Eldon-Online

Protest - Debate vs Destruction

Perhaps somewhat surprisingly for someone who retired from full time employment almost 15 years ago, and who has been described as being “in his winter”, I still receive lots of approaches from journalists for a comment, even from some who try to disguise themselves as being journalists, particularly when there is something controversial going on in Hong Kong. Recent events have proved no different, and neither has my stance.

I have always tended, even when working full time, to leave political commentary to those better qualified than I am. Matters affecting business and the future are however different, and that is where I find myself at present. My own global associations - i.e. where I have lived, can be split pretty much into three distinct geographical areas - 20% Middle East, 30% UK and 50% Asia (mostly Hong Kong).

I am therefore saddened by what is happening in Hong Kong today where I have spent most of my life and I worry about the future of the protesters - particularly the young. Job security for them must be a genuine risk for the future if all goes badly, and the chance that they may be worse off in future as a result of their protests than they might otherwise have been, does not sit happily in my thoughts. As I suggested in a previous Blog, about hindsight, and perhaps what the protesters have overlooked is that if China had assumed full control of Hong Kong on 1 July 1997 life could already be very much different from today.

The genesis of the current protest movement was discomfort over the introduction of an unpopular extradition bill. The manner of its introduction and the lack of ensuing debate could have been avoided perhaps, and I can understand the level of discomfort that ensued. But that bill has largely been dismissed; not to the satisfaction of the protesters for sure, but that initial issue has been overtaken by the protesters calling for full democracy in Hong Kong (of which more later), or even independence from China as is being called for by some. This is something that was not on the table before July 1997, it was not on the table after, and was never likely to be on the table in future. But consider this. Look at the significant developments that have been, and still are, taking place in the Greater Bay Area. An area of intense and continuing economic growth. Then look at some of the major Chinese companies that are profitable and increasingly global. I don’t need to name them as they are largely household names; not the sort of thing though you would have expected from an apparently repressive, business-unfriendly state. But then, what do I know? I only have my experience to go on.

Just as an aside, I have seen a comment today that is being widely reported in the media apparently from a “victim of the police brutality". The comment from the victim said the police should “concentrate on upholding the rule of law”. Now that is a sentiment with which I fully agree - but what are they supposed to do when people are breaking the law and damaging property? Does upholding the rule of law mean they have to stand still and be pelted with bricks and everything else that comes to hand? Please!

Moving on there seem to be those in Hong Kong who see Britain as the defender of Hong Kong’s rights to democracy. A democracy, lest they forget, that did not find its way to Hong Kong under British control although in all honesty I have no idea whether they tried to introduce it, but that’s another story. However, now take a look at Britain today where the Prime Minister (elected by 0.3% of the population), has decided to shut down Parliament for three weeks in advance of Britain leaving the European Union. He says, of course, that this is not designed to thwart attempts to debate the rights and wrongs of leaving the Union without a deal, as seems likely, but if that is not the purpose then I am having difficulty in finding people who can explain why he is interfering with the democratic right to debate. If that is the sort of democracy craved in Hong Kong, then good luck.

I am in favour of protests that make a valid point and that have been properly and seriously thought through. In this regard, China too has been a supporter of protests in the past. In the 1960s and 1970s when I was signing documentation for the import of goods from China which called for the provision of insurance covering such eventualities I would receive notes from China saying they could not provide such insurance because they believed in "strikes, riots and civil commotion". 

The world is already in a difficult place - there are major protests in the United Kingdom because of the "coup" attempt to close the democratic process of parliament and then the attempts taking place in mid-September to close Heathrow airport by climate change activists. But it does not have to be that way - and especially in Hong Kong. It needs some rational thinking, some cool heads, dialogue and a realisation of what is realistically possible and what is not; also, a real understanding of the actual concerns of the protesters by the administration.

Failure to debate is likely to lead to a destruction of the future.

