Cameron_Don said,
It may well be that their “new light” may just create an even bigger mess when or if they ever do try to explain it.
I believe you are right. There are a few issues that need to be explained; not that they will ever attempt to answer the hard questions, they may just ignore them for years, but I'm wondering about these...
Why did it take so long?
If the GB is the Faithful Slave (when they are gathered to gether and in session), and the Slave was appointed in 1919, why are we just now being informed of this in 2012? Why didn't the previous groups of men that formed the GB have a clue about their identity?
It doesn't inspire confidence in these men that they didn't know who they were for over 90 years.
Circular reasoning
Where is the proof that the new understanding is true? There should be hard Scriptural evidence, but instead we have a Governing Body declaring that they themselves are the Slave. How do we know it's true? Because the GB says so! That is curcular reasoning in a very simple form.
Where is Jesus?
If I remember correctly the Slave is declared to be Faithful by Jesus when he returns. At least the old understanding fit this scenario (Slave is appointed in 1st Century, then declared faithful after Jesus' 1914 return), but with the 'new light' where did Jesus go after he made the initial appointment in 1919? What is he doing there? When will he be back? Are there Biblical answers to these questions?
Faithful Slave, or Evil Slave?
The Slave was either going to be Faithful or Evil, which would be determined by Jesus after his return. At this point we are told the Slave has been appointed (1919), but we can't know for sure if the Slave is Faithful or Evil because Jesus has not yet returned to make that judgment. At this time it is impossible for the GB to declare itself to be the 'Faithful' Slave. Even if the 'new light' is partially true, the Slave might be judged 'Evil' when Jesus returns from where ever he is.
It seems like this new information about the Slave was made up by a group of children playing King-of-the-Hill.
(AnnOMaly has a great idea, that they are testing the waters by watching the internet before they publish it to Witnesses. That's funny! They need 'apostates' to help them clarify this silly belief.)