Music, horse training and government have one thing in common — the people engaged in these arts divide easily into two groups. There are the folks who are trying to improve and those who are trying to look good.
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Put a group of guitarists together and there will be some who play (over and over) the one lick they have perfected while others struggle with a piece they haven’t mastered. The practice pen at a horse show always features riders demonstrating (over and over) the one thing they do well while a small contingent works on their imperfections.
And then there is politics. There is no better stage for the championship of looking good over doing good.
In my experience, true masters are always working to expose their weaknesses. It is the essential ingredient in pursuing perfection. Everyone else is content with learning just enough to look good.
I thought about this divide this week as I plowed through the final report of the distinguished experts the Government of Alberta charged with reviewing the public response to the pandemic. The Public Health Emergencies Governance Review Panel (a.k.a. The Preston Manning Panel) provided thoughtful, informative and provocative insights on the best and worst of government responses to a prolonged crisis.
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The panel had something to say about governments abdicating their responsibilities and allowing provincial and regional health authorities to override basic rights and freedoms. That some freedoms must be usurped for the greater good was not at issue. However, the panel concluded that elected officials should have the final say (and accountability) when basic freedoms are impaired.
The panel concluded: “In a democratic society, the leadership in a public emergency, in law and in practice, must come from elected officials accountable to the people — in this case from the premier, cabinet, cabinet committees and members of the assembly.”
Last week, I noticed the faint reminder of lines six feet apart that stretch out from the door of our local Walmart. I remember lining up in the cold — dutifully masked — six feet from the next shivering customer as we waited for permission to shop in the non-roped-off sections.
Never mind that those six-foot, outdoor spacings were in effect long after it was determined that the virus spread was aerosol. We were, by gosh, following the science.
The panel found that following the science led to a very narrow range of responses. It concluded that science-based decisions were inferior to evidence-based decision-making.
The panel had much to say about the ineffectiveness of the courts in providing remedies and the long-term effects of prolonged school closures. It made some good recommendations on the need for transparency and disclosure.
Most helpfully, the panel advocated for comprehensive impact projections before, during and after a regulation goes into effect. Basically, while you can’t avoid unintended consequences, you can at least try to anticipate impacts and course-correct quickly.
But the most stunning thing about the report was its uniqueness. Where are all the other federal and provincial reports on the pandemic?
Doing good requires the uncomfortable business of learning from the past. Looking good is much easier. Just ask the guy playing that one guitar lick over and over.
It isn’t an accident this report comes from Alberta. Provocative, forward-thinking public policy is now the exclusive domain of the right side of the political spectrum. Progressives have abandoned learning in pursuit of the thing they are most committed to — looking good.
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SNOBELEN: Looking good doesn't always mean doing good
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25.11.2023
Music, horse training and government have one thing in common — the people engaged in these arts divide easily into two groups. There are the folks who are trying to improve and those who are trying to look good.
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
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Put a group of guitarists together and there will be some who play (over and over) the one lick they have perfected while others struggle with a piece they haven’t mastered. The practice pen at a horse show always features riders demonstrating (over and over) the one thing they do well while a small contingent works on their imperfections.
And then there is politics. There is no better stage for the championship of looking good over doing good.
In my experience, true masters are always working to expose their weaknesses. It is the essential ingredient in pursuing perfection. Everyone else is content with learning just enough to look good.
I thought about this divide this week as I plowed through the........
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