Having campaigned for the Lib Dems at the election, I had major reservations about the present coalition. However, the raft of proposals presented by Nick Clegg and the tone of the two leaders in bringing leading community leaders and activitists into serious partnership appears to offer a very positive basis for progress.
New Labour is now shown up for what it was; authoritarian, reactionary and politically and morally bankrupt (not to mention fiscally!). Any deal with Labour would not have been a 'progressive alliance' so much as a cloak for retaining power by the existing political elite at any price. This is not to question Brown's ethics as I am prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt in terms of his political values. However, he is a man whose career was founded on old approaches and whose temperament was not relevant for today's challenges. We now have the real - and totally unexpected - prospect of a new approach to government and governance, one in which governments seek to do less, but do it better. Instead of seeking to gain a popular headline and be 'seen to be doing something' the focus now seems to be on improving the way things work and not claiming to have all the answers. That way, you can involve more people, avoid bad mistakes and strengthen participatory, as well as representative, democracy.
One practical benefit of the new Con Dem coalition is that it may make it easier for Cameron to keep his right wing in check. To my surprise, I suddenly feel positive again and will put my reservations on hold.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Out for the count!
Yes, tonight I will be out for the count - the election count! Election day 2010 is the first time for decades when it really seems possible - though by no means assured - that things really could be different and the arrangement by which a party which gets only about 30% of votes can get enough seats to form a government.
This morning, I went out delivering leaflets locally. It took me back to being a kid delivering newspapers before going to school, though this took me far longer than a paper round! I feel immense sympathy for postmen (and women)since some letterboxes are so small you cannot get more than a postcard through and others seem to have built-in shredders which devour papers as they go in.
People were invariably friendly and up for a chat and I get the impression that the turnout will be high. Whatever the outcome, at least people are involved again. I just hope we don't go back to the way it was before.
This morning, I went out delivering leaflets locally. It took me back to being a kid delivering newspapers before going to school, though this took me far longer than a paper round! I feel immense sympathy for postmen (and women)since some letterboxes are so small you cannot get more than a postcard through and others seem to have built-in shredders which devour papers as they go in.
People were invariably friendly and up for a chat and I get the impression that the turnout will be high. Whatever the outcome, at least people are involved again. I just hope we don't go back to the way it was before.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Getting involved
Yesterday I went campaigning for the LibDems - the first time I have ever got actively engaged in politics and I must confess it was great fun asking what issues are of concern to people and how our policies can help them. It means empathising and thinking on one's feet and trying to persuade people without hectoring.
I had one case where the woman answered the door and said she had always voted Labour but was angry about Iraq, etc and was voting Tory. I told her I had stopped voting Labour for the same reasons, but felt the LibDems were now the party that represented left of centre values.
At this point, her husband came to the door and said he and two of their chidren agreed with me. I felt I had to say I did not want to cause any domestic discord - at which point she said they had far more reasons for that than politics! I withdrew saying we valued every vote and respected other viewpoints!!
Another young woman answered the door and said she was not interested in politics so was voting Labour. You meet all sorts. This could be addictive.
I had one case where the woman answered the door and said she had always voted Labour but was angry about Iraq, etc and was voting Tory. I told her I had stopped voting Labour for the same reasons, but felt the LibDems were now the party that represented left of centre values.
At this point, her husband came to the door and said he and two of their chidren agreed with me. I felt I had to say I did not want to cause any domestic discord - at which point she said they had far more reasons for that than politics! I withdrew saying we valued every vote and respected other viewpoints!!
Another young woman answered the door and said she was not interested in politics so was voting Labour. You meet all sorts. This could be addictive.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
A good reason to vote for Clegg!
Wow! I won first prize and a bottle of champagne at last night's Comedy and Curry party at Ealing Lawn Tennis Club in a conpetition to name a slogan for either a party or leader in the coming election. My entry was "Vote Clegg for a well hung Parliament!"
The Party is welcome to use this slogan in promotional materials as my modest contribution to the cause!
