Simon Goldie

Being charitable about tax

2012-01-30T11:00:00.000Z

Alain de Botton has made a short film arguing that tax should be re-branded as charity. He feels that if people thought of where the money went they would see it more as charity than having money taken away from them.

De Botton admits that tax, if course, isn't charity. What he really wants is for HM Revenue & Customs to thank taxpayers when they send in their return. Presumably, this is how the philosopher and TV presenter does his tax. Most people in the UK have their tax deducted from their pay packets each week or month.

That doesn't mean HMRC couldn't send a note to all taxpayers explaining what their tax has been spent on. Whether a note thanking the taxpayer would make the recipient feel better is another question.

Trust and thought leadership

2012-01-24T12:23:00.001Z

Edelman and TLG have both recently published their trust and thought leadership reports.

As always, both reports are incisive and make for fascinating reading. The reports make the point that in order to win trust or build thought leadership, organisations must involve themselves in societal issues as opposed to simply doing business.

Registering lobbyists

2012-01-23T10:30:00.000Z

Last week, the government announced a consultation on establishing a statutory register for lobbyists.

The document defines what a lobbyists is and recommends that those involved who act as third parties for clients register.

The membership bodies behind UKPAC have been arguing for universality: anyone who engages with government in order to influence policy should register.

Meanwhile, libertarians who generally dislike regulation are calling for a stricter regime. It is important to note that the register will not regulate lobbying.

Anyone can respond to the consultation.

The key questions are:

Should only third party lobbyists have to register?
How do you ensure a register works?
If everyone engaged in public affairs has to register how do you ensure your definition takes into account all the people who see government ministers and civil servants?

Lobbying doesn't have a great reputation. This due to various scandals. Some of these have involved lobbyists while others have been down to the behaviour of politicians.

With all these things, the devil is in the detail. Is someone who meets a minister to explain what will happen if a certain policy is pursued lobbying or merely stating facts? After all, that person may not be trying to change government policy but simply wanting to alert policymakers to potential unintended consequences. Should a register be tackling that sort of behaviour or the activities that have brought the profession into disrepute? If it is the latter, can you ever regulate people determined to break the rules?

President Newt?

2012-01-23T09:00:00.000Z

For a few days it looked as though Mitt Romney might have it in the bag. Then South Carolina backed Newt Gingrich.

This doesn't mean Romney won't end up with the nomination or for that matter that Gingrich will. The Republican primary voters of South Carolina were never going to be wildly keen on Romney. But he needs to carry that constituency to become the Republican contender. After having looked like a sure thing, he now only has won New Hampshire after a recount of the Iowa caucus.

Of course, all the challenges face a very big question: can they beat Obama?

A John Lewis Economy

2012-01-16T10:00:00.000Z

This Sunday, the Guardian reported that Nick Clegg will argue for a 'John Lewis-style' economy in a speech to be given to the City of London Corporation and CentreForum.

It is reported that Clegg will say that this could happen if the government gave workers the right to request shares in the company they work for. The policy is a response to the complaints that boards are rewarding failure by giving bonuses to chief executives despite the share price of their company suffering.

But this isn't a new idea. John Stuart Mill argued that the best type of company is one owned by the people who run it.

No doubt some will agree with this while others will make the case for companies being managed executives and owned by others.

There is another debate to be had. Is it better for government to intervene and encourage such ownership by legislation or is it better for this form of ownership to emerge naturally?

Clegg will also make clear that liberals believe in a free market and capitalism. It is who owners the capital that is the issue.

A political campaign promoting love

2012-01-10T11:00:00.000Z

I can't remember ever seeing an American Presidential contest, or any political contest for that matter, where one of the messages is love. Whatever your view of Ron Paul this is a fascinating political advert.

Scottish independence and David Cameron

2012-01-10T10:00:00.000Z

David Cameron has been taking the fight to Alex Salmond this week. It is a smart move in more ways than one. By starting the debate now Cameron is trying to force the vote early, choosing his metaphorical battleground.

Cameron also wants to make sure that there is a straight yes or no question. All of this has been observed by others.

There is another political advantage for Cameron. The policy appeals to Tory backbenchers and even the Liberal Democrats.

Ed Miliband's narrative

2012-01-10T09:30:00.000Z

Maurice Glasman has gone on record saying that Labour is adrift and has no narrative. The truth is that Ed Miliband has developed a narrative. He has spoken at length about the 'squeezed middle' and a more responsible capitalism.

Not everyone will agree about his view of there being two types of capitalism: producing and predator. That though isn't the point.

There are three problems for the leader of the Labour party. The first is that he isn't a natural communicator. Next there is the challenge of convincing voters that a party that has been rejected at the polling booths can be trusted again to make the right economic decisions.

Finally, there is the challenge of the narrative. Perhaps Ed's stories aren't resonating with the public. Perhaps they are confused by two different stories, one about responsible capitalism and the other about the problems people are currently facing.

Blogging elsewhere: The Truth About Twitter

2012-01-09T17:14:00.002Z

Can be read on the CIPR's Conversation.

'The Iron Lady"

2012-01-09T11:00:00.000Z

The Iron Lady is an Oscar film. Aside the meticulous performance of Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher, each scene is constructed to elicit an emotional response. All art is contrived but great art can misdirect and hide what it is doing.

What makes the film work is Streep's performance. She has the voice, the mannerism and the physicality. She gives the role a humanity as we watch Lady Thatcher look back at her life. In some ways, the film makes its central characters ordinary. If it was set in North London and centred around a middle class family, this could be a Mike Leigh film. The story is more about memory, what makes a life, dealing with death and family relationships than an exploration of British politics. At times it feels major historical incidents are mere details to be got through as we rush to the next emotional punch: pity, sadness, amusement or outrage.

If you want to understand what motivated Margaret Roberts then watch The Long Walk to Finchley. If you want to understand why senior Tories turned against her when she was Prime Minister then watch Margaret. If you want to understand what happened during the Falkland conflict then watch The Falklands Play. Sadly, The Iron Lady is not a film for people interested in politics.

David Cameron has said that the film should have been delayed. For the Thatcher family it must feel very strange being portrayed on screen in this way. But whether we like it or not, public figures become public property. That means a writer or director can show them pretty much how they like. If the film was made a few years later it would still feel unsatisfactory despite its central performance.

Stieg Larsson's trilogy

2012-01-03T11:00:00.000Z

As the Hollywood version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo opens I completed watching the Swedish version's of Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy.

In recent years, we have seen the emergence of Scandinavian noir. This includes Larsson's work as well as the stories of Kurt Wallander and others.

Noir originated in America. Inspired by the novels of Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Jim Thompson and German Expressionism, film noir explored the underbelly of society. In noir life happens in the shadows, ethical decisions depend on the situation the characters are in and corruption runs deep.

Hammett is particularly interested in the way people with power can control lives, use their power for their own sake and unleash a violence that destroys lives.

Having not read Larsson I can't compare the quality of his writing with Hammett and the others. But seeing the films, it is obvious why Larsson's stories are classed as Scandinavian noir.

The central character of the books, Lisbeth Salander, has had her life ruined by a power structure she is unaware of. In the final part of the trilogy what is revealed is something dark and murderous. Putting aside the quality of the plot development and consistency of story, the films are worth watching for their entertainment value and what they tells us about Swedish society.

Of course, Larsson is writing fiction. That doesn't mean that stories don't tell us something about the society they come from.

Scandinavian countries always score highly on happiness indexes. How good any index is at assessing happiness is open to question. It is certainly a common view among many that Scandinavia has it more right than other places: a more prosperous, equal society that respects people.

Larsson's books tells us that corruption happens in Sweden too. Those who think Sweden, and the other Scandinavian countries, have it right believe this is due to an interventionist State. Larsson tells us that an unchecked State can destroy lives.

Season's Greetings

2011-12-23T14:03:00.001Z

Wishing all my readers a happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year!

Nick Clegg sets out his vision

2011-12-20T15:10:00.003Z

Can be read over at Liberal Vision.

Mongrels: a tail Swift would be proud of

2011-12-16T11:00:00.000Z

The second series of the excellent puppet comedy, Mongrels, is coming to an end on BBC 3 next week. If you like your comedy sharp, challenging and a bit daft, and haven't already seen it then watch it on BBC iPlayer.

