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Explore thought-provoking insights on systems inherently designed to perpetuate injustice, challenging societal structures and advocating for change.
1 Seeing through the surface: When accepted norms conceal deeper truths.
To understand systems built on injustice, we must question not only what we’re told — but also what we’ve come to accept without noticing. Critical thinking begins where comfortable perception ends.
To be wronged in one’s capacity as a knower is to be wronged in a capacity essential to human value. When on is undermined or otherwise wronged in a capacity essential to human value, one suffers an intrinsic injustice.
Should we not create – should we not become – before we reproduce? Our responsibility to life is to bring forth the higher, not to replicate the lower. If something stands in the way, then it, too, must be overcome.
Kritisch Denken over Intrinsiek Onrechtvaardige Systemen
Door de oppervlakte heen kijken: wanneer gangbare normen diepere waarheden verhullen.
Om systemen te begrijpen die gebaseerd zijn op onrecht, moeten we niet alleen vragen stellen over wat ons wordt verteld, maar ook over wat we zonder nadenken hebben geaccepteerd. Kritisch denken begint waar de comfortabele perceptie eindigt.
Wanneer iemand onrecht wordt aangedaan in zijn hoedanigheid als kenner, is dat een aantasting van een wezenlijk aspect van menselijke waardigheid. Als men ondermijnd wordt – of op een andere manier onrecht wordt aangedaan – in een hoedanigheid die essentieel is voor menselijke waarde, dan is er sprake van intrinsiek onrecht.
– Fricker, M. (2007). Epistemic Injustice: Power and the Ethics of Knowing.
Moeten we niet eerst scheppen – moeten we niet eerst worden – voordat we reproduceren? Onze verantwoordelijkheid tegenover het leven is om het hogere voort te brengen, niet om het lagere te herhalen. Als iets ons daarbij in de weg staat, dan moet ook dat overwonnen worden.
Post Office Scandal – Gareth Jenkins
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14 jul 2024
Some critical analysis on what might have been revealed by Gareth Jenkins’ testimony to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry.
00:00 – Start
02:10 – Dirty wizard or
absent-minded
professor
05:55 – 1. Move fast and break things
09:31 – 2. The moralisation of technology
11:46 – 3. Computer code is moral code
17:14 – Conclusion
Educational
At minute 18: moral code
Ex-Post Office boss cornered over possible cover-up of Horizon scandal in Inquiry hearing
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David Smith faced the music at the Post Office Inquiry today, when he was quizzed on his knowledge of Horizon software defects after the publication of the Ismay report in 2010.
Educational
2 Judgment versus Knowledge: The Pitfall of the Obvious
In systems that appear orderly on the surface, injustice often hides in plain sight. It is not always the loud, visible cruelty that sustains such systems, but the quiet, everyday assumptions — the rules we follow without question, the stories we believe because they seem normal. Critical thinking requires that we pause and ask: Who benefits from this arrangement? Whose voices are missing? And what truths remain buried beneath what is widely accepted as “common sense”?
In unjust systems, it is not always a lack of knowledge that misleads us, but a lack of vigilant judgment. As the philosopher John Locke aptly put it:
“Knowledge being to be had only of visible and certain truth, error is not a fault of our knowledge, but a mistake of our judgment — giving assent to that which is not true.”
We may know facts, understand figures, and follow rules — and still contribute to injustice. Because it is our judgment that determines what we accept as true, fair, or simply “how things are.” And when our judgment stays silent where it should question, we risk giving unconscious assent to systems built on exclusion, distortion, or abuse of power.
In systemen die aan de oppervlakte ordelijk lijken, schuilt onrecht vaak in het volle zicht. Het zijn niet altijd de luide, zichtbare wreedheden die zulke systemen in stand houden, maar juist de stille, alledaagse aannames — de regels die we klakkeloos volgen, de verhalen die we geloven omdat ze normaal lijken. Kritisch denken vraagt dat we stilhouden en ons afvragen: wie profiteert van deze ordening? Wiens stemmen ontbreken? En welke waarheden blijven begraven onder wat algemeen wordt gezien als ‘gezond verstand’?
