Questions Of The Day (Politics)

[Mick Harper]

Well, yes, there is a possible AE interest in victim numbers. As we have mentioned before, social housing is enormously subsidised, and nowhere more than in Kensington where a social rent may be a tenth of the true one. It follows that nobody willingly gives up a council flat. It follows from this that multiple occupation by unidentified people on a large scale -- we're talking thousands -- is a certainty;

And yet none of this fits your story. It is true Kensington Council have an interest in hiding their incompetence in managing social housing--I'll tell you another time of the outfit that manages the block of flats, it's minorly scandalous. Ditto the government to some extent. Ditto definitely the people doing the illegal subletting. But nothing anywhere close to a reason to 'hide the bodies'. which is in fact a very technical task requiring multiple individuals and agencies. We are after all entering Katyn territory.

[Mick Harper]

PS. You could have worked this out without local knowledge if you'd paid attention to the following. My comments in square brackets.

[Boreades]

[Mick Harper]

Oh dear. Judging by results again, are we?. How many times must I tell you the dangers of this. But I will return to the subject in due time.

[Boreades]

Judging by results? No, just commenting on your comments. I'm not an expert on Rotten Boroughs or any such allegations by disgruntled locals.

[Mick Harper]

I do apologise. I thought you were citing these ludicrous statements favourably.

[Boreades]

My apologies for the ambiguity. I only mentioned the "200" story because it seemed so improbable.

[Mick Harper]

[Mick Harper]

The answer of course is that it is rich. Mega rich, the richest borough in Britain. It can afford to be beneficent. Not only that, the rich burghers in the south have every reason to pacify the lower orders north of—as it happens—my street. Nevertheless, this is all relatively recent. Before the Summer of Love, Notting Hill was not only famously poor, it was famously neglected. Beginning with Britain’s first race riots in 1958 and then Rillington Place and Rachmanism, the place was getting to be an embarrassment.

Not just to the local burghers but to the central government, many of whose leading lights were local lights. So money was hurled at the problem in prodigious quantities. Remember this next time you hear somebody mouthing off about how neglected they have been. It is not too strong to say that they got what they wished for. As you will see when we return to Summerland.

[Mick Harper]

[Mick Harper]

Because the Isle of Man was rich. And because tourism is its major industry. So, no expense was spared when building Summerland. ‘No expense spared’ is an Applied Epistemological red flag—it denotes something out of the ordinary, our old friend the world record. Our old friend, the exception to the Bayesian Rule. Might I draw your attention to the previous tower block that went up in flames—the one in Dubai. You may be sure no expense was spared on that one too.

So what do we know about tower blocks and fire? That they are incredibly safe. There are thousands of tower blocks the world over, they have been around for more than a hundred years, and while fires are a dime a doze, tower blocks going up like torches are, until Dubai and Grenfell, practically unknown. Even the Twin Towers did not go up in flames, Grenfell style, after being doused by a thousand tons of burning kerosene. They collapsed first. Ponder on the difference. And ponder on why conspiracy theories about the Twin Towers are possible. Then you'll get your answer about Grenfell.

The Applied Epistemological answer of course, not the one the public enquiry will eventually come up with.

[Boreades]

[Mick Harper]

I have no doubt the original cause will be something similar. It is of minor importance but one should note a complete lack of interest in this aspect since it gets in the way of the crazed witch hunt to Name the Guilty Men. Presently, and in order of precedence: the government, Kensington Borough Council, and the building industry. As in most witch hunts, they are all quite innocent but we shall be naming the real Guilty Man presently.

One heartwarming aspect of your boy-arsonist post, Borry, was this from the Liverpool Echo

[aurelius]

[Mick Harper]

One weeps to be governed by such poltroons. And I had formed a provisionally favourable impression of him too. More people died this year on motorways built in the sixties and seventies, we must demolish them next.