Naïve or stupid?

There must be a dividing line between naïvety and just plain, old-fashioned, stupidity.

The puppy barking at its own reflection... just the thought of it probably makes you smile. The puppy will learn pretty quickly; he's just naïve (as in untrained).

The youngster repeating something overheard between two adults... perhaps embarrassing for those concerned but, it's a lesson that gets learned. The youngster is naïve, as in inexperienced.

The politician being found with his pants down in the wrong place... not a pretty picture but, perhaps, getting caught once might be described as naïve (as in unwise), you might even take a generous view and suggest that he might have been framed; any more than that, questions could be asked about competence.

The UK government suggesting that people should take precautionary measures in case of a tanker drivers' strike... was this naïve?.

This incitement to stockpile has been interpreted, as it obviously would be, as 'keep your fuel tanks full, and have a bit extra put aside'.

The last time there was a threatened tanker drivers' strike, in 2000, petrol stations and shops rapidly ran out of jerry cans. It seems that the same thing is happening again. This begs the question of 'where are the jerries' (cans, that is). Are we sitting upon a huge stockpile of filled containers (potentially seeping into the environment), have they been put to some other use, have petrol can manufacturers got a particularly strong lobby at Westminster?

Perhaps someone would care to calculate the wasted cost (in additional fuel used, for a start) of queuing at filling stations, to only put a modest amount of fuel in a tank, the additional wear and tear on mechanical components (particularly starter motors), and the not inconsiderable additional pollution caused by this wanton exercise.

The result of the advice is self imposed rationing by some garages.

So, in your opinion, is the recommendation of the government naïve or just plain stupid?

The Prime Minister has convened 'Cobra', the emergency planning committee... lucky Benny Hill's Chinaman isn't a member!