I was amazed when watching a programme on television the other night about the algorithms that support online dating agencies, not with the complexity of the calculations but rather with the number of sites there are and the number of people using them. This is a big business. I am fortunate never have had the … Continue reading Tinder politics
Autocracy is bad
I get that autocracy is bad. Absolute power always leads to absolute corruption and someone can only gain absolute authority through some form of coup or acts of violence. Autocracy and democracy are clearly incompatible. I am also a long way away from Venezuela yet from my vantage point it looks like President Nicolás Maduro … Continue reading Autocracy is bad
When good is bad
One of my most read blogs is entitled Wolves are evil but Lions are good. It shows how humans have the ability to hold two opposing ideas in their heads at the same time. My argument is that both creatures occupy the same niche in their environment yet have come to stand at opposing ends … Continue reading When good is bad
Perspectives on the law
There has been so much to concern myself with in the news over the last few weeks. The whole political situation has not me quite depressed. I’m not sure why but I am finding it difficult to sleep and am even more irritable than normal. I should avoid the press and media for a few … Continue reading Perspectives on the law
The politics of thirds
One of my daughters bought me a subscription to The Economist. It is a fascinating mixture of articles about money and politics. As if the two are separate! I am enjoying reading it and look forward to the magazine landing on my doormat every week. What I have found most interesting is the stories of … Continue reading The politics of thirds
Getting to somewhere
I’ve started reading ‘The road to Somewhere, by David Goodhart, which describes the potential causes behind the dramatic shift in politics over the last few years. It talks in terms of people who belong anywhere and those that belong somewhere. May herself gave a nod to such thinking in her ‘citizens of nowhere’ speech. “But, … Continue reading Getting to somewhere
Just leave
Whatever you think about the decision over Brexit, you cannot be enamoured by the way the process has gone since the referendum. This has not been the United Kingdom’s finest hour. On reflection, much of the confusion lies within the process. On the face of it the referendum seemed quite clear. This is what it … Continue reading Just leave
A government of national unity
These are difficult times. We seem to be locked in a political bind with no solution. Endless argument lead to endless division. But wait, there is a possible solution - a government of national unity. According to Wikipedia, a government of national unity is a broad coalition government consisting of all parties (or all major … Continue reading A government of national unity
The will of the people
The use of the phrase ‘The will of the people’ is a political ruse, a card trick or a leger de main. It is an abuse of the political system that we live under and is being used to distort the very thing that the politicians using it are railing against. Let me explain. In … Continue reading The will of the people
Unproportional representation
Proportional representation is a an electoral system in which parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes cast for them, rather than our first past the post system where the individual with the most votes, irrespective of the number in relation to the size of the electorate gets into power. It has always … Continue reading Unproportional representation
Thoughts from a Retired Guerrilla Worker 