In one sense, Mongrels is a standard sitcom with four characters trapped together hoping for something better. The fact that these characters are a fox, dog, cat and pigeon is the first hint that this is something a touch different.

But what sets the show apart from formulaic comedy is its satire that has echoes of one of the greatest humorists, Jonathan Swift.

Just as the author of Gulliver's Travels looked at humanity and found us wanting, the writers of Mongrels ridicule human folly with an anger that sometimes takes them to the edge of what most people find acceptable.

It is rare to find that sort of writing on television these days, especially British television.

A week and a half's silence

2011-12-15T16:58:00.001Z

I have never been a prolific blogger, in fact this blog never set out to post constantly, I have been silent for a week and a half.

The reason is that I have been moving homes.

I have had a week off work to unpack and try and create order from chaos.

Normal blogging service will resume shortly.

Page One

2011-12-05T11:00:00.000Z

You can see the excellent Page One on BBC iPlayer until Sunday 11 December. The documentary looks at the challenges traditional media faces by spending a year with the New York Times.

It is a fascinating insight into the way the newspaper business is changing and leaves one wondering what will be the future for the newspaper as a channel to deliver news.

Blogging elsewhere: ever closer union

2011-12-01T11:15:00.001Z

Another post on the Liberal Vision site.

Normal service will resume on this blog shortly!

Blogging elsewhere: the broad church that is the Liberal Democrats

2011-11-28T10:40:00.001Z

Can be read over at Liberal Vision.

Blogging elsewhere: the strange rebirth of classical liberalism

2011-11-24T11:17:00.001Z

Can be read here.

Review: 'Jerusalem'

2011-11-16T11:00:00.000Z

Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem takes place on St George's Day. Like everything in the play, this is not a coincidence. Butterworth explores a lost England where freedom was celebrated and the representatives of the State banished. But now, the State cannot be dismissed and this inevitably leads to the tragic end for our anti-hero Johnny Byron.

Mark Rylance dominates the stage as Byron. He is a sizzling actor at the best of times and Butterworth's gives him plenty of opportunities for pyrotechnics.

The audience were wowed by it all. While the writing is sharp, the play is let down by its construction: the inevitable scenes where characters reveal their flaws or demons, the forced metaphors and plot points that simply did not make sense.

When leaving the theatre after the three acts, a member of the audience commented that it was so relevant given what had happened at Dale Farm. When Butterworth first drafted the play it is doubtful that Dale Farm was in the news.

The play certainly raises questions about freedom and behaviour. Without Rylance's performance it wouldn't have the power it does.

Derren Brown: The Secret of Luck

2011-11-14T11:00:00.000Z

The fourth, and final, episode of Derren Brown's experiments was aired last Friday. In 'The Secret of Luck' Brown investigates why some people are lucky while others seem to attract misfortune.

By spreading a rumour that the statue of a dog in the park of a local village is lucky, people begin to rub the head of dog and then attribute their success to luck.

What the programme shows is that people will have luck if they seize opportunities that come their way. If they ignore, or simply don't spot. the chances they have they are more likely to think they have bad luck.

As Brown says, no one is naturally lucky.

The programme tells us two things. If you live your life open to what comes along you are more likely to be successful. Secondly, people are easily persuaded of myth and legend: they take natural occurrences and explain them by way of superstition.

The narrative of the Occupy Movement: we don't like how things are

2011-11-09T11:00:00.000Z

Many people have asked what the Occupy Movement want.

Even after the protesters came up with some demands commentators still seem unsure why these young people are spending their days and nights outside St Paul's Cathedral.

The one message that does come across is that the protesters don't much like how things are in society.

The other narrative of the protest has been that while not liking capitalism, the protesters quite like Starbucks. There has been a bit of an argument about whether people can criticise the City and drink cappuccino.

It may appear petty to say that the Occupy Movement should deny themselves a hot drink. But it could be that the protesters have created a confused message. If you really don't like the way things are, why embrace them?

Perhaps the lesson is one that all communicators know: make sure your message is consistent and clear.

How British political parties may change

2011-11-08T11:00:00.000Z

Yesterday, Tim Montgomerie ran a series of post on Conservative Home called 'Rebooting Project Cameron'.

He makes many recommendations. Number eight, if adopted, could have a profound affect on British politics. Montgomerie thinks that the Conservative party should be relaunched as the Conservative Alliance. This new entity would be modelled on the Republican National Committee in the USA.

He believes that a new structure can embrace the way we live now. The Internet has given us a powerful tool to do what we do naturally: communicate and build relationships. Montgomerie believes harnessing that and taking a different approach to groups who have a relationship with the Conservative party can revitalise the organisation.

If the party takes his advice, the Conservatives could be a trailblazer.

It is always difficult to predict outcomes but such a bold move might make political allegiances looser. Turnout at elections is in decline. Party politics has lost its allure.

Montgomerie hopes that the change he is arguing for will strengthen the party he is a member of. But in American each elected official is far more independent than in the UK. Would such an alliance help foster a sense of independence? And would that be a bad thing?

Happiness, happiness - should we measure it?

2011-11-07T11:00:00.000Z

Professor Richard Layard has started the happiness movement. He believes that economic prosperity doesn't make us happy: instead of measuring GDP we should measure general well being.

Layard hasn't recommended that Ken Dodd become the Secretary of State for happiness but the LSE economics professor would certainly endorse the lyrics of Dodd's famous song.

Classical liberals tend to pull their hair out when they hear it suggested that governments should try and make people happy. They prefer governments to let people get on with their lives.

But perhaps Layard has a point.

When John Cowperthwaite became financial secretary to Hong Kong the Guardian tells us that the average citizen earned a quarter of what someone in Britain earned. By the early 1990s average earnings were higher than in Britain. Cowperthwaite was a classical liberal. He pursued a free trade policy and kept the collection of data to a minimum. Without data, the Hong Kong civil service were denied access to statistics which might help them formulate policies. Without policies, the people of Hong Kong could get on with their lives.

Wealth creation means people have jobs, choices about what they do and the chance to pursue happiness. Is the lesson from Hong Kong that a slavish attachment to statistics leads governments to pursue policies to increase GDP but may have unintended consequences that reduces wealth and the chance to pursue happiness?

We can guess what Cowperthwaite's response would have been if someone suggested to him he should publish happiness data.

We do not know if John Cowperthwaite was a Ken Dodd fan.

The US Presidential campaign

2011-11-04T11:00:00.000Z

Whoever wins the Republican nomination for President, the campaign is likely to be fairly predictable. President Obama will argue that now is not the time for change. Better to stay the course and let him finish the job. Risking jobs and livelihoods would be madness during these turbulent times.

Meanwhile, the Republican nominee will say change is necessary. Big government isn't helping but making things worse. A lot will be made of the health reforms but the battle ground will be the economy.

The maverick Ron Paul has hinted he might run on the Libertarian ticket if he fails to win over his fellow party members. Paul has previously run as a libertarian.

Paul has said in the past that he shares Obama's critique of what is wrong with America but has very different solutions.

He has already floated the idea of abolishing several government departments. This echoes Vince Cable's call for the abolition of the DTI a few years ago.

While Ron Paul would be a strange bedfellow for Liberal Democrats, he shares an enthusiasm for decentralisation and constitutional government.

If he did throw his hat in the ring as a Libertarian and stood on a classical liberal platform, the campaign might end up being a touch controversial even if the outcome, a victory for Obama or the Republican, would be entirely predictable.

The EU, Euro, Greek crisis and the economy

2011-11-03T11:00:00.000Z

Just when policymakers and the financial centres around the world thought the problems in Greece were being dealt with, a referendum is called and uncertainty has returned.

If you have been following this crisis you will know there has been a lot of speculation around whether the Euro can survive, whether the EU countries in the Euro will join a fiscal union and whether there will be another recession because of all of this.

Amidst all this uncertainty, the one thing we can say for sure is that things are not going to be the same.

If a fiscal union is created, as George Osborne is urging, Britain will never join the Euro.

If the Euro collapses the European project will need to be rethought.