🧠 Oordeel versus Kennis: de valkuil van vanzelfsprekendheid
In onrechtvaardige systemen is het niet altijd een gebrek aan kennis dat ons op het verkeerde pad brengt, maar juist een gebrek aan waakzaam oordeel. Zoals de filosoof John Locke het treffend verwoordde:
“Kennis betreft alleen datgene wat zichtbaar en zeker waar is; dwaling is daarom geen fout van onze kennis, maar een vergissing van ons oordeel — het geven van instemming aan iets wat niet waar is.”
We kunnen feiten kennen, cijfers begrijpen en regels volgen — en toch bijdragen aan onrecht. Want het is ons oordeel dat bepaalt wat we accepteren als waar, rechtvaardig of vanzelfsprekend. En wanneer ons oordeel zwijgt waar het vragen zou moeten stellen, geven we onbewust instemming aan systemen die leunen op miskenning, uitsluiting of machtsmisbruik.
3 Intrinsically Unjust — and Hiding in Plain Sight
The accounting wasn’t correct. It was not Jo Hamilton.
The judge asked: ‘What are you doing in my courtroom?
Why did you plead guilty to a serious criminal offense?
When you revisit the page The Downside of Justice on this website, the stark reality of how justice can be manipulated in an artificial courtroom context becomes painfully clear. In cases like that of Jo Hamilton, a completely false image was created — one that had no connection to the truth.
Jo, an impeccable person known and supported by her community, found herself accused of crimes she didn’t commit. Even the local vicar stood in support of her character in the courtroom, yet the accusations were nonsensical, used solely as a tactic to pressure her into admitting to false accounting — a crime she had no part in.
This was all happening within a wider culture at the Post Office, where people like Jo were already being pushed to the brink. It’s no coincidence that they targeted her. Even though they were looking to sell her home, the property was partly owned by her parents, which complicated things. Meanwhile, the team responsible for these cases received bonuses based on the convictions they could achieve.
This pattern reveals something deeply disturbing: justice can be wielded in impossible ways, creating a narrative that doesn’t exist and forcing innocent people to face the consequences of a broken system. We must address this issue head-on, rather than continuing to act as though the system is blind to its own failings.
Intrinsiek Onrechtvaardig — En Verborgen In Het Oog
Wanneer je de pagina De Keerzijde van Justitie op deze website opnieuw leest, wordt de harde realiteit duidelijk van hoe justitie gemanipuleerd kan worden binnen een kunstmatig gerechtscontext. In gevallen zoals dat van Jo Hamilton werd er een volledig valse afbeelding gecreëerd — eentje die geen verband had met de waarheid.
Jo, een onberispelijke persoon die bekend stond en gesteund werd door haar gemeenschap, werd beschuldigd van misdaden die ze niet had gepleegd. Zelfs de plaatselijke dominee stond haar karakter in de rechtbank bij, maar de beschuldigingen waren nonsens en werden slechts gebruikt als een tactiek om haar onder druk te zetten om valse boekhouding toe te geven — een misdaad waar ze niets mee te maken had.
Dit alles speelde zich af binnen een bredere cultuur bij de Postkantoor, waar mensen zoals Jo al tot het uiterste werden gedreven. Het is geen toeval dat zij werd aangewezen. Hoewel ze haar huis wilden verkopen, was de woning gedeeltelijk eigendom van haar ouders, wat de situatie compliceren zou. Ondertussen ontving het team dat verantwoordelijk was voor deze zaken bonussen op basis van het aantal veroordelingen dat ze konden realiseren.
Dit patroon onthult iets diep verontrustends: justitie kan op onmogelijke manieren worden ingezet, waardoor er een verhaal ontstaat dat niet bestaat en onschuldige mensen de gevolgen onder ogen moeten zien van een gebroken systeem. We moeten dit probleem recht in de ogen kijken, in plaats van te blijven doen alsof het systeem blind is voor zijn eigen falen.
Former Post Office CEO Paula Vennells refuses to comment on whether she misled parliament
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7 apr 2024
Former Post Office CEO Paula Vennells refused to comment today when questioned by Channel 4 News if she lied to MPs.
It was the first time she has been seen publicly since this programme released damning revelations confirming Post Office management knew of issues with remote access to its Horizon system, several years before prosecutions were halted.
She will give evidence to the public inquiry next month.
Secret tape reveals Paula Vennells was told of faulty Horizon software | ITV News
28 mrt 2024
A secret audio recording obtained by ITV News has revealed Post Office boss Paula Vennells was told directly about problems with the Horizon system and warned not to cover them up.