The Party is welcome to use this slogan in promotional materials as my modest contribution to the cause!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Best laid plans
Darmstadt is a small, well ordered German city about 30 minutes south of Frankfurt. It has a university population of about 30,000 students and I have been lecturing on a postgraduate housing course there for a week (12-16 April). The students are from all parts of the world; Asia, Africa, eastern Europe and both north and south America. They all did extremely well in a two day planning and design exercise and the week ended with me having to mark them and, interestingly, them assessing me. The fact that my contribution to the course was well received had nothing to do with the fact that, having treated them throughout as professionals, I had invited them to mark themselves. Being accomplished professionals, they naturally awarded themselves high grades!
My flight home was due to leave Frankfurt at 6pm on the Friday afternoon, but by Thursday morning, news of a massive volcanic eruption in Iceland had closed all UK airspace, threatening my return home. The websites all confirmed this on Friday morning and with German airspace also closed for the foreseeable future, the flight was duly cancelled.
Frustration was put into perspective when my host (I was staying with a South African staff member at the university and her parents) had to take her father into hospital and was later informed that he was seriously ill and the prognosis was not good. At least I could hope for a positive outcome in the near future, whereas for my hosts, things looked much less benign.
When classes ended on the Friday, the students kindly invited me to join them for a beer in the park and, having given up on travel, I met up and we had a pleasant evening ending at a new pizza restaurant where I returned the compliment by buying a bottle of wine to share. It’s encouraging to see students from all parts of the world getting on well and learning about each other’s interests, cultures and ambitions.
Saturday morning was spent checking websites, exchanging emails and nursing my dying mobile phone battery. About noon, I set off for Frankfurt airport hoping to find out about options. A very helpful woman in the information desk told me there might be a bus leaving the same evening for London Heathrow and even phoned the company to enable me to confirm a seat!
Waiting for the bus and typing this at the departures terminal, I am struck by how people respond to the unexpected. There was an atmosphere of calm throughout the airport. Nobody was in a rush – there was nothing to rush for. Groups were chatting and laughing, while others ate or took photos of the empty airport (where were all the planes?) and the departures board (all cancelled!). The airport authorities have apparently provided beds and food for those stranded in the transfer section. Kids were entertained with balloons and a TV crew were wandering around looking for stories. They filmed me and came across to ask on camera what I was waiting for. When I said to go to London, they expressed sympathy and asked how I was coping. When I said all was well and I was leaving by bus the same evening, they immediately lost interest. Clearly, good news was not what they were after, yet what impressed me was how well everyone reacted. Maybe it was nature’s way of bringing us all down to earth (sorry!) or, as John Lennon said, life is what happens when we’re busy making plans.
My flight home was due to leave Frankfurt at 6pm on the Friday afternoon, but by Thursday morning, news of a massive volcanic eruption in Iceland had closed all UK airspace, threatening my return home. The websites all confirmed this on Friday morning and with German airspace also closed for the foreseeable future, the flight was duly cancelled.
Frustration was put into perspective when my host (I was staying with a South African staff member at the university and her parents) had to take her father into hospital and was later informed that he was seriously ill and the prognosis was not good. At least I could hope for a positive outcome in the near future, whereas for my hosts, things looked much less benign.
When classes ended on the Friday, the students kindly invited me to join them for a beer in the park and, having given up on travel, I met up and we had a pleasant evening ending at a new pizza restaurant where I returned the compliment by buying a bottle of wine to share. It’s encouraging to see students from all parts of the world getting on well and learning about each other’s interests, cultures and ambitions.
Saturday morning was spent checking websites, exchanging emails and nursing my dying mobile phone battery. About noon, I set off for Frankfurt airport hoping to find out about options. A very helpful woman in the information desk told me there might be a bus leaving the same evening for London Heathrow and even phoned the company to enable me to confirm a seat!