The EU is the latest in a line of institutional arrangements that began in 1951. While some aspire to an ever greater union, the European project should be seen as an experiment. It should evolve to suit the needs of people, not the other way round. At some point in the future it could be disbanded or replaced by a different body as new challenges emerge.

Obama's identity: Keynesian?

2011-11-02T11:30:00.000Z

Here are some funny, and indignant, responses to the question, is Obama a Keynesian. It is also a sad reflection on the state of political debate.

Sourced from the Lew Rockwell blog.

The History of Classical Liberalism

2011-11-01T11:00:00.000Z

Here is a comprehensive view of classical liberalism by historian Stephen Davies from Learn Liberty.

Derren Brown's Gameshow: a question of individualism

2011-10-31T11:30:00.000Z

Derren Brown's second show in his The Experiments series raises even more questions than the 'Assassin'.

In 'Gameshow', Brown explores what happens when individuals merge into a mob. To test the theory that when individuals lose their sense of self they also lose their morals, he sets up an audience to think that they are taking part in a new gameshow that he is hosting called 'Remote Control'. To participate they must don masks to ensure their anonymity. The audience is asked to decide the fate of a young man who is spending Friday night out with his mates. The mates, and people in the bar, are in on the whole thing. During the course of the show the audience get to choose a positive or negative outcome for the young man. Every time the majority opts for the cruel one. Our innocent stooge becomes a puppet as the audience whoops with joy at the awful time he is having. Even when they are not asked for a view, some audience members shout out suggestions like "smash his TV".

Disturbingly, this could actually be a bona fide TV show although one would hope Derren Brown would never front it.

Brown brilliantly makes his point about human nature with a combination of showmanship and psychological understanding. The ending jolts the audience back to reality. One hopes that when they went on they thought hard about what they had done.

What does this studio recreation of something akin to William Golding's 'Lord of the Flies' tell us about the individual?

The speed with which a bunch of people who don't know each other turn against someone they have never met is frightening. The baying mob lap up the misery that they are helping to inflict.

One might draw the conclusion that it is imperative to have strict laws that control human behaviour given how easily it is to manipulate people. Surely people must be controlled by harsh moral edicts and the threat of punishment to prevent them from running amok?

The counter view is that it is that control that causes all the problems. By attempting to create a sense of loyalty to a moral regime you remove the very individualism that prevents the emergence of the mob. The more people give up their sense of self the more easily someone can use that grouping to turn on another group. Far better, according to this approach, to remove all artificial constructs and let individuals voluntarily co-operate with each other. The less the individual can hide behind a group that makes the individual anonymous the better.

Essentially, the two contrasting views are authoritarian and libertarian. Classical liberals will instinctively dismiss the former. But they will be slightly concerned about what might happen in the latter world. If everyone is free and co-operating then all well and good. The problem arises when someone comes along and attempts to imposes a system on the majority. If enough people can be convinced that they should follow this charismatic leader, and they are likely to be charismatic, they then become mob fodder.

This is partly why classical liberals like limited government, checks and balances and an emphasis on freedom. Democracy itself has to be checked in a classical liberal society.

What Derren Brown's phony gameshow warns us that democracy is no guarantee. At the beginning of the show over 80% supported a negative outcome. By the end it had reduced to around 60%. That is not only a majority but a solid majority. Looked at like that, not only is democracy no guarantee, it is a mechanism that can be used to justify harmful behaviour.

Depending on your political inclination, you will plump for one of the above options or some sort of compromised mix.

Financial occupation: war on wealth

2011-10-27T12:44:00.000+01:00

On my way to work this morning, I walked past the St Paul's Cathedral tent-in. At first glance it may seem odd that people are demonstrating against capitalism by sitting outside St Paul's. Then again, the Cathedral's spokespeople have said they are losing money every day because of the protests.

From what I saw, there were quite a few banners attacking the banks. There was also one that urged a war on wealth. Tom Papworth over at Liberal Vision considers what that means. He suggests it might be better to see the end of poverty.

Clearly, the demonstrators don't much like capitalism, or at least what they define as capitalism. When the Labour government rescued the banks they argued that they were saving the economy not helping the financial institutions. Many people remain to be convinced. They don't understand why their money should be spent helping the banks.

This is a complex argument. There were other ways to deal with the financial crisis but we do not know what the impact of those policies would have been. Then there is the view that government's should never bail out the private sector because this creates moral hazard resulting in a distorted free market.

The occupiers of St Paul's Cathedral appear to be the usual anti-capitalists, anti-global suspects. Their views have a place in political dialogue even if one doesn't agree with them: the issues they raise need to be argued over.

The other side of the argument, that the financial crisis occurred because of government public policy, as well as the financial instruments that were created to service borrowing, has not had as much of a hearing.

Both sides need to be heard. Those in the centre ground of politics are in danger of being drowned out. With various views being expressed there is more of a guarantee of plurality of ideas and a realisation that there are different ways to think about what has happened.

If only one view dominates there is a danger that a populist leader emerges who rides to electoral victory based on the discontent that has built up.

Even the anti-statists who argue against a central bank, monopoly of currency and favours the Austrian school of economics might well be laying the ground for a leader that is the antithesis of all they stand for.

Framing one's argument so that it doesn't have produce opposite of what you want is not easy but important.

How Cameron could turn the EU rebellion into electoral victory

2011-10-26T13:17:00.000+01:00

Conventional wisdom says that the Tory backbench rebellion on Monday night bodes ill for David Cameron. That might well be in the case but sometimes things turn out differently, especially when everyone expects a certain outcome.

Potential Tory voters who are flirting with voting UKIP at the next election may now reconsider. The size of the rebellion, partly brought about by Cameron's imposition of a three-line whip, sends a message that the Conservative party is Euro-sceptic and proud. Its leader made clear he is in sympathy with their aims but feels now is not the time. This sends a message to voters who have concerns about the EU but don't want to withdraw that Cameron is taking a careful pragmatic approach.

Nick Clegg helpful entered the fray to argue against a 'smash and grab' attempt to take powers back. This reinforces the view held by many that it is the Liberal Democrats who are blocking the true anti-EU spirit of the Tory party.

Given that most voters pay little attention to the machinations of Westminster, it is the mood music and signals that come out of the rebellion that matter.

If Cameron can navigate this new political reality by sending messages that resonate with voters who are uncomfortable with the EU, he may see off defections to UKIP. If he does that he just might guarantee a Conservative majority in 2015.

The future of libertarianism

2011-10-26T12:00:00.000+01:00

I recently wrote about the future of liberalism. Some might argue that classical liberalism belongs under the umbrella term libertarianism and not liberalism.

Perhaps it doesn't matter what terms we use as long as we understand what we are talking about. However, libertarianism appears to cover a range of views: market anarchists, anarcho-capitalists, classical liberals, small State conservatives, minarchists and voluntarynists.

What brings this disparate group together is support for property rights, the rule of law and the market. Some would rather the State disappeared while others accept the need for a State but would like limited government or a State committed to only providing security.

There are signs that some libertarian ideas are catching on. Ron Paul regularly stands for the US presidency, not something all libertarians agree with, and there is talk of seasteading and charter cities.

Can these ideas really help reshape people's expectations of how society should be organised? Can a bunch of rather stubbornly-minded people work together to make the case for change? All political movements need to frame an argument that counters the narrative of their opponents. There are many examples of bloggers who counter what they see as authoritarian and anti-libertarian but can this be woven into a compelling thread that wins people over?

Then again, many libertarians reject politics. That means taking Voltaire's advice and tending their garden. If many libertarians did that and could find a way of practicing what they preach others might join them if they like what they see.

Peter Bingle abandons his muse

2011-10-26T11:00:00.000+01:00

Yesterday, Peter Bingle wrote his final musing on The Dispatch Box.

Peter began writing his blog post in 2009. I have read almost every word he has written as his wit, insight and enthusiasm are addictive.

You don't always have to agree with him and not all his predictions have turned out to be correct, not yet anyway, but his blog has always been a must read in my view. At times he has been spot on about an issue and sometimes one might think he isn't and then it turns out he is.

I will miss my regular morning read but can understand why he has decided to hang up his spurs. Writing a daily blog when you have a job isn't easy. Just for doing that he deserves praise.

Than you Peter!

