Fudge

[amycrn4230]

No: HPFGUIDX 116054


Kneasy:
The name says it all.
"Huh, typical politician then" is the standard reaction.
It all depends on the quality of your politicians, I suppose.
Because let's remember that Fudge *is* just a politician; he's not 
ruler, Head of State, Prime Minister or anything really important; 
he's a Minister running one Ministry that  has various sub-sections 
that are  staffed by wizards -  not the most practical or efficient 
people in the world.
 
To whom does the Minister and the Ministry owe allegiance?
In the RW he would have to take an oath to the Crown, swearing to 
support her heirs and assigns - but somehow I don't see that green 
bowler hat trudging across Parliament Square.
 
(Mind you, I did once posit that the Queen is Ruler of the WW - in 
England anyway - her remote ancestor was placed on the throne by 
Merlin, her children went to some weird school in Scotland and she 
only has to say one word and personages are elevated,  bridges open 
and ships slide into the sea. Magic! You don't really think that  
thing is  a sceptre, do you? Nah - it's an Ollivander special.)
 
Fudge is a  shining example of the Peter Principle - "In every 
hierarchy, each employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence; 
every post tends to be filled by an employee incompetent to execute 
its duties."  He wanted the job, and got it, but he's no bloody good. 
But have you considered that that is exactly the reason why he did 
get the job?
 
Another of my whimsical maunderings - Barty Crouch Snr. was efficient 
verging on brutal; the WW equivalent of a hanging judge -  and hot 
favourite to  be Minister.  Appear before him charged with being, or 
associating with DEs  and you might as well take your toothbrush with 
you, 'cos next stop would be Azkaban. And since Voldy had departed 
for an indeterminate vacation on the Costa del Adriatic, gnashing his 
non-existent dentures and scaring the hell out of the local rodentia, 
thus no longer offering DEs visions of a life of ease, swigging the 
odd Butterbeer during breaks in the arduous round of Muggle 
torturing, Elf flogging and other pursuits beloved of their ilk, this 
naturally was a cause for concern (and major bowel upsets) for those 
with their freedom at stake.
 
To such as Malfoy it was all a bit of a frost. Only one thing to do, 
get rid of Crouch and replace him with someone a bit more, well, 
flexible, might be the word. And guess what? - they've got just the 
chap stashed away in a backroom at the Ministry. Ambitious, not too 
bright, amenable.
 
So Barty Jnr is shopped along with a few DEs that are already under 
suspicion. Two possible outcomes - either Crouch goes easy on his 
son - in which case scream "Nepotism!" and give him the elbow, or - 
he'll go hard on his son, in which case start a whispering campaign 
about megalomaniac fanatics who'll  end up throwing *everybody* in 
goal. Since Crouch was on the slide in the popularity stakes anyway,  
this is the way it turned out.  Fudge is in - and almost immediately 
starts to wind down the DE witch-hunt (or wizard-hunt, or 
whatever). "War over, forgive and forget, heal the wounds, 
rehabilitated, blemish on a page of our history, brighter future," - 
all the usual political crap. Mission accomplished. Only one small 
snag - Fudge owes them, and one day they'll arrive with the bill.
 
By  dint of co-opting DD as unofficial (and probably unwilling) 
advisor, Fudge manages to cope quite well. Until young Potter grows 
up and enters Hogwarts. Coincidentally(?) it's about this time that 
dear, departed Voldy  starts getting his act together. He makes a 
brief come-back tour - which  is not an immediate success, that 
little toe-rag Potter being the Diptera in the unguent  - again! But 
it's a sign that the  Glorious Leader is still around and vaguely 
kicking. Right. Prevention is better than cure. Get rid of Potter. 
Best option - make it look like an accident. How? Well, there's this 
prisoner in Azkaban; something funny about him and the Potters. 
Spring him, let loose the Dementors, ostensibly to catch him, but in 
fact they're ordered to nail young Potter instead, and Bilius is your 
uncle. Fudge is put to work.
 
Nearly succeeds, too.
Ah, well. Maybe next time.
Because there will be a next time. Voldy is stirring, believing that 
third time's a charm. Unfortunately he's developed this obsession 
about  Potter - puts him right at the top of his "to do" list. But 
this is to be just a warm-up, a gentle work-out before really flexing 
his wand and taking over the lot.
 
Fudge is presented with the second part of the bill. Deny that 
Voldy's returned. Mock Potter, DD, anyone who says otherwise. Purge 
the Ministry, take over Hogwarts, isolate and emasculate anyone who 
doesn't toe the line. Voldy needs to consolidate, he needs a bit of 
time, time to gather his old buddies, time to burrow deep into the 
system. And if there's one thing bureaucrats understand, it's delay. 
Delay is the deadliest form of denial, so the old saying goes - and 
Fudge does his best for those that own him.
 
It ain't enough.
Almighty cock-up at the Ministry.
It's not Fudge's fault - but guess who'll get hammered anyway - from 
both sides.
 
Amy here:
I love to read your ramblings Kneasy, but you say "It ain't enough", 
and I want to ask "what next?" Sure, he had stupid little Fudge 
eating outta his hands for a while...he basically has had everyone 
eating outta his hands for a while...but I think the table is a 
turnin' and he better pull out his big guns for the next go around. 
LV that is.
The way I see it, he is playing his own chess game, and Fudge was but 
a wee little pawn...That Potter kid has already outed him to his DE's 
that he is not a pure-blood himself...now, that might not have sunk 
in to them right away, but you know there is something fishy about 
that Potter kid...he has managed to make LV look like a total phony 
on many occasions so far, and has also made pretty good work of his 
followers too. I mean they got poo-poo'd on in the MOM by some 
kiddied in the DA. Uh oh...Malfoy is in jail...oooh, this should have 
been easier...I thought it was in the bag....guess not....Malfoy is 
thinking....this ain't where I want to be, and I have been listening 
to a part mudblood? Hmmmmmm....So, there will undoubtedly be more 
Fudge's along the way...maybe in the form of Ludo Bagman? That 
Umbridge woman? who knows, but I am interested to see if LV can 
really pull his stuff together and fight the big fight himself, or 
just end up looking like he got "Pottered" on! :) Personally...I 
think something smells rotten! 

But.....that is just IMO!  Cheers! Amy