Populism, Hypocrisy and Morose Delectation

Best intentions aside, constant travelling eventually takes its toll on the ability to put down on paper the thoughts I would like to share - although I have been doing rather a lot of talking lately instead of writing. Regular readers of this Blog will be aware that I write to express my own thoughts - or pass on the wisdom of others (with due accreditation), and it takes time. So yet another excuse for a delay, but have had a couple of days to get some thoughts on "paper" resulting in this .... with another to follow very shortly. I suspect though that in spite of much encouragement from friends and other (sometimes unexpected) readers I will have to give up the Blog-writing eventually especially while I keep on working and struggle to find time, or actually properly retire, but by then anyway my thoughts will become even less relevant than they are already! :-)

But there we are. If you got this far I can only assume that the phrase "morose delectation" caught your eye and you are wondering whether I might explain what I mean by it. Sure - in time!

The particular headings of this Blog relate to issues that have been concerning me for a while now - before the more serious escalations that have taken pace in Hong Kong in recent weeks, and a note on that later.

We are currently riding a wave of populism in politics - where else - but the problem with waves is that they often crash to the shore and disperse. Doing things for the benefit of the public at large is a good thing, surely, so politicians appeal to the mass of people who see the often short-term benefits of the policies they espouse and then on which for a variety of reasons they fail to deliver. But with populism also seems to come isolationism - all these "isms" - tinged with a sense of "mine!" Brexit is a case in point, which again I shall allude to later alongside some comments on Hong Kong, but the popular view demonstrated by the noisy Brexiteers is that leaving Europe is the "will of the people" and must be followed. In simple terms yes; it was the will of 51.9% of the population who voted to leave, against the 48.1% who wished to stay - but without the voice of 27.8% of the population who didn't vote. Hardly a ringing endorsement although the leavers - and now the politicians who want to get re-elected - think it is the popular thing to do. And by the way - I don't have a vote so I could not influence the result one way or the other, although watching it from a distance I was intrigued by the amount of mis or lack of information being peddled. It's a mess whichever way you look at it!

To hypocrisy - and this is the direction in which the world is travelling. You may say it has ever been thus, but with social media perhaps it is harder to hide it now but along with populism there seems to be a greater level these days of hypocrisy. Say one thing - do another, or as a saying I used to hear in my youth went - "do as I say, not as I do". But today it's things like positively nailing your colours to the mast about climate change and carbon footprints - but go jetting off in a private aircraft to and from the event and elsewhere. Or spending the taxpayer's money on renovating your home and then closing the doors so the public cannot see inside. And it extends to others in public roles. Those who push for legislation against things like drugs and are then found to be users themselves. Sports are not immune - witness those who set up foundations to help the less privileged, which is a noble pursuit but who have done so on the back of their name as an elite performer but whose success came from their clever physician - not their own ability. It seems to me that populism and hypocrisy are pretty close bedfellows. People who express one idea, but who then realise that to be "popular" they must change their views whether they buy in to it or not, are truly hypocritical. 

And then we move on to morose delectation. The Germans have one word for it - and I have not been able to find a single one-word example in English, but basically it is the English equivalent of schadenfreude, or the enjoyment you derive from the discomfort of others. You have had recent examples of President Trump making totally unnecessary comments about the downfall of others - his most recent target being Teresa May when he was talking about the relationship with Britain and previously his unwarranted comments of insult about the Danish Prime Minister, and the unnecessary swipe on the senator in the US whose house was the subject of an attempted robbery; a senator who Trump just does not like.

The problem?  Sadly, there are large swathes of people out there who just love all this stuff. The Populism, the isolationism, the "me" and "mine" syndromes where we want to lock ourselves in behind our own walls and not believe there are other people out there. The bullies, the racists, and the religious fanatics - in the midst of a  global economy that seems to be slipping slowly into recession which will only heighten the resolve of the people to be nasty to those they don't like. Where their sense of, albeit unjustified, entitlement will come to the fore. These are all worrying signs for the future. We need to have a world that is more understanding than it is at present - and it's up to us to have strong leaders who can deliver much more than uncompromising aggressive words; leaders who lead because they want the world to be a better place for everyone - not just for themselves and their immediate families and supporters.

