Authoritarianism
Big Government
I can’t be the only one who has noticed how the solution for any given problem is more government. Spiraling knife crime? The government must ban knives. Plastic waste in the sea? The government must [more…]
Government
Arts
What Government Can – And Cannot Do
Whenever confronting a puzzling situation, it’s worth asking how it came about. When doing this I usually find it helpful to write about it and, given my personal orientation, my way through the maze is [more…]
Arts
Fresh Start After Brexit
One of last Monday’s blog-readers, “WinstonSmith”, challenged me to describe what I would do if, after Britain has finally left the EU, I were to be appointed Prime Minister! Well, I can’t miss out on [more…]
Arts
The Slow Death of Democracy
The original Athenian concept of democracy was the people were represented in a system of government by consent. People who had what the Americans would call ‘skin in the game’. Today’s head count system would [more…]
Arts
Lies, damn lies & statistics
For over forty years I have struggled in the financial world to interpret statistics. People in public life love to flaunt statistics, graphs, numbers, percentages, usually to make a case for a pre judged outcome. [more…]
Uncategorized
Then and now, 1215 and 2017
Recently I read Dan Jones book ‘Realm Divided’, which is about the political situation of England in the year of Magna Carta, and pondered the comparison with today. Then, there was an oppressive but politically [more…]
Uncategorized
A strange thing happened to me in the night
A strange thing happened to me in the night. As I slumbered within my house of strong walls I metamorphosed into somebody else. When I awoke I was no longer me; I was Theresa May. [more…]