Waiting for the bus and typing this at the departures terminal, I am struck by how people respond to the unexpected. There was an atmosphere of calm throughout the airport. Nobody was in a rush – there was nothing to rush for. Groups were chatting and laughing, while others ate or took photos of the empty airport (where were all the planes?) and the departures board (all cancelled!). The airport authorities have apparently provided beds and food for those stranded in the transfer section. Kids were entertained with balloons and a TV crew were wandering around looking for stories. They filmed me and came across to ask on camera what I was waiting for. When I said to go to London, they expressed sympathy and asked how I was coping. When I said all was well and I was leaving by bus the same evening, they immediately lost interest. Clearly, good news was not what they were after, yet what impressed me was how well everyone reacted. Maybe it was nature’s way of bringing us all down to earth (sorry!) or, as John Lennon said, life is what happens when we’re busy making plans.
Monday, March 8, 2010
This is what a good a TV Channel is Four
Tonight (08 March 9pm) Britain's Channel Four TV presented yet another programme to demonstrate it knows what role TV can contribute to realising Lord Reith's objectives for the BBC to inform, educate and entertain. In the latest episode of Secret Millionnaires, Paul Ragan, a rich businessman, travelled to Derby to meet a number of carers, including Sophie, a young girl who looks after her mother suffering from Huntingdon's Disease and a woman who raises money through charity car washes for special moments for young children suffering from terminal illnesses.
In giving away thousands of pounds to Sophie and the other deserving cases, it showed that Paul benefitted as much from the experience as they had. He felt a better person and realised that one can have a rich life without necessarily being rich. Heart warming television at its best. This should be compulsory viewing in Goldman Sachs and other financial institutions which clearly need to know more about the real value of money. Meanwhile you can probably catch it on Channel 4 catch-up. Do.
In giving away thousands of pounds to Sophie and the other deserving cases, it showed that Paul benefitted as much from the experience as they had. He felt a better person and realised that one can have a rich life without necessarily being rich. Heart warming television at its best. This should be compulsory viewing in Goldman Sachs and other financial institutions which clearly need to know more about the real value of money. Meanwhile you can probably catch it on Channel 4 catch-up. Do.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
The jobs transfer market
The USA economy lost 500,000 jobs in one just one month (December 2008) and the present unemployment level nationally is set at 10%, with far higher levels in some areas. At the same time, 750 million new jobs are expected to be created in South Asia over the coming decade. More will be generated in China and other parts of Asia and even Africa. This is likely to continue the drain of jobs from the USA and northern Europe where labour and other costs are high. This suggests that the USA and Europe are likely to experience structural unemployment at a high level during coming decades.
Ironically, it can be argued that Americans (and increasingly Europeans)are jobless because of the triumph of US born market capitalism. This has ensured that investment follows the same path as water – downhill, where there is least resistance and easiest returns. That means that US investors, and particularly consumers, have helped create jobs in countries where workers' pay and living conditions are far lower than those demanded in the USA and where profits (for a small elite in the US and elsewhere) can be maximised.
If this proves correct, and social and economic inequality in the West continues at its present extremely high level (bankers bonuses, sink estates, etc) it raises a very interesting question. What actions will be needed to prevent massive social unrest in the US and Europe? Surely some form of redistributive tax system is a real possibility given that the number of voters needing help will far outweigh those with assets to protect. Could Marx's prophecy of the triumph of socialism prove to be correct after all?
Just a thought!
Ironically, it can be argued that Americans (and increasingly Europeans)are jobless because of the triumph of US born market capitalism. This has ensured that investment follows the same path as water – downhill, where there is least resistance and easiest returns. That means that US investors, and particularly consumers, have helped create jobs in countries where workers' pay and living conditions are far lower than those demanded in the USA and where profits (for a small elite in the US and elsewhere) can be maximised.
If this proves correct, and social and economic inequality in the West continues at its present extremely high level (bankers bonuses, sink estates, etc) it raises a very interesting question. What actions will be needed to prevent massive social unrest in the US and Europe? Surely some form of redistributive tax system is a real possibility given that the number of voters needing help will far outweigh those with assets to protect. Could Marx's prophecy of the triumph of socialism prove to be correct after all?
Just a thought!
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