 

The Undeniable Power of Hindsight

Of all the "sciences", hindsight is clearly the most accurate. "I wish I had thought of that before ...” or “I forgot to take that into account ... “ is the cry of too many when something has gone wrong. Or maybe a comment like “... with the benefit of hindsight”; the inquest into the London Bridge murders in England and the comment by the police afterwards being a recent and particular case in point.

I had a senior colleague once who used to say - "if you look backwards, you will go backwards". I didn't agree then and I don't now because it is by looking backwards you should be able to understand that there are many things in life that get repeated, and you use that knowledge to go forward better informed. That, I submit, is different from being able to change the past - which of course you can’t, and only moving forward! The Global financial crisis in 2008 was a particular example of the former. I was later asked to speak at conferences on the GFC, and I used to point to the causes that contributed to that event by quoting from a book called The Country Banker, published some 120 years earlier, that highlighted the similarity between the cause and effect that were around at the time the book was written and the GFC.

The rationale for following a potentially hazardous course of action, when referring to a similar past event is usually “but it's different this time". It rarely is.

Hindsight; something that perhaps David Cameron wished he had when he started the whole mess that has turned out to be Brexit, and frankly it doesn’t matter which side you are on - the whole thing has turned out to be a total dog’s breakfast. Hindsight - perhaps useful when looking at the causes of two world wars in the last century, and something President Trump might like to look carefully at when poking his fingers in the eyes of Iran. As a side note, I have a friend who is writing a book about certain events of the Second World War and who as a result has been interviewing a number of the remaining people involved. She tells me that an overwhelming majority of them are very nervous about the current state of affairs in the world. These are people who have clear hindsight - and do not like what they see today. It would be as well to remember the Chinese proverb that say that one dog barks when it sees something ... a hundred dogs bark because they heard the first dog!!

And so to Hong Kong; I have no particular insights but I wonder how the architects feel now - with hindsight - of the agreement created prior to 1997 covering the return of Hong Kong to China under the 99 year lease that the United Kingdom held over Hong Kong island and a bit of Kowloon. As with any lease the leaseholder would have had every right to demand the return of the property at the end of the lease. End of story - no arguments. But an agreement was struck that gave Hong Kong a further 50 years of basic autonomy - at the end of which period China will, like it or not, recover complete control over Hong Kong.

The recent demonstrations in Hong Kong over the potential introduction of an unpopular piece of legislation is actually understandable - badly reported in the media (no surprise there then!), the demonstrators have a point to make, although trying to tie this in to - for want of a better word - an additional plea for democracy, is likely going to fall on deaf ears. And frankly if democratic Western Democracies (many of whom do not seem to be in great shape anyway) want to make a case for Hong Kong to become a full democracy should they not have thought of that 40 or 50 years ago. The UK in particular, who had the ability to do something at the time. And what would be the situation in Hong Kong today if in fact China had assumed full control in 1997? 

The world is not perfect; never has been and never will be, and you only have to look at places elsewhere in the world to realise actually how well off you are. That said, when it’s on your own doorstep it becomes very personal and threatening. So it needs sensible voices on both sides to debate these issues - and to rationalise what is possible and what is not.

I know, easy for me to say this. The chances of me reaching the 50th Anniversary of the Handover are minute, and even if I do I will be lucky to be compos mentis, but please don’t let it become a matter of  “... you know, in hindsight!”

Life is Like .... a Toilet Roll!

I must have led a sheltered life - I had not heard that one before but someone sent me a message a couple of days back with that notation. Life is like a roll of toilet paper - it says - the closer you get to the end the faster it goes.

Ooh - how true, albeit somewhat sobering. Mind you - the trick surely is to keep another roll close by so that you can switch rolls and start again. Bit like retirement?