Financial occupation

2011-10-25T12:49:00.001+01:00

An interesting exchange between Peter Schiff, CEO of an investment company, and the protesters occupying Wall Street.

The quality of the video isn't great but it is worth listening to the sides argue it out. At times there is common ground and at other times complete confusion over issues. At one point, quite touchingly, one of the protesters asks Schiff where he thinks they should be protesting.

'Wilfred': Beckett meets 'Harvey'

2011-10-25T10:30:00.000+01:00

The Australian inspired first season of American comedy 'Wilfred' comes to an end next week. The shows has been airing on BBC 3 and is worth seeking out on iPlayer or DVD.

It stars Elijah Wood as Ryan and Jason Gann as the eponymous hero.

Ryan is in crisis. His career as a lawyer has come to an end, he has no job, he sits around his house doing nothing and when we first meet him is attempting suicide. The only thing that might keep him sane is his relationship with his best friend. The only problem is that when Ryan looks at he sees a man in a dog suit.

Depending how you look at, Wilfred is the one thing that is helping Ryan cope with his life or the thing that is preventing him from getting back on track.

Like Elwood P. Dowd's companion Harvey it seems no one else sees Wilfred in the way that Ryan does. But as in the classic James Stewart film, we discover that some people might also be able to see Wilfred for what he really is: an Australian dope smoking talking dog.

Both main characters are brilliantly played. Gann captures so well the dog part of his character. The writing is sharp and well observed. As for Elijah Wood, Ryan is so deadpan that Buster Keaton would be proud.

Like all great sitcoms and comedy dramas there is more to this than just jokes. The characters are trapped and dependent on each other. It is this that takes the drama into Beckett's territory. Week after week our characters talk, do things but really nothing happens. As Ryan and Wilfred wait for Godot they entertain us and shine a light on human, and animal, relationships.

Derren Brown: The Assassin

2011-10-25T10:00:00.000+01:00

Derren Brown began his new series with a bold experiment: he wanted to see if he could turn someone into an assassin by hypnotising them.

In case you haven't watched it and intend to, I won't spoil what happens.

The programme raises some very interesting issues and will undoubtedly excite conspiracy theorists. Conspiracy theories are always fun but tend to be rather outlandish. That said, films like 'The Manchuria Candidate' are based in some reality. During the Cold War there were experiments around mind control but many assumed that the fiction was that any government would actually go ahead with something like that even if these projects could truly succeed.

Next week, Brown takes on the role of game show host.

The future for liberalism

2011-10-20T12:19:00.001+01:00

Over the last few years, there have been more and more liberal groups taking to the political stage. There has been the UK Libertarian party have been made possible because of the Internet: the founders met via the Web. Liberal Vision was set up by Mark Littlewood. Liberty League was established by young classical liberals, or libertarians if you prefer that description. Then there is the Cobden Centre dedicated to promoting Richard Cobden's arguments for sound money. As well as these groups there are numerous bloggers discussing and arguing about liberalism.

Of course, some would not regard these groups as liberal. They see the liberal tradition differently: having more to do with Jeremy Bentham than John Locke.

That said, interventionist liberals do have things in common with classical liberals. Both support civil liberties, believe in making sure the individual controls their destiny and wants to see a plural society.

Recently, John Redwood explained the complexities of the 'right' in the Conservative party. He points out that some Conservatives find themselves in alliance with supporters of civil liberties who are traditionally on the Left. This reinforces my long standing argument that some in the Labour movement have sympathy with liberalism even though they may not be liberals.

The question for supporters of liberal ideas is what is the best way to advance liberalism.

Is it better to join a political party, and if so which one? Should liberals avoid party politics altogether and get involved with a think tank or write blog posts?

It will be interesting to see how these various groups do over the next few years and whether they work together or carry on making their case separately.

Social Media Revolution

2011-10-18T12:19:00.000+01:00

The shaping of political views

2011-10-16T22:09:00.000+01:00

The always excellent Jock Coats has a post on his site about political socialisation.

It got me thinking about my own political views and how they were shaped.

Being that objective is never easy. One might like to claim that through intellectual prowess one worked out a whole system of looking at the world and was never influenced by school or parents. The truth is inevitably far more messy.

Family always plays a part. The things you hear your family say, what papers a family member reads (if they read a paper at all) and how they vote will probably rub off. Their values will also impact on you. Interestingly, their values might not always correspond to their politics because life isn't simple. Many people assume an affinity with a certain party despite holding views that are odds with that party's core aims.

Then there is your own temperament. While I don't think people are born capitalists or socialists, I think some people are possibly more inclined to individualism whereas others are drawn to community. Again, your family, perhaps its religion will also play a part.

There is also what happens to be going on around you when you are growing up. The adults who were children during the Great Depression in America were bound to be shaped by those events.

Finally, there is the education system.

At my inner city London comprehensive we had a Marxist sociology teacher. In the first class he tried to explain the difference between Hegel and Marx. We were all so dazed by the experience that I suspect no one in that class was ever going to be following Karl in later life.

History probably had more of an impact. It wasn't simply that certain periods of history were focused on. It was the language that was used to explain what was done. It was clear from doing "O' level history that being on the side of progress, as defined by the books, was better than resisting change. That Whig idea of progress could easily become the 'progressive' agenda of the Left.

Studying American history for 'A' level further reinforced the idea that sometimes government just had to do something. My politics teacher for that "A" level was one of the best who ever taught me. He didn't hide where he stood: he was a social democrat within the Labour party. That said he was as unbiased as possible. The problem was more that he had n choice but to skim over ideologies. It was only at university when I studied 'Government' that the complexities of ideas hit home and the fact that many philosophies borrowed from each other or developed because they were responding to an alternate idea.

That doesn't have to be the end of one's political journey. The Internet exposes you to ideas that you might never come across in school. Reading blogs like Center for a Stateless Society may not change your views but it makes you aware of alternative ideas.

Somebody once said that "if you are not a liberal when you are twenty you have no heart, if you are not a conservative when you are forty you have no brain".

Broadly speaking, I believe I have stayed consistent in my approach to politics. My political journey began with a desire to make sure people control their lives and that is where I am today. For me the question was how can that be done in the complex world we live in.

The anarchy of Edmund Burke

2011-10-16T15:49:00.001+01:00

Edmund Burke is often cited as the philosophical founder of modern conservatism. He was never a Tory but a Whig who favoured the American Revolution but fell out with his fellow Whigs over the French Revolution. The thoughts he set down in 'Reflections on the Revolution in France' set the tone for much political debates for decades, if not the next two centuries.

I recently discovered that Murray Rothbard believed that Burke's 'Vindication of a Natural Society', written when Burke was 27, reveal his anarchist inclinations.

If Rothbard is right, then perhaps Burke was a bit of an anarchist and later developed a classical liberal view of politics and society. After all, there is much in the Whig view that is distrustful of authority and sceptical about the State.

It might also explain his rejection of revolutionary France. While James Fox, and other Whigs, welcomed the toppling of the Ancien Regime Burke may have been sceptical of any government power regardless of its foundation. He would have supported the American Founding Fathers as he would see this as a Whig Revolution. Their attempt to introduce checks and balances could be a sort of constitutional anarchy, however contradictory that may sound.

Then again, Rothbard might be misinterpreting Burke's arguments. Even if at that stage of his life he was inclined to anarchy, he may have changed his mind.

The idea of combining these two political schools of thought has other proponents. Peter Wilkin believes that there is a tradition of anarchism within the Tory political tradition. In fact, George Orwell once said he was a Tory Anarchist.

Given that the Tories, as a political movement, were aligned to the King and seen as a reactionary force all this may seem quite confusing. Does it mean that anarchy has a reactionary whiff about it? Where does this leave the modern Conservative party?

I suspect what it means is that ideas ebb and flow. People are influenced by a range of thinkers and writers. Ideas are not hermetically sealed however much ideologists like to claim they are.

Web technology and change

2011-10-15T20:52:00.001+01:00

A while back I wrote about public policy and web technology. I was asked via Twitter what would the challenges be for public policy. I promised to return to this and am only now getting around to it.

The web is speedy, flexible, co-operative and global. This technology is already effecting how we work, learn and live.

