probably one of the most competent, up coming, and to be quite honest, frightening politicians the Tories have.

she's slick, happy to say what people want to hear and does it convincingly; smart enough to get into a place for them to hear it. she's so well attuned to current linguistics of right populism and aware of how to wield them in a way which leaves many labour mps tripping over themselves it's hard to ignore.

anyone denouncing her for being "thick" or "lesser" is unconsciously/consciously playing into the same tropes dianne abbott gets but from a different trajectory. so often the comments about women or minority women MPs, are tied up in perceptions of unconscious bias, and leave any valid criticisms of their political/ material damage which may be intertwined lacking and easy to dismiss/ counter.

ironically, as she often does to her verbal critics across the chamber

Elephant & Castle fire looks awful. Hope everyone got away safely before it got big.

Patel didn't come across very well in debate vs Ian Hislop regarding the death sentence.

anyone denouncing her for being "thick" or "lesser" is unconsciously/consciously playing into the same tropes dianne abbott gets but from a different trajectory.

To be fair, I know several people who worked with her in the past and all seem to agree that shes lacking in various forms of intelligence. I agree its disingenuous to describe her as "thick", but she's not somebody who understands something the first time its explained to her...lets put it like that.

She's a good blagger who shouts and bullies to impose her authority. Some people see that as intelligence and success. See Trump's supporters.

<accidental post>

Thick or not, Patel’s a despicable individual, who should be nowhere near high-office.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/jun/28/home-office-proposals-due-on-sending-asylum-seekers-abroad

that just reads like a poll number increasing headline for Tories to me

she's not somebody who understands something the first time its explained to her...lets put it like that.

Lol, I wonder how many times the difference between terrorism and counter terrorism has been explained to her.

Or the difference between a motivating pep talk and "intimidating or insulting behaviour that makes an individual feel uncomfortable, frightened, less respected or put down".

Exploding cars in E&C garage fire apparently

https://mobile.twitter.com/MeganJearum/status/1409499332596932610

But isn't that the the same as what's said about Abbott? If they were white men they would probably just called posh and great orators.

Boris is definitely not as smart as he makes himself sound... and as somebody pointed out, Thatcher/May were humiliated, with male Tory leaders often being able to leave quietly.

Could be a hefty dose of sexism involved as well, I agree.

Boris is definitely not as smart as he makes himself sound

Strangely, I’ve heard the opposite from people who have worked with him. They’ve said he’s quick to understand a briefing, well-spoken, and retains complex info., and that the bumbling buffoon with messy hair and ill fitting suits is just an act.

But isn't that the the same as what's said about Abbott?

I personally disagree. Maybe because I just haven't seen anybody who knows Abbott personally saying that she's stupid. A huge amount of the shit that Abbott gets is linked back to a single instance where she muddled up some numbers rather than observations from people who work with her. At least from what I've noticed, which of course could be missing something.

For what its worth I think its abhorrent to call anybody stupid and something that we all should probably do a bit less.

Strangely, I’ve heard the opposite from people who have worked with him. They’ve said he’s quick to understand a briefing, well-spoken, and retains complex info., and that the bumbling buffoon with messy hair and ill fitting suits is just an act.

I've heard similar from people who know/knew him. Although most opinions of Boris Johnson involve some kind of statement about him being fucking lazy when it comes to actually doing work.

Have we done Dominic Raab yet?

Strangely (considering the circles I move in) I know someone who was at Eton with Johnson.
He said he was absolute cunt.
So there’s that.

He is known to be very clever and totally lacking a moral centre.

Hi Boris!

He is definitely savvy, but his speeches to international audiences are PURE cringe.

Whom, me? I assure you I am not, and I say this with absolute confidence, I am not the untameable sexual magnet that is the Prime Minister.

Any claims that the Prime Minister and I are the same person, despite our luscious flowing heads of hair, are simply, not, true.

my interactions with politicians are parasocial, which i assume most peoples are, so i cant comment on what its like to work with her (bad, i assume with all the claims coming out), but i think its best left alone as ultimately its unimportant? everyone's bad at their job, some jobs are more important than others, but that doesn't stop one failing upwards, for what is important in the biggest jobs is not our competency at preforming the labour.

I agree with your other comment on moving away from this idea of calling/ viewing things as stupid not stupid, as well as being a bias laden minefield as is being discussed, it's also awfully technocratic

(…) viewing things as stupid not stupid (…) awfully technocratic

With due respect to users who take issue with the term and it’s popular use, I think aspiring to a national leadership that is ‘not stupid’ isn’t so much a technocratic inclination as it is a valid, healthy social goal.

i agree,

think this is a case of a poor wording on a memey comment which exposes my own personal bias of the link between modern technocratic thought and abelist language!