Someone said to me yesterday that her Father was about to retire and was not looking forward to it especially as he's still kind of young in this longer life-expectancy world, but the company policy said it was time for him to go. And let's be honest there are people for whom retirement cannot come soon enough - and then there's people like me. My argument is that currently I know things that I have learnt over many years and which still have their uses - and I am happy to share the experiences while others still want them. And in the case of the gentleman to whom I referred above, and knowing what he has been doing, there is certainly life after retirement for him. New role or new roll!

The alternative to working, unless you are fortunate enough to have enough hobbies and other entertainment to keep you happy, is maybe to sit in front of the television and scare yourself silly by watching the news.

In the (dis)United Kingdom, the best President that America has ever had - according to him - is imminently arriving to dispense more advice on how to run the country and leave the European Union. Apart from opining that the British public love him - some questions there I fear - he has even taken to anointing the people who he thinks would be the best negotiators and leaders. Although the people concerned, by and large, do not seem to welcome the interference support. Anything, it seems, to divert attention from himself, his tax returns, his tariff war (becoming a serious issue for many within the USA) and what is likely to be a higher cost of living when either the goods carry the cost of the tariffs or they don't get shipped at all.

And he is stepping into the Brexit debate - rather grandly referred to by certain people who wish to leave Europe as it being "the will of the people", which of course it was - or least just a little over half of the people who voted. Hardly a decisive majority. The other 48% who voted against leaving now have no voice it seems - unless you support the Liberal Democrats.

When you look around the world today you think of the populist trends and the rise of both right and left wing extremes, and then note the honest endeavours of many who suffer as a result of the widening (as commented many times before here) gap between the rich and the poor. Particularly when there are some among the rich who think they should not pay taxes!  No wonder the richer countries want to keep out the impoverished, the disadvantaged, the people saddled with corrupt leaders, in countries with few natural resources and therefore neither food nor water in sufficient supplies.

A world that lacks compassion generally, and no common purpose.

This might not please my Australian friends much, but we were talking the other day about what New Zealand has been doing that is positive under its new leadership. The reaction, for example, to the shooting in the mosque and the action taken over gun laws immediately. Truly genuine compassion. Contrast that with the latest shooting outrage in the USA - 12 people shot which apparently is the 150th incident this year so far where more than 4 people have been shot in one go! Carry on like this and there'll be no-one left in some places.

Nothing detrimental about Australia, of course, because I'm still looking around for places to live. Hong Kong for me is still home, but my other home - Britain - has a significantly declining appeal as a place to go, and seeing as even Mr. Trump seems to be giving advice to Britain now I'm not sure who is running the country!!

Ah well, with all that is going on it is hardly a surprise that the toilet paper comes in handy, and given the number of sheets one needs these days it should not be a surprise when you look and see that the roll is running down rather quicker that one might like! Time to panic buy?

Social Sustainability, Climate and Environment Change - But Who Pays?

"You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today"

                                                                                  Abraham Lincoln

It is small wonder people get confused over the many conversations related to sustainability, climate change and the environment. The topics themselves, identifying multiple related issues and the debates over them, get longer, and more varied with experience. Even down to the very basics of discussions over climate and weather.

And while the debates are going on there is then all the noise around who carries the responsibility for dealing with so many different elements leading to differing solutions and arguing over what is right and what is wrong. As a result, not enough is being done.

But at least most people agree - even if they don't entirely get it, that rivers and lakes are drying up, food is therefore difficult to produce to feed an endlessly growing global population, not all (any?) of it in the developed countries, and that glaciers and ice floes are melting at such an alarming rate that should it continue, many low lying areas of the world will be under water (and not drinking water at that!).

Of course, I say most  people. There are still the naysayers who say this is just a normal pattern of climate change that goes around in 300 year cycles, and that therefore this century (I have heard it said but don't know if it's true, that the Indians describe this as the "Fire Century") will eventually revert to more normal climatic behaviour (whatever that is) and get cooler to positively freezing. Meantime our children and grandchildren get hotter and hotter with less and less water and lower food resources - but don't worry, they say, it'll be alright in the end, and they will sort it out!!