The more business becomes web-focused and web-delivered the more likely it is that we will decide we need to run our education system differently. For all the noble aspirations of a liberal education, a core part of learning is to equip people with the right skills to succeed in the workplace.

How will our education system evolve? Will children need to go to schools for five days a week most of the year or will there be other ways to learn and interact? How will the skills of flexibility, co-operation and speed be taught?

It is these challenges that I had in mind. No doubt there will be others that none of us have even thought about yet.

Do the ruling class want to rule?

2011-10-15T18:24:00.000+01:00

This week, I attended an Editorial Intelligence debate on who frames the public conversation. It was a fascinating discussion. An audience member made this observation: the ruling class no longer want to rule.

I didn't get a chance to talk to the person who said this so I can't say why he came to this conclusion.

It certainly is an interesting proposition.

As several commentators have said, the party conferences this year were rather flat. For many years, the parties have staked out the centre ground and this trend does seem to be continuing.

In the last few weeks Labour spokespeople has announced that they would accept 'free schools' (with certain conditions), go along with higher tuition fees and broadly agree with deficit reduction despite calling for some changes to fiscal policy.

Does this rush to the centre ground reflect a desire for political cover or does it reveal that people who used to aspire to rule simply no longer want to? By taking each other's policies are they effectively abdicating their responsibilities for shaping policy?

Certainly it is an interesting view. I am not sure if there is enough evidence to prove it right or wrong. If it does turn out to be correct it will have serious implications for British politics.

Review of the party political conferences

2011-10-08T11:29:00.001+01:00

Labour Shadow Cabinet reshuffle

2011-10-07T09:16:00.001+01:00

The FT blog speculates who is out and who is in.

You can read it here.

News Map

2011-10-05T21:34:00.003+01:00

If you haven't seen it, take a look at News Map. The site takes Google News and provides an info graphic representation. You can choose a country and the types of news you would like.

For communication professionals, and anyone interested in news, it is well worth a look.

CIPR TV - submit your questions

2011-10-03T19:21:00.000+01:00

This Thursday, 6 October, I will be taking questions about the party conferences along with Iain Anderson and John Lehal on CIPR TV.

You can submit your questions here.

Ed Miliband's narrative

2011-09-28T21:33:00.002+01:00

Last year, I suggested that Ed Miliband was developing a narrative that could be described as civil libertarian socialism.

This year, his conference speech built upon the 'socialist' element. He argued for a State that intervenes in the economy to encourage good behaviour.

The distinction between businesses that produce wealth and those that are predatory fits with a certain left of centre world view. Even conservatives have been known to be critical of the way some companies operate. It was Edward Heath who once described a businessman as "the unacceptable face of capitalism".

Miliband, and his advisers, are hoping that this will resonate with voters. But even if it does, the next challenge for the Labour leadership is to demonstrate that they have policies that can reshape the economy.

Impact of the coalition on the Liberal Democrats

2011-09-27T11:22:00.001+01:00

Coalition and the changing Liberal Democrats from Institute of Economic Affairs on Vimeo.

Communications and the party conferences

2011-09-26T14:46:00.000+01:00

CIPR TV is back in October with a political edition that looks at who won the communications battle at the party conferences.

I will be on the panel alongside Iain Anderson, Cicero Consulting, and John Lehal, Insight Public Affairs.

The live web broadcasts take place on Thursday 6 October at 5pm.

You can watch it via this link.

Ed Miliband and the Labour party

2011-09-22T22:07:00.000+01:00

The party political conference season is in full swing. We have had the Greens, UKIP and the Liberal Democrats. Next up is Labour.

Ed Miliband faces many challenges as leader of the Labour party but perhaps the biggest is that he rather likes his party.

If one thinks of recent political leaders who have been successful, they all seem to be a touch distanced from their parties. This was true to a large extent of Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair and David Cameron. Even Nick Clegg appears to be a few steps away from the beating heart of the Liberal Democrats.

It could be that this gives leaders some objectivity about the policies their party's support or maybe voters like a politician who isn't part of the machine. Whatever the reason, there does seem something in the theory.

Murray Rothbard's 'For a New Liberty'

2011-09-22T21:17:00.001+01:00

Murray Rothbard wrote 'For a New Liberty' is the 1970s.

You can download it for free by clicking on this link.

Rothbard provides a critique of what he sees as a corporate capitalism and goes on to make the case for rejecting the State completely. His writing style is crisp and his descriptions of fractional reserve banking understandable, even for non-economists.

While Rothbard is a classical liberal, he believes that the attempt by the Founding Fathers, and others, to limit government was mistaken. In his view it is impossible to control the State. According to him, it would be far better if people ran their lives and voluntarily engaged with each other through the market.

He is passionate in his support for liberty. He makes it clear that in his view that only a society founded on the non-aggression principle can be one where there is peace and liberty.

Many people will disagree with his critique and even those who accepts some or all of it it is questionable how attainable a libertarian society is.

At the end of the book he says that the financial and political crisis of the 1970s makes it highly likely that libertarianism will flourish. In reality what happened was a Republican President was elected to office who was seen as having libertarian leanings but ended up growing the size of the State.

In the light of the 'Tea party' movement and all that is going on right now, Rothbard is well worth a read whether you are a classical liberal or not.

Results of the Total Politics Blog Awards

2011-09-22T20:18:00.000+01:00

The full results of the Total Politics blog awards is now up on their site.

Well done to all the bloggers.

This year though I didn't make it. I am not sure if that means if I should post less, more or just continue.

Total Politics Blog Awards 2011

2011-09-12T21:34:00.002+01:00

Total Politics has begun to announce its annual blog awards for 2011. The winners will be revealed over the next ten days.

So far, we have the top ten green, non-aligned and media blogs.

You can see who is in, and who is out, by clicking this link.

The party conference season is upon us

2011-09-12T21:30:00.000+01:00

So far the Greens and UKIP have met. The TUC is currently gathering and after that it is the Liberal Democrats. They will be followed by Labour and the Conservatives close proceedings.

For those people keen on politics it is all rather fascinating. Lobbyists normally get to go to all three party conferences and have the opportunity of seeing how the parties that run, and wish to run, the country function up close and personal.

Most people aren't interested at all.

Party membership is declining and for many the parties are a much of a much.

Does any of it matter?

Well it gives party members the chance to see each other and express frustration or approval to their leadership. Debates can be had in the main hall or on the fringe and sometimes public policy might be influenced.

The Liberals Democrats will argue over whether they are having enough influence over the Conservatives, Labour will attack the coalition and frame their arguments as being on the side of those who are struggling in the current economic climate while the Conservatives will be looking for a Tory message from David Cameron.

What we might begin to see during the next few weeks are the ideas that will be developed into policy proposals to put to voters for the next election. If that is what interests you, then keep an eye on the debates at the fringe meetings rather than the hear-and-now policy discussions in the main halls.

Whig Watch: Julian Glover on Clegg

2011-09-12T12:13:00.000+01:00

In the occasional series highlighting the Whig element of the coalition, here is a link to a piece on the Guardian's website by Julian Glover. Glover describes Clegg as a "Whig grandee".

You can read the piece in full by clicking here.

Blogging elsewhere: What are the Liberal Democrats for?

2011-09-11T19:31:00.003+01:00

Can be read over at Liberal Vision.

Portland Contacts

2011-09-08T21:49:00.002+01:00

Portland Communications has launched an App that has the contact details of politicians and journalists.

For PR and public affairs professionals this is an incredibly handy tool. While most people subscribe to paid for databases, this is free and is mobile. There is an iPhone and iPad version.

You can download it by clicking this link.

Public policy and web technology

2011-09-02T12:06:00.001+01:00

If you happen to agree that web technology, and the technology we use to access web, is changing how we live, then the next question is what is the best public policy framework to encourage this?

Should government's ensure everyone has access to broadband? Perhaps they should create seed funds for new companies or remove obstacles for start-ups?

But there is another aspect to all of this. It is not simply about public policy encouraging all of this. It is about how public policy interacts with what this new way of living.

I suspect that in the next few years the public policy conversation will focus more and more on these challenges.

The impact of web technology on education

2011-09-02T11:19:00.001+01:00

I have written before about how web technology will impact on how we live, organise our society and economy.