In a meeting with independent investigators from Second Sight on July 2, 2013, Ms Vennells was made aware of allegations that sub-postmaster branch accounts could be accessed remotely.
This is something the Post Office had denied for years.
Post Office Scandal – can’t remember, don’t care
Post Office Inquiry – Closing Day One
31 dec 2024
My response to the closing statements of lawyers representing subpostmasters at the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry in the UK. What I think was behind the statements of Mr Henry and Mr Stein.
00:00 – Start
01:34 – Mr Beer’s Opener
05:19 – Mr Henry’s Statement
21:36 – Guilt vs Shame
26:44 – Conclusion
A link to a paper on how Japan has been described as a shame culture:
https://journals.lww.com/academicmedi…
Educational: This video is essential viewing Dr Paul Duckett
Psychology, Plagiarism and the Post Office Scandal Part 4 (finale)
11 mrt 2024 #criticalthinking #postoffice #plagiarism
00:00 – Start
01:13 – Thinking Critically
02:26 – The Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act
06:02 – The Post Office Legacy – Crime Fighters
09:06 – Lesson 1: a different type of critical thinking
14:01 – Lesson 2: a different type of plagiarism
21:49 – The Exception: kinda
31:41 – Our Moral Response: How psychology gets in the way
Psychology, Plagiarism and the Post Office Scandal Part 3
24 feb 2024
This is the third of my four part series looking at the post office scandal. In this video I talk a bit more about who sub postmasters are, a bit more about what the Horizon system was and how one sub postmaster pushed back.
This is the final piece of the jigsaw and prepares us for part 4 where I connect to psychology and how we teach at university.
00:00 – Start
04:10 – What is a sub postmaster
08:09 – The Horizon System
Educational: This video is essential viewing Dr Paul Duckett
A full timeline of the Post Office Scandal | Stories of Our Times
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11 jan 2024 Stories of our Times | PODCAST
The Prime Minister has announced new legislation to quash the convictions of wrongly accused subpostmasters. It comes after a groundswell of interest – and outrage – in the story after an ITV drama was broadcast last week. How did a TV show achieve what years of journalism and a public inquiry had failed to? And what next for the convicted subpostmasters?
This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.
Guest: Tom Witherow, news and special projects reporter, The Times.
Host: Luke Jones.
Clips: Times Radio, ITV, Parliament, Talk TV, GMB.
Email us: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk
UK Post Office Scandal – Vennells vs van den Bogerd: professionalism?
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10 jun 2024
** Apologies my microphone was facing the wrong way!. Next video will have amazing sound because I’ll turn the microphone the right way around! But if you think I sound better back to front, let me know in the comments and I’ll keep things as is 🙂 **
I contrast the performances of Paula Vennells and Angelda van den Bogerd at the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry and reflect on what their behaviour tells us about professionalism. I consider how their particular version of professionalism impacted the UK post office scandal.
00:00 – Start
01:46 – Blaming the Victim: Community and Critical Psychology
02:13 – Paula Vennells: The performance
03:45 – Giving nothing away
05:42 – The meanings of professionalism
08:56 – Is it wrong to be objective?
11:26 – Final word from Sir Wyn Williams
NOTE: In the UK, I am called a ‘Critical Psychologist’. In Australia, which is where I presently live, the title ‘psychologist’ is a protected title used to denote psychologists who are registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). I am not registered as a psychologist with AHPRA as I am not a qualified health practitioner – I am an academic and social activitist and I do not offer psychological services, I offer critical and political analysis to benefit those working to create progressive social change.
The Real Mr and Mrs Bates: Their Truth Behind Taking on The Post Office | This Morning
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‘Mr Bates Vs The Post Office’ has shocked audiences, and shone a light on the misjustice of the Horizon scandal – but now the ITV drama is making a real impact. The series has prompted at least 50 new potential victims to come forward, and over the weekend the Metropolitan Police confirmed they are investigating the Post Office for potential fraud offences. As the Prime Minister calls for justice, we’re joined by the man who made all of this possible – the real-life Mr Bates and his partner Suzanne. They’ll be sharing their thoughts on the dramatisation, and telling us why more needs to be done to right the wrongs of the past.
Educational: This video is essential viewing Dr Paul Duckett
Hyacinth Sends Richard Up a Tree | Keeping Up Appearances