It is not surprising then that the recent focus brought to the matter by initially the student population in a number of cities around the world, and then by more disruptive action in places like London, has caught the attention of Governments. The downside to all of this however is that under pressure you now have Governments going over the top and making promises about emission controls and global warming targets that they probably cannot meet, and then conveniently omitting to tell anyone how these changes are going to be funded. And just as an aside, I do think the London demonstrators frankly ultimately did their cause more harm than good amongst the general public. Should have left it to the children, and if not, then the adult support should have known when to move on!

There is also another less easy matter to deal with here, and that is the pressure on everyone to stop using non-renewable sources of energy or fossil fuels. It is easy for the better off countries to do this, and demonstrators tend not to be overly specific with their slogans, but how do you expect countries like Bangladesh for example to survive if they haven't got the money or the wherewithal to use anything other than fossil fuels - or doesn't a country like that matter? I mean it's only 170million people after all, and a country more than most others likely to be really badly affected by rising water levels! There does need to be a sense of reality here.

But I come back to a fundamental question - who is going to pay for all of this? Making a noise and demonstrating is all very well - and of course the present young, who are likely to be the worst affected, cannot be expected to put their hands into pockets that are largely empty. So, who pays?

The organisation with which I have been associated for very many years is a traditional financial institution. One that is undergoing change, as it must because parts of its business are coming under threat from new "players" in the market. Is it perfect? No it isn't and it knows it, but I am unashamedly happy to note that the bank is actually doing its bit - not by paying lip service to the concept of "appearing to be" environmentally friendly, but getting everyone involved.

Of course my association with them now is principally in the Middle East, and from first hand I know just how committed the team here are - this is not for them just a job but a passion and a commitment with love - and the good thing is they take everyone along with them, and I am proud of them! The bank globally has been increasing its commitment financially as well - but my question is whether the new knowledge economy has the same level of commitment as the traditional providers of services? Will they be prepared to put some of their profits into the same causes? There's not much sign of that yet - and neither are they subjected to abuse and criticism seemingly reserved for the “traditional”.

It's all very well for the urban protesters to harangue and criticise business for being profitable. But there has to be level of rational thinking here. Shouting slogans and being disruptive generally makes newspaper headlines, which they all love, but do the organisations not also deserve some credit - at least those that do make and honour commitments?

Bringing attention to the plight of the world is perfectly legitimate. I am totally on the side of the people who care. Equally I support their genuine efforts, by getting involved myself both physically and financially but someone is going to have to pick up the bills at the end of the day. 

It is already late in the day to make changes in thought, understanding, and behaviour - so don't make it any later; start now. Remember though that everything worth doing has a cost attached so give credit where it is due to those that can pay, and this is not just a role for the few - everyone should contribute be they old established institutions or the knowledge economy - although do not expect miracles overnight. 

The world is worth saving; if not for you, at least for future generations, and when you are older what will your answer be to your grandchildren who stand - maybe accusingly - in front of you asking "... and what did you do to help save our planet grandad?"

An Unholy Terror

I would venture to suggest that many of us are prone to taking a small piece of information, interpreting it - or listening to the interpretation of others if we cannot think for ourselves - and not as a result seeing the whole picture.

History is something we are encouraged to learn about. It was in fact one of the (only) subjects I passed in my school exams and okay it was only just a pass but I would credit that to a dedicated history teacher who sparked my somewhat lazy academic mind into an interest that has subsequently stayed with me, as readers of this Blog will know.

Religion, as we read in history, has been the cause of many wars throughout the centuries. Be it Non-Believers and Christians, and Crusaders against the Moslems, or internally within the Catholic Church with the Inquisitions, and so on through to battles between the Catholic Church and the Protestants in Ireland, and in Islam between the Sunni and the Shia.

