Too simple?

I'm sitting here, feeling really clever because I knew a few answers on University Challenge.  Admittedly, one of the answers was my home town but it's enough to make me feel really clever.  We all love knowing the right answer to something but does knowing something make you intelligent?

Politicians like to think they're smarter than the rest of us.  I'd quite like to see a Politician version of University Challenge but I don't need the politician I vote for to know more stuff than anyone else.  I want her or him to be able to think, to understand the problems that people face, to find creative solutions, whilst being honest and truthful.  Is that too simple?

There have been some really scary surveys recently about how unlikely young people are to vote.  When they are interviewed they say things like, "It makes no difference,"  and "You can't trust them anyway."  They don't say, "The Politicians don't know enough stuff."

If there was anything more likely to put me off voting it would be the current argument the politicians are having about World War 1.  There is a big spat to see who knows 'the truth' about the war.  It is interesting how it all started.  Michael Gove was on Radio 4's Start the Week , being rather Govish about the teaching of History. In his opinion, there is stuff about History that is true; stuff you have to know; an order to History that is important (Greeks before Romans!) and as his children are too stupid to understand any of that unless it is taught in a certain way then all children have to be taught in that way.  I've probably oversimplified but who cares?  If you do then you can listen to it for yourself here:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03mcmwx.

Michael Gove looking quite simple

After Andrew Marr had got a bit upset that his guests weren't arguing more they started to discuss the First World War.  With the centenary of the war coming up countries and governments across Europe are discussing how to commemorate or celebrate (that seems like the wrong word to me) this anniversary.  I can see why it's important to not forget this piece of history and try to get the most accurate stories about the events written down now that 100 years after the event the people who were there at the time have gone.  Mr Gove, seemed quite insistent that there were some stories about this war that were just not right; that were dreamed up by lefties and Bolsheviks; that missed the point that it was all Germany's fault and that we as the master-race of English people put it all right. He was particularly upset by the most important Historical study of the era, Blackadder.  His words were then lifted for a Daily Mail article and again if I've oversimplified and you want to read it for yourself then you can read it here:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2532930/MICHAEL-GOVE-Why-does-Left-insist-belittling-true-British-heroes.html.

Tristram Hunt also looking a bit simple

Michael Gove's opposite number in the labour party, shadow education secretary, Tristram Hunt (who does actually have a Phd in History, rather than a box set of Blackadder shows) felt he had to reply and show the world that he knows the most stuff about this era of History.  In the Guardian, he wrote that Mr Gove's attempt to use this period of history to wage a political war was just not cricket.  He went on to say that it might be a little more complicated than 'it was all the Germans fault.' I did think it was a bit hypocritical to say that Gove wasn't allowed to make the war a political battle and then spend half of his own article saying how the Socialists had reacted to the war.  Again, probably oversimplified and if you want to read it for yourself it;s here: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/04/first-world-war-michael-gove-left-bashing-history

Boris Johnson giving a masterclass on looking simple.

Then today, Boris Johnson has joined the spat.  He has to prove he knows the right answers about the war.  I don't know if he managed that but he did prove that he is a brilliant writer and should have never given up journalism for politics.  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10552336/Germany-started-the-Great-War-but-the-Left-cant-bear-to-say-so.html  He seems to think that Tristam Hunt should resign for getting it wrong.  The Germans did start the war and to deny it to stop 'Kraut bashing' is a sackable offence.

It is entirely possible that all of these politicians have it right.  A war that lasted 4 years 2 months and 13 days that affected millions of people will have many his-stories and her-stories attached to it.  Some will seem false from another person's perspective but it doesn't make it any less of a truth to the person who witnessed it or wrote it down.  

It just doesn't matter, either.  Politicians shouldn't be sacked for knowing or not knowing stuff about History or having beliefs that are different from anyone else.  They shouldn't really have time to write articles for the Mail, Guardian or Telegraph.  They are paid at least £66,000 a year to try to make our lives better and this current spat does nothing to improve anyone's life.