Listening to a David Boaz talk on the 'politics of freedom' I was struck by his remark about education. Boaz speculates that if the State did not provide education, and teaching was left to people we might see a very different form of schooling. In fact, he seemed to imply we might not seeing schooling at all. Instead we might have new methods of learning that harness web technology and crowd sourcing.

It might all seem a touch fanciful and is far removed from the day-to-day political arguments over how much involvement the private sector should have in providing education and whether schools should select or not.

In reality, web technology and technology in general is changing how we do things. The Henry Ford model of mass production has significantly moved on from what it was. How people work and are managed has changed.

The '1984' Apple Mackintosh commercial that I posted yesterday illustrates the point.

Things are already very different compared to ten years ago let along twenty. We access information and entertainment differently. All of this is bound to continue.

Of course, removing the State from education will horrify many people. But let's not forget that John Stuart Mill argued that the State should pay for education, and make it compulsory, but the private sector should provide it.

Our education system reflects how we worked and organised ourselves in the 19th and 20th centuries. Surely, the 21st century requires something different?

That doesn't mean there won't be arguments about access to learning, what should be taught and how it should be taught. The challenge though in the coming years for those who prefer the State to keep a firm hand on the tiller and for those who would rather people self-organised is how do you let education evolve and reflect the new ways of working. And how web technology is best utilised to do that.

"1984" Apple commercial

2011-09-01T21:30:00.001+01:00

Blog stats - surprising global readership

2011-08-29T10:32:00.005+01:00

Every now and again, I check my blog stats just to see which sites my readers are coming from, what posts get the most readers and where in the world they come from.

According to my Google stats, the majority of readers (since the blog has been running) come from the UK. Here are some stats that I didn't expect:

USA - 8,500

Russia - 577

Iran - 282

I also have readers from France, Germany, Romania, Canada and South Korea.

This month, I have had readers from China, Latvia and Brazil.

I was very surprised to discover that and delighted.

I tend to think my posts are a touch introspective. Many have been about liberal ideas and how one edges towards a more liberal society. Others are about British politics, the way politics is communicated and there is the occasional piece on a television programme or book.

It seems the most popular posts are ones that look at ideas and discuss the arts instead of party politics. I will endeavour to write more of them and less of the others.

I know that I don't write as often as others and at times rush my posts. I also don't post at the most convenient time for people to read a blog. Most successful bloggers write during the week whereas most of my posts are on the weekend or in the evenings.

I would like to thank all my readers for taking the time to look at my posts but especially those who aren't in the UK. Thank you for finding this blog and reading it.

The UK Libertarian party is back

2011-08-29T10:04:00.002+01:00

Well it never really went away but its website disappeared for a little while.

It is now back.

The website, and seemingly the party, has had a bit of a make-over after some local difficulties.

Last year, I offered the party some free PR advice.

I have no idea if any libertarian party members read that post. Now though, the party says on its site that party members should not subject others to personal abuse. Whether they took my advice or came to that conclusion independently, it is good that they have realised things needed to change.

The party message is also much clearer: they are a minarchist party. For people fascinated by politics, and particularly libertarian ideas this is understandable. But for someone who might be interested in the party's commitment to 'life, liberty and prosperity' but who hasn't spent much time reading up on the works of Novick, and others, the word minarchist is a touch off putting. The person in charge of writing the party's prospectus might want to reconsider that wording.

The party says its preferred model of governance is the "Swiss Cantonal system". This would decentralise power from Whitehall and allow regions to govern as they desired and as appropriate to their situation.

This is an aspiration that I suspect many members of the Liberal Democrats would agree with. However, the Swiss system hasn't led to the sort of minarchist State that the Libertarian party desires. In Switzerland, paying health insurance is mandatory and the cost to individuals is high.

I have discussed in other posts the challenge for modern liberalism in the society we have now. Whether one supports a night watchman State or not, how you get there from here is not going to be easy.

If the Libertarian party is to build its membership and electoral support it may have to develop its thinking to incorporate these inconvenient facts. In the meantime, it lays down a pure form of classical liberalism and limited government.

In praise of Google plus

2011-08-28T11:36:00.004+01:00

I have been using Google plus for a few weeks now. I still use Twitter and write this blog. So Google plus hasn't changed how I communicate completely but the best thing about Google's new service is the fact that it allows you to send links and messages to a defined group.

That means that people you know aren't interested in a particular topic don't have to see something that you post. Of course, on Twitter you can restrict your followers but that rather goes against the nature of the service. And if people want to follow you it is reasonable to assume that they are interested in what you have to say.

But given that many people now use social media, Google plus and its Circles seem a real innovation.

Will I one day abandon Twitter? Probably not, but Google plus is a welcome addition to online communication.

The changing nature of news gathering

2011-08-28T11:25:00.003+01:00

As well as being a terrific product endorsement for Apple, this piece on their website provides a fascinating insight into how news is being gathered and the way journalists need to think about what they do.

The jump off point for the story is that an American journalism school insists all students use the MacBook Pro.

You can read the full piece and watch the video by clicking on this link.

Declaration of interest: this blog piece was written on a MacBook Pro.

The tragedy of The Commons

2011-08-27T14:18:00.000+01:00

Can order be unplanned?

2011-08-27T14:15:00.000+01:00

Liberalism and Conservatism

2011-08-24T07:49:00.001+01:00

A short pause then normal service resumed

2011-08-16T19:53:00.003+01:00

I rather grandly announced that I was going to take a pause from blogging. The idea was to take stock of what I write and perhaps take another direction.

Sadly, there was no chorus of disapproval or petition demanding I continue writing.

But the Total Politics blog awards forced my return to the keyboard.

I have though spent some time reflecting on what the blog is all about.

It began with a simple intention: to discuss how politics is communicated. It evolved into a place that discussed how one might move to a more liberal society with the occasional post about political communication, politics in general and other stuff.

Looking over the posts of the last few years many have been about people and ideas that challenge conventional wisdom.

I have changed the sub-title of the blog to 'free thinking' to reflect that. It also gives me licence to write about anything that happens to interest me.

I hope the blog will continue to offer insight and entertainment to its readers.

Total Politics Blog Awards

2011-08-16T19:37:00.002+01:00

Total Politics has begun collecting entries for its annual blog awards.

You can nominate your ten favourite blogs, bloggers and one Tweeter by clicking on this link.

I recently wrote that I was going to take a few weeks off from blogging but felt I should highlight the awards.

Now that I have broken by blogging pause I might just continue.

A blog pause

2011-08-13T14:35:00.002+01:00

This blog's objective when it began was to write about how politics is communicated in the UK. It strayed into the US politics during the presidential election and into things that interested me like The Wire.

The more I wrote about how political ideas are communicated the more I thought about certain ideas. That took me to discussions of how those ideas could help move to a more liberal society.

I now do occasional blog posts here and here.

For a while I have been asking myself whether the blog needs a central focus or whether it is better to cover a range of topics.

As we are in the middle of the holiday season, I have decided to pause for a few weeks to think about all this.

Normal service should resume in September.

In the meantime, if anyone has any preferences for the sort of content this blog should cover please post a comment.

A Whig response to the riots

2011-08-13T14:15:00.003+01:00

'Anonymous' has asked a series of questions on the comment thread of this post.

I responded by saying I would reflect on the those questions and respond.

The first question was how would a Whig government respond to the riots and looting? Well we know what Whigs did at the time. The Riot Act came out of the government attempting to deal with the mob.

'Anonymous' makes the point that property rights are at the heart of classical liberalism. He or she asks how property rights can be reconciled with the 'rights' of those who took to the streets. This is an odd question as people from all parties agree that as soon as someone breaks the law they tend to lose certain rights. There is a debate over how much liberty they should lose and when they lose that liberty what should happen.

The next question was do rights come with responsibility. We know that rights and responsibility have been part of modern politicians mantra for quite some time.

Whigs, as far as I can remember, believed in limiting the authority of the ruler, the rule of law and establishing property rights. The question of responsibility came much later when governments began providing services to the public. Who knows what Cobden, Bright or Lord Acton would have made of how we do politics now? To suggest that they would support one policy and not another is a redundant exercise. No one can ever know. The world has changed, whether one likes it or not.