History, you would think, reveals to us what has gone on in the past. Actions that today you hope would never be condoned - and for which we are still apologise for the sins of our fathers. Death and destruction by the hand of people, and not by forces of nature over which we have no control, surely provide for us the necessary warnings that wandering around killing people is not something that generally leads to universal rejoicing. Indeed it more often invokes the response that "this must never happen again!" But inevitably it does.

Religions, on the other hand usually exhort people to be nice to each other; the opening words of the Quran read "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful..", in the Bible it is said "love your neighbour as you love yourself" - suggesting to me, anyway, that the idea of going around and killing people because you don't agree with their beliefs is not something you should be doing. But that said, in both holy books - written centuries ago and with only modern people to make interpretations - there are also, if taken in isolation more vicious streaks. 

The recent incidents, a few weeks ago in New Zealand and over the weekend in Sri Lanka, where Moslems and then Christians were targeted - although in the case of Sri Lanka I am sure the indiscriminate nature of the attack caught up people from all faiths - highlight surely the senseless nature of terror crimes carried out in the name of religion. But is it going to stop? It's hard to see how.

Western leaders have been quick to condemn both sides for the attacks, and it seems to me that New Zealand's Prime Minister has really taken this head-on with a view to trying to make a difference. I hope she succeeds. Sadly, I think, leaders from elsewhere do not seem to have been quite so forward in their condemnation, although at least not through the media that I have seen.

That said there is one Middle Eastern leader who stands out for me for having summarised the issues succinctly. He wrote a scenario that is based on the simple notion that if you read something in isolation (in his case the Quran) and act upon the small piece you have read or interpreted in a certain way you will behave in a contrary fashion to the overall meaning that was originally intended. You therefore, he writes, need to keep the lights on and be awake to your surroundings.

I think this is really powerful and should be a message to everyone in following a way of life that would lead us to stability and peace - but it leads me on to developing a concern I have now.

The world has become a more dangerous place to live in. The people who shout the loudest are getting heard and getting action. I honestly do not entirely believe that Britain voting to leave the EU, albeit by a small margin and a low turnout, was all about EU laws, straight croissants and re-financing the National Health System - but it was as much about Nationalism and keeping jobs in Britain that are currently being done by people from other countries. "Making America Great Again" and Building Walls are other examples of Isolationism that if pursued will in the longer term not make the world a better place to be. Immigration by refugees with no hope, Climate Change (denied by some - embraced by many), strong leaders with selfish motives in mind are all combining into a perfect storm. You can see the signs - and there seems to be no "trip switch" to stop it happening.

Islamic State has been defeated; oh yeh? It may have lost its physical territory, and I was assured a couple of weeks ago that they are really no longer a credible threat. I don't know about you, but more than 310 people killed in Sri Lanka this week - and who knows how many next week somewhere else, sounds pretty credible to me. And if we pursue nationalist and isolationist goals it will mean people get disadvantaged, especially amongst the younger generations. And if the young have nothing better to do guess who will find them, and use them?

My late Mother, a WWII soldier, said a few years ago, "you know, we have been so lucky there have been no big wars for years but the way the world is going it is going to take another war to bring matters back to normal". For the sake of our children and the generations that follow I can only pray - to whoever - that she is wrong, but I'm not holding my breath.

The Nationalist Club - Limited Entry

Rather disturbingly my last Blog about 5 weeks ago mentioned a return to work after some "early in the year" holidays. I had obviously overlooked the fact that work restricts one's free time to write Blogs ... solutions I suppose are pretty obvious but because I still enjoy the work I do I guess it's too early to stop yet!! That said I do have another Blog lurking in the background about a dilemma for those of us who have lost our support - the administrative one, not the other one silly!!

