Our Post Office an elephant? I think it's a rhino..

A few years ago the Post Office of the United Kingdom took a number of their Sub-Postmasters to Court for embezzlement. Apparently their accounts showed a discrepancy. Many were jailed or fined big sums. Already at that time there were voices who claimed there was something wrong with the computer software the Post Office used. But no-one would dispute the Post Office at that time. But as was said also, how could so many be wrong? Were all Sub-Postmasters criminals? Was it a concentrated effort by hundreds of upstanding citizens to defraud the Post Office? Why did no-one question the findings? Why was the Post Office allowed to do all of this? It is basically a simple thing, officialdom is NEVER wrong! Government and all its subsidiary agencies are NEVER wrong! It is an unwritten rule! That hundreds lost all their savings, their homes, were jailed as criminals, and their reputation, did not matter at all. Even today the Post Office is grinding its teeth and probably thinks it’s still right. Computers cannot be wrong, can they? This is also a warning to humankind about the upcoming AI (Artificial Intelligence). Computers can easily be wrong. Why? Because they are programmed by humans! And humans are fallible, the software used has thousand of lines of code, usually written in the depth of night , smoking hundreds of cigarettes and bottles of whiskey. In the case of the Post Office software it was a Japanese company, but although they made the error or errors, the fact it was used without a lengthy trial period is down to the Post Office. The software company is partly to blame for supplying the program but the Post Office must take the blame for using it without checking procedures. I have programmed websites and software but I know mistakes are rather easy to make. It is relatively easy to make a program if you are knowledgeable of software languages. Most use C++ or just C and typing errors are run of the mill.

Let’s assume that all the Sub-Post Masters were criminals did no-one in the Post Office top hierarchy smell a rat? All using the same software? Did no-one demand a full investigation? No, it seems it was assumed that ALL were guilty, no argument, no investigation necessary. We CANNOT be guilty. We are part of our INFALLIBLE government! As a result as we have seen, many lives were ruined. Some even could not take the pressure and committed suicide. This alone needs the FULL force of the law to be used to unearth ALL the facts, point out those who were responsible, those who were in charge and pay all the damages asked for and all convictions squashed. It surely is a black, if not the blackest of marks, on governmental behaviour. We, ordinary citizens, vote in all these jokers to guide us, to ensure our economy, to provide the correct and needed services like the Post Office and also others and develop our social structure in the right manner and structure. Can anyone say that this is done? They all talk the talk but action? To me it seems the country is tottering on the edge of the abyss. It continually walks a tightrope. It is still continuing to walk the tightrope but with every new year the situation becomes more fraught. There might come a time we will fall off the rope. Then as we say, may God help us all.