I think whoever first said "never attribute to malice

[Minstrel Boy]

"that which can be adequately explained by incompetence" was probably one hell of a malicious bastard.

Aphorisms are no substitute for an argument, and ridicule doesn't wish away unpleasant realities.

[gollygee]

1. Napoleon

so yeah

[SmokingJacket]

2. I'm beginning to believe there IS no incompetence without malice...

anyway, I've had enough of that particular aphorism, esp. today.

[wli]

3. Motive is unverifiable, so it's a rather convenient cop-out. n/t

[Loki]

4. In this administration

malice and incompetence go hand in hand.

[Eloriel]

5. Yup -- and here's another aphorism for ya

I haven't found too many cases (okay, none) where it didn't apply (and ESPECIALLY with glib retorts like the one you pose):

There is always an easy solution to every problem -- neat, plausible and wrong. -- H.L. Mencken

I've also seen it in this version:

For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong. -- H.L. Mencken


I don't know which or if both are correct. :shrug:

[H2O Man]

6. Last night

Joe Scarborough said several times that the government was capable of doing much more -- and indeed had in similar circumstances in Florida a year ago. He also said that the public should recognize that any politician saying the administration didn't have enough time to prepare was lying.

[Taxloss]

7. I find that those happiest to call governments incompetent are those

who have worked for them.

And those happiest to deny that government is malicious are those who have worked with them.

[Minstrel Boy]

8. And some who went to work for the government

and wound up being whistleblowers know how often malice wears the mask of incompetence.