Back to now:

Every Club has rules, some more stringent than others as far as entry qualifications and rules are concerned, but one seems to have gathered a lot more momentum in recent years and it's the Nationalist Club. Not heard of it? Well, I think you have, although if you have an interest in social history you may also be aware of the Nationalist Clubs, which were organised in the late 19th Century in the USA and disappeared before the end of that century, lasting maybe 8 years.

The new Nationalist Club is amending its "rule book" as it goes along with conditions making it harder to join if you are an outsider, but once you are a member - an insider - you guard what you have with increasing and fervent jealousy, conveniently forgetting in many cases where you came from in the first place.

While organisations try to broaden general acceptance and improve the circumstances around employment criteria, covering pay and gender for example, and the workplace endeavours in many cases - not all, I admit - to become a more respectful and humane place in which to work, it seems that at the country level, some are adopting a more restrictive “it’s my ball, and you can’t play” attitude. As a child I was always brought up to share, so this jealousy over possessions does not sit well.

So, what am I talking about here? The Mexican border wall comes to mind immediately. The emotive commentary from the top cannot be missed, from which I am led to believe that the building of the Wall is going to bring an immediate end to shootings in schools, and deal with the current opioid epidemic sweeping the country. As of course Brexit, (I shudder every time I think about it with 8 days to go) - will mean that the sudden and alarming rise of knife crime - carried out by recent immigrants of course (oh ... it wasn’t them?), will suddenly cease because nobody will be allowed to cross into Britain anymore. And then there is the refusal to accept apparently wild-eyed and unstable refugees who cross the Mediterranean in search of a better life - or refugees created as a result of a war they started in somewhere like Syria (oh ... they didn’t start it?) is going to improve as we all crouch behind our mini walls to protect what we have.

The amazing progress that we have made in our lives - in our own lifetimes - with the improvements in health care, in technology, in bringing many people out of poverty are not insignificant changes to be disregarded. And yes, let's not go overboard, there are many things still to be done but what seems to have gone into reverse is our ability to act as rational human beings. Why do we actually need nuclear weapons to protect ourselves? If we as a human race were needing protection from an alien planet then perhaps there would be some justification but if we actually found a way to get on with each other rather than be jealous we wouldn't need these things.

Okay I know, all this sounds very serendipitous and not at all like real world comment. Of course we need weapons to protect ourselves because I am ignoring basic human nature; the tendency we have to gain possessions like they do in the animal kingdom. The race for supremacy - but come on, does it have to be like that? And what is causing me to reflect like this comes down to events of the past very few years.

We have enjoyed peace for many years now, in relative terms, but leaders generally are pumping up the rhetoric. In some cases it is justified, in many others it is just bullying for position and power, and when you get to the phase where no one is willing to back away or see reason, you end up with a collision. You obviously   know what that means in the modern world. And the bullies, who speak well but who are sometimes just a little deliberately short on the facts, take with them swathes of people who buy into the rhetoric. We have seen it before - albeit 80 years ago, but I am concerned given recent events that it is heading full circle.

The Nationalist Club movement is gaining serious momentum, although I hope it only lasts as long as the previous one or else we are all in trouble.

The Year of the ... Flat-Nosed Beef!!

We have now passed the Occidental and the Oriental New Years so let’s have good ones of both - please?

And so saying, duty calls and back to work again after the holidays ... although more of holidays later! Having turned up in the Middle East as I do frequently, I have been struck in a couple of cities by their willing acknowledgement of the Chinese New Year that has just passed. A number of shiny pagodas built in traditional Chinese style and colours ... and also a number of dragons again in Chinese style.

Dragons? But it’s not the Year of the Dragon - and here of course I am making a huge assumption that the majority of people who read my occasional words are familiar with the Chinese zodiac of 12 animals and the years with which they are associated. [For those not in the know do feel free to look it up and click the link]. Anyway, the next year of the dragon is not until 2024, whilst this year is the year of the ... pig. Not an animal that finds any favour in the Middle East amongst either the Islamic or the Jewish worlds. Chinese companies are therefore having to tread carefully with their advertising in this region if they wish to retain the goodwill of their local consumers, although I do not for one moment suggest they should use the wording I have used above. That particular description is something I came across many years ago in one country in the Middle East where some US expatriates had arranged to receive some goods derived from the offending animal, but referred to it (successfully - but only once I understand!) as per the title.

