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| my |
What
Hutton should say
Fight to the Death,
broadcast on Wednesday evening
was a riveting,
My conclusion is
that
Dr Kelly died for reasons that were deeply personal
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Renewing participatory democracy Multiple Differential Uncertainty |
Week 4 Sunday Blair did not lie 
My critique of Blair's character suggests a faultline much deeper than "lying". After all, honesty itself is a fragile construct, and we all have little ways of retaining our own belief in our own honesty and that of those near and dear to us. In the case of Blair, my unease goes much deeper. It is that his character lies in a carapace, an empty shell which shields him from himself. Within that carapace, he is always honest, motives are always genuine, promises are always kept, pledges genuinely given, the sun always shines. His problem is not a propensity to lie, but in an enormous capacity for profound self-delusion, self-persuasion. He is the Walter Mitty. I watched his performance on Paxman and the Students on Monday evening. There can be no doubt that, in common sense terms, Labour has broken two manifesto pledges - (i) not to introduce top-up fees and (ii) not to increase Income Tax - when the scheme can now clearly seen as an Income Tax increase for students who have not been able to pay their way through university. Yet he cannot admit that: within his carapace, all was sweetness and ordered light, which only the purblind could not see. Now - for my part, I find "Manifesto politics" totally unsatisfactory, and I wish the Parties would not play that game: see Mandate Schmandate. But "keeping manifesto promises" has been part of Blair's carapace from the start, and he is now trapped in its tortuous complexities. Labour has benefited from his confidence, his eloquence, and his flair. And he will formally "survive" his next High Noon.
Forget stable doors:
When will we ever learn? Two years have passed since the beginning of the current wave of corporate fraud and deceit. This week the first of the Enron “big fish” 42-year old Andrew Fastow pleaded guilty to just two of the 98 fraud charges brought against him in New York. He will go to prison in May - but he will conveniently look after his children in the meantime, while his wife serves her agreed five-month term inside. Since Enron, the evidence of corruption and deceit has continued to flow, currently with with Ahold, Adecco and Parmalat. Yet Governments have only tinkered with a rule here, a rule there, with the US Government being the most radical. The truth is that we are using the wrong methods, to police the corporate sector. Our Clousots always arrive long after the damage has been done. Threatening to “punish” the fraudsters is pointless, because they can get away with £-billions before they are discovered – in Fastow’s case $45m, it is estimated. The only solution is to re-design company law so that secrecy is reduced, to ensure greater generic publicity for company affairs, more effective media access, greater routine public scrutiny, more effective internal checks-and-balances. These guys must be watched. This will require intensive cooperation between Governments, and a deep commitment to justice. A new international Company Reform Treaty is required. And that is what we are targeting, in the Company Reform Coalition. Chilling Seasonal Message 
Tucked away in The Observer, just before Christmas, was a chilling insight into the mind of the Home Secretary David Blunkett. It was his personal credo, backing his introduction in Parliament of yet another "tough" anti-immigration Bill. I think he intended the piece to portray the image of a rational, perceptive, thinking politician. But it had the opposite effect. His language is barren, his values bereft. He is convinced that "the Left" has lost power elsewhere in Europe principally because of its failure to counter right-wing racism.
He sees it as his destiny to become the bulwark against Fascist advance in Europe, by trumping their cards. He clearly has neither understanding nor sympathy for any "liberal" perspective, upon his anti-immigrant measures.
No Laughing Matter 
This is an appeal for your help. The collapse of public toilet provision in the UK is a serious matter. Half of the nation's public loos have been closed down by local councils, within the last ten years. This scandal, and the consequential public health risks, are highlighted this week in The Guardian. Your help is needed. I have registered a new public hygiene charity - Hygeia, Reg No 1,097,294 - check it out - which will be able to provide self-funding 24-hour public toilet facilities. We are seeking the support of both private owners (shopping centres, malls) and local authorities. And we need local eyes-and-ears throughout the UK, to identify the most urgent requirements. We also need charity volunteers who take the issue seriously and are prepared to spend time and energy to help us solve the problem. We do not need your money. But we do need your intelligence, your concern, and your time. If you know of local circumstances where provision needs to be made, or where local authority provision is threatened, we want to hear from you. One year ago
Flood Tax? Morrisons v Safeway Can consumerism counter war? Power to the Parishes!
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probity of 
New