When I have, slightly tongue-in-cheek, suggested that we have a Whig government, I was arguing for a spirit of Whiggism not a full blown manifesto of 'gunboat diplomacy' and the like.

'Anonymous' also asked about human rights and whether they undermine society. I would ask 'anonymous' to define society first. The challenge with human rights legislation is what is classed as right and then how that is interpreted. I rather feel that a human rights lawyer is better placed to discuss this than a non-expert.

It is wonderful to have comments on the blog. Interestingly the comments for this thread were both by anonymous contributors.

Riots, looting and many questions

2011-08-09T20:11:00.002+01:00

When something bad happens people rush to judge.

It is inevitable. We want answers. We want to find an explanation for something that we don't understand.

What started in Tottenham as a protest became a riot that led to mass looting.

Two teenage girls were interviewed by a BBC reporter and said that they were doing it to show the police and the rich that they can do what they like. There was a man telling a journalist that it was all due to the fact that the government taxes everyone too much. Inevitably, people talk about gangs, youths completely cut off from society and criminality. Some have said it is all to do with government cuts.

Shops have been burnt down and branded goods stolen. The commentators and experts are trying to make sense of it all.

Depending on how you see the world will inevitably colour how you interpret what has happened.

What evidence we have is mixed. There are reports that some looting has been organised via BlackBerrys. Some of those arrested are employed and relatively well off.

Many people are angry at what has happened. The people caught up in it are scared, indignant and some have decided to clean up the mess.

The first priority has to be to get things back to normal.

After that questions and debates can be had over what caused all this and why it so easily happened. Trying to work out all the answers now is impossible and would only lead to policy mistakes.

Seasteading

2011-08-09T20:01:00.002+01:00

The Seasteading Institute is encouraging people to start your communities at sea and experiment with different forms of government.

No doubt it will appeal to libertarians but how many people actually take to the ocean waves remains to be seen.

Lib Dems and libertarians unite against the death penalty

2011-08-05T16:52:00.003+01:00

Capital punishment: not cheap, not just, not clever

Opposing the death penalty

I'm from the government, and I'm here to kill you

Don't make Guido's day

Guido is wrong on capital punishment

Anarchy and the death penalty

The Whig Prime Minister

2011-08-04T13:11:00.002+01:00

Ever since the coalition formed I have been arguing that we have something resembling a Whig government.

Today, Peter Bingle has written, in his musing on the death of the Tory party, that David Cameron is a Whig.

For a while I thought it was just me who saw the coalition in this way.

Review: 'Seeing like a State'

2011-07-31T14:07:00.003+01:00

In Seeing like a State, the academic James C. Scott explores why "certain schemes to improve the human condition fail". Scott is a professor of political science and anthropology. He chronicles the way the State needs to map land, identify where people are, be able to count them in order to tax and organise people. Scott doesn't argue against the State, although he does discuss how the State takes things from people leaving off the question of whether if it has the right to.

Scott makes the point that this behaviour of the State crosses the political spectrum.

As Scott says of the high modernist ideology he identifies: "We encounter it in various guises in colonial development schemes, planned urban centres in both the East and the West, collectivised farms, the large development plans of the World Bank, the resettlement of nomadic populations, and the agreement of workers on factory floors."

If one accepts this premise then how we understand the Left/Right divide changes. Both sides, if they support the concept of the State may vary in their approach but high modernism underpins their political philosophy.

This view contrasts with Jonah Goldberg's thesis that fascism and social democracy stand together in opposition to the conservative political tradition.

Scott's key insight is that when the State does attempt change it should do so on the basis that people know better than experts at the centre and to forget this leads at times to terrible human tragedy.

Whatever one's view of the State, Scott's book is illumination and well worth reading.

Blogging elsewhere: 'muscular liberalism' how to make it work

2011-07-29T12:20:00.002+01:00

Can be read here.

Preparing for the party conference season

2011-07-27T10:33:00.002+01:00

In September the party political conference season will begin.

For the last few years I attended all three conferences for my employer. This year I won't be going to any as I am doing a different job: public relations as opposed to public affairs. But I continue to have a keen interest in what goes on and will be taking part in a CIPR TV on the conferences with John Lehal and Iain Anderson on 6 October.

You can never predict quite what will happen at party conferences. In the heat of the moment things get said that become headlines and can change how people perceive a party or its leader.

Here, though, are things to think about as we approach the conferences. With some predictions to go with them!

The Labour party conference

The party has had a 'good war' over the phone hacking scandal. Tom Watson will be heralded as a hero and there will be a self-congratulatory mood among delegates. Much will hinge on Ed Miliband's speech. He has ridden the scandal well but can he convince voters that he is prime ministerial material?

The Conservative party

There was be rumblings among the backbenchers and activists about how Tory David Cameron is. There will be talk of being harder on Europe and the law and order agenda and whether the party should leave the coalition. How will the Prime Minister handle all of that? I suspect he will continue to ignore it if it is low level noise and continue with his drive for a 'Big Society'.

The Liberal Democrats

The activists will be hungry for a clear vision from Nick Clegg that helps rebuild their electoral base. Clegg will talk about the radical centre vote but will it be enough to convince party members that they can hold on to parliamentary seats and continue to be a force to be reckoned with?

Blogging elsewhere: reflecting on liberalism

2011-07-26T13:38:00.002+01:00

Is over at Liberal Vision.

What is the point of being a member of a political party?

2011-07-25T10:51:00.003+01:00

I have been a member of a political party on and off for about twenty years. I studied 'A' level politics and Government at university so getting involved in politics seemed the obvious thing to do, especially if one believed in certain things and not in others.

I lapsed for a few years and then rejoined, lapsed again and rejoined again.

I never agreed with every single policy but then who does? Political parties are broad coalitions and you opt for the one that is closest to your world view. I have always been a bit torn between what is desirable, practical and why we have the problems we have, which led me not to renew my membership a couple of times.

People also join parties, clubs and groups to be part of something. You make friends and feel you are contributing in some way. You can either hold out for all the policies you believe in or be happy that somehow you have influenced the debate.

These days you can do much of that through social media. You can become part of a group of like minded people without having ever met them. They might be in other countries.

As a member of a party you get to vote for who leads it and who should stand for your local seat. You get invited to events and of course you help fund campaigns. You can become very involved and sit on committees, perhaps develop policies and even stand for your local council or parliament.

But if all you want to do is influence ideas do you need to be in a political party? And what if you become increasingly uncomfortable with party politics and the attempt to win people over to what you think is desirable?

Reflections on Norway

2011-07-25T10:49:00.002+01:00

Not by me but Obnoxio the Clown.

He offers a thoughtful piece, bar a robust view on Obama, on how we should react to what happened.

You can read it here.

Bitcoins

2011-07-25T09:32:00.006+01:00

An online currency has been launched called Bitcoin.

The video below explains how it works.

Hat tip to the UK Libertarian forum.

It looks like an interesting initiative but the question with all these things is will it take off and if it does how will that change the transactions we do on the web.

Why the free market might not lead to socialism

2011-07-23T09:58:00.003+01:00

After my last post, a counter view from Obnoxio the Clown on how the free market works and, if one agrees with him, why it wouldn't lead to socialism.

I should warn readers that in Obnoxio's post I didn't spot one swear word!

NB. Regular readers of the clown's blog will know he does like to use fruity Anglo-Saxon language.

Could the free market lead to socialism?

2011-07-23T09:35:00.002+01:00

It is counter-intuitive, for most people, but Kevin Carson over at the Center for a Stateless Society argues that an unfettered free market will lead to socialism.

The piece has something for everyone: people who dislike capitalism, people who like free markets, people who like socialism and perhaps most importantly Star Trek fans.

As a non-economist, I have no idea how good the theory is but practically given the way our economy and political world is constructed it is a long way off. Then again, the adventures of Captain Kirk and crew are in the distant future.

How enabling should the enabling State be?

2011-07-23T09:07:00.002+01:00

Politicians in all parties will sometimes say they want an enabling State.

The idea that the State enables people to run their lives, achieve their potential and generally get on with things has a lot of appeal. It answers the impulse of the individual to be in control, while setting out a role for the State that no longer looks after you but offers a helping hand.

But what should an enabling State do?

I suspect there are different models to an enabling State.

