. . . But I just can't remember exactly what it is. The German word Schadenfreude qualifies technically but somehow it does not quite reflect that extra-special ingredient of truly malicious, vindictive delight in someone else's misfortune. Anyway, whatever the word is, I have it - BIG TIME!
First, there has been the unmitigated and disasterous crash into which Chris Huhne, metaphorically speaking, drove at high speed! What he did in pressurising his wife to take his penalty for speeding on her licence instead of his was, in the great list of wrong-doings, hardly commensurate with the almost complete destruction of his family life, his career and his hopes (or ambitions) for the future. I say 'almost' because I gather that he is still a wealthy man from his 'city slicker' dealing days and even after he has done his time on 'D-wing' it is likely that he will continue to earn a crust somewhere, somehow. But of course, even were he to build a successful business it will be ashes in his mouth when he considers what he has lost. He gained a lesbian and lost a son - what a rubbish exchange! I really do try hard to still the waves of vindictive pleasure which arise in my heart when I view the mangled remains of this hitherto vaunting politician but the truth is - I cannot. All I can do is try to avoid splashing about in them shouting with joy!
The other man who brings out the very worst in me is Sir David Nicholson about whom I wrote recently. He is the ex-Communist, creepy-crawlie bureaucrat who, in a career of slimy advancement, has managed to end up as the head of the Nationalised Health Service. Some indication of his skills in manoeuvring may be judged by the fact that prior to becoming the 'Boss of Bosses' he was the head of the organisation whose responsibility was to check the professionalism of the concentration camp known as the Mid Staffs Hospital Trust in which hundreds of people were left, in effect, to rot to death. One of his victims was the boss of another hospital group who had the temerity to speak out against the "monstrous regimen" being applied from above. For this, apparently, Nicholson made use of one his favourite underlings to bring about the dismissal of the irritating and embarrassing complainant in an arrangement that included a £500k 'gagging order'. As The Mail comments today in an editorial:
First, Sir David ignored warnings by Mr Walker that an obsession with targets was resulting in squalid conditions on the wards that were almost certainly costing lives. Then Sir David’s side-kick, Barbara Hakin (later a dame), began a campaign which led to Mr Walker being sacked as the Lincolnshire Trust’s chief executive – and gagged with £500,000 of taxpayers’ money. Who do these people think they are? They use our money to give themselves huge salaries. Then, when someone complains about their incompetence, they again use our money to gag them.
For some reason, probably not far from stupidity and/or ignorance, 'Dave' has yet to sack this useless miscreant and set in motion the means to relieve him of his knighthood but when he does, or, if he does, then I regret to tell you all that there will be much rejoicing at Chateaux Duff. If he doesn't, that will absolutely and definitely confirm my refusal to vote Tory at the next election.
