A Soviet-era joke for our times

For some reason the Tony Abbott’s moves to abolish the three climate change agencies brings back to mind a Soviet-era joke which runs something like this:

Lenin, Stalin, Khrushchev and Brezhnev are travelling together across the Soviet steppes on a train. The train breaks down in the middle of nowhere and comes to a shuddering halt.

Lenin declares, “I shall go up to the front of the train and make a fiery speech urging the drivers on in the name of the Revolution”.

Stalin waves his hand dismissively and says, “No, that will never work. I shall go up to the front of the train and have the drivers shot for their crimes against the state, and we will get new drivers”.

Khrushchev says, “No, we don’t do that anymore. I shall go up to the front of the train and tell the drivers they had better get the problem fixed or we will send them to a labour camp”.

Brezhnev says, “Why don’t we just pull down the blinds – then we won’t know whether the train is moving or not”.