The social democratic model would involve the State identifying problems and providing money to people to resolve them.

Cameron's 'Big Society' enabling State also provides some money but enables the third sector and others to identify problems.

A John Stuart Mill liberal enabling State might allow people to identify problems and stand back and let them solve it. It may provide some money but importantly would want to get the State out of the way so people could deal with things themselves.

The Ed Miliband question

2011-07-23T08:58:00.002+01:00

Everyone agrees that Ed Miliband has had a 'good war' over the phone hacking scandal. Yet the polls haven't moved in his direction.

Before the story broke, the Ed Miliband question had been: where does Ed want to take the Labour party?

Now it appears to be: how come when things go well for Ed, the voters still don't see him in a better light?

No doubt the answer is complex. It is probably partly because he, and the Labour party, have yet to answer the first question. This is a deliberate strategy by Miliband who wants time to develop a new policy narrative. The second probable answer is that the voters are still giving the coalition the benefit of the doubt on the economy.

What do we want from our newspapers

2011-07-22T21:58:00.004+01:00

After the closure of the News of the World and the appointment of the excellent Chris Blackhurst as editor of the Independent I have been thinking about what the public wants from its newspapers.

This question is particularly important as the editors and owners try to work out how to make money from their online offerings.

Simon Kelner, now editor-in-chief of the Independent, said a few years ago that the paper should be a views paper more than a newspaper.

Given how much news is available for free it makes sense to provide something different.

I am not sure though that views is quite the right way to think about it. Perhaps what people want when buying a paper like the Independent or the Times is excellent analysis and informed comment.

You can get a view from a blog but a media that offers in-depth analysis that challenges how we see the world surely has a commercial future?

The black swan drifts by

2011-07-22T21:53:00.002+01:00

Just over a week ago, I wondered if the News International story would be the 'black swan' that breaks up the coalition.

Eight days later and the coalition is going about government business and the deputy prime minister is defending the PM.

Of course, we don't know where this story will end but one has to be careful getting caught up in the story and stopping to think how damaging the whole thing is to David Cameron and others.

Perhaps the black swan has drifted by and the next time it arrives it will be another issue that challenges the stability of the government.

Is News International the black swan?

2011-07-13T12:08:00.002+01:00

A while ago, I said that a 'black swan' could split the coalition. My view was that none of the things that people thought would topple the alliance between the Tories and Lib Dems would but something no one expected might.

If Peter Bingle is right in his speculation, then that black swan has arrived.

New York Times on the NoTW story

2011-07-09T11:20:00.002+01:00

Here is a link to the piece.

It is well worth a read.

Is this the future of news commentary?

2011-07-08T16:44:00.002+01:00

Dale & Co is launched

2011-07-08T10:49:00.003+01:00

Iain Dale's Dale's Diary has closed and his new site has now been launched.

It is now listed under commentators on my blog as it is cross party.

It has a great design and looks like it will quickly become a must read.

With the launch of the Huffington Post UK, we may be seeing blogs with many contributors become the next big thing.

Good luck to both!

Reuters on tabloid journalism

2011-07-08T10:45:00.001+01:00

Can be read here. An excellent, insightful piece.

Further thoughts on turquoise liberalism

2011-07-08T09:24:00.003+01:00

Yesterday, I began thinking about what turquoise liberalism might look like.

Here are some further thoughts:

Turquoise liberalism believes in progress but it is not a progressive movement
It celebrates things that emerge naturally and doesn't try to hold them back
It doesn't social engineer
It likes the ideas of Jane Jacobs
It sees the potential of the web to change how we might do business in the future
It celebrates traditions that come from spontaneous order but is sceptical of ones that have been imposed on people by those in power
It celebrates plurality
It believes one must be continually watchful of those who have power
Its default position is that it is better that people run their lives and wishes to remove any obstacles that prevent that

What would turquoise liberalism look like?

2011-07-07T22:03:00.003+01:00

In a slight tongue in cheek post, I recently suggested that it was time for the Liberal Democrats to adopt a different colour in the way that Red Toryism and Blue Labour have.

Since then I have been wondering what turquoise liberalism might look like.

If it aspires to change the direction of its party in the way that Phillip Blond and Maurice Glassman do then it must want to move the Lib Dems beyond the classical and social liberal divide. It needs to make a radical departure from the status quo but at the same time reflect the liberal political tradition.

At its core would be a belief that the best individual to run his or her life is that individual. It would have to support freedom of speech and freedom of movement. All of that would, along with its scepticism of authority, lead it to want to limit government power. Where it would differ from the night watchman libertarian approach is its belief that in the world we live in government should ensure that the most vulnerable have access to the things considered important to all. The Millian formula of private education funded by government would come into play here.

It would also be committed to removing obstacles to liberty and thus helping the poor have more control of their lives in every respect.

John Stuart Mill's preference for mutuals could also play a part in turquoise liberalism with government encouraging mutual ownership of public services. But being liberal and committed to a free market would mean that other forms of ownership would continue. The final piece in the jigsaw could be Jock Coats's 'rigorous liberalism'.

In this way, turquoise liberalism would combine the thinking of Adam Smith, John Locke, John Stuart Mill and Herbert Spencer with a modern flourish.

To really take off though it needs an intellectual to support it and develop policies that reflect these ideas.

The changing shape of the British media

2011-07-07T20:53:00.002+01:00

Reuters has an interesting piece on where the decision to shut down the News of the World leaves Rupert Murdoch's political power.

It is too early to really say what all this means but it it does seem to tell us something about how printed publications are seen.

How we consume and access news has been changing for some time and people like Guido Fawkes have argued that the traditional media simply cannot compete with the likes of independent blogs. If a printed title can be shut down as it was today then perhaps we will look back and see this as a turning point for newspapers and the British media.

Huffington's first day in the UK

2011-07-06T22:35:00.003+01:00

The Huffington Post UK has now been launched. In an earlier post, I said that Iain Dale was launching his new blogging site today. In fact he launches on Friday 8 July.

Arianna Huffington's UK venture uses the same template as its US parent. There is lots of news that comes from contributory bloggers as well as links to the national media.

The main focus is politics. In the US, this news cocktail works incredibly well. Over the last few years, in the UK, we have seen a growing number of blogs that have multiple contributors. Presumably, this is why Iain Dale has decided to bring together a site with many contributors.

Are we seeing the beginning of the decline of individually written bloggers or the star blogger? Will these moves blend traditional media and blogs? In other words is this a game changer?

I suspect that there will always be a mix but the appeal of one place to read a variety of writers will continue. After all, for a very long time newspapers were incredibly successful.

Huffington Post UK is launched

2011-07-06T10:57:00.002+01:00

Here is the link.

As far as I understand, Iain Dale also launches his new blog project today too.

Will these new sites change how we read blogs and access information?

The changing nature of political parties

2011-07-02T19:05:00.003+01:00

For decades it was clear where political parties stood.

The Conservative party were non-ideological but driven by the values of tradition, family and Church. The Labour party was on the side of the workers and underpinned by socialist ideas. The Liberal party was described by Jo Grimmond as the party for the managerial professional class.

During the 1970s, the Tory party became more ideological as it shifted from a paternalistic One-Nation view of the world to what was seen as a more free market approach. By the 1980s, the Labour party flirted with a hard Left socialism instead of the more gradualist social democratic approach it had previously pursued.

With the rise of New Labour, politics became confused. Tony Blair was accused of dressing in Tory clothes. Red Toryism attempted to re-position conservative ideas within a social policy context. Blue Labour harks back to Tudor England and takes from a socially conservative agenda. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats took an oppositional approach against the other two, struggling to find its voice in the national media.

It is as though political parties are no longer ideological. They take a managerial tack to policy and borrow from across the political spectrum. The one thing that holds them together is a tribal connection that keeps people loyal to their party.

There are two dangers with this situation. Tribalism can distort thinking and lead to people clinging to policies that are grounded in the fact that their opponents are arguing for an opposite position.

The other danger is that parties become shells that leaders can take over and use to gain power.

It is unlikely that this is sustainable. The question is how will the parties develop in the future.

Blogging elsewhere: Communications on the Board

2011-07-02T19:03:00.000+01:00

Can be read here.