The pig, incidentally is the last of the twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac (the Rat being the first through a bit of smart manoeuvring ), and is reputedly rather slow and lazy but has the positive characteristics of being good-tempered, kind hearted and positive. That said the collection of people born in the year of the pig  include such characters or personalities as Hilary Clinton, Julian Assange, Edward Snowden, O J Simpson, Lance Armstrong, Elon Musk, Woody Allen ... hmm, draw your own conclusions from that lot!!

But where was I? Oh, yes holidays before getting back to work. Who’s not been been to Egypt? Well although I have been going there for some time on business every couple of months, I had never progressed beyond Cairo city. It is true that on a clear day I can just make out the pyramids from the office I use, but of course the ancient history of Egypt is just phenomenal so it was time to use the holiday period to pay a visit, even if we could not do it justice by seeing absolutely everything, but OMG!

Cairo is noisy, busy, chaotic, unfinished - and how people manage to cross the street and arrive at the other side unscathed - relatively - is quite beyond me. We had a go at doing it once, but in the end we were assisted by a kindly gentleman who helped us cross “Cairo-style”. I felt rather like I was the old lady in London that I helped to cross the road at traffic lights. Anyway, Cairo - the Museum, the bazaar, then Pyramids - Sphinx - the first attempts at pyramids at Dahshur and those at Saqqara plus the Coptic Church, the Great Mosque in the Citadel, The mosques of Sultan Hassan and Al Rifai, and the synagogue - all visited. Then we headed for the Upper Nile - Luxor and Aswan.

You think you know your history? Well perhaps you do, but to stand next to it, look at it, have an Egyptologist read the hieroglyph and explain what went on ... is just awesome and that's not a word I generally like using given its general meaningless usage today, but unless you are devoid of any senses at all I cannot think of another word so descriptive. It is mouth-opening.

We - four of us, could not have done this without the services of our Egyptian guide Medhat who was knowledgable, explained with real interest and passion and had a sense of humour. Of course, you say, he could have told us a complete load of rubbish and we would have believed him because we knew no better. Sure he could - but when you then go back and read up to get more detail on what he told us, and when you know about his history and his study of Egyptology and his attempts now to further his education for a doctorate, and the respect accorded him by other professionals - he would have to be a darn good actor to have pulled this one off if he was not being straight with a couple of cynics for an audience. (Happy to pass on his details for interested people).

We sailed down the Nile watching the scenery of countless paintings unfold in real life; 

we "templed" until we thought we could do no more and still remain interested ... but then we went and did more! You may gather there is a degree of enthusiasm here.

I know that Egypt has not enjoyed a stable and peaceful time in recent years. Tourists have been scared away due to random attacks. The economy has suffered, inflation is still high, but there are signs of stability and improvements, accepting that nowhere is perfect. Recent natural gas finds will make a difference to the economy and tourists are definitely beginning to reappear. So all I can say is take the opportunity to go see for yourself an ancient world, which gave so much to our development. Go with an open mind, get a good guide or you will miss so much, and I do not think you will be disappointed.

Now how did I get there from flat-nosed beef? 

Protectionism and Poverty - The World Today

I am privileged, and according to some of my friends (?) and colleagues, I am rich. That, I submit, from them is a little like the pot calling the kettle black - an old expression that I hope does not cause offence to pots or kettles and that I have not now inadvertently started a “#movement”.

In my defence - not that I am proposing to mount one, I am not as “rich” as many other people I know - at least not in monetary terms, but then neither are the people who call me “rich” - in some cases in rather derogatory terms - actually poor, as they most certainly would themselves qualify for a place in the top 1% of the world’s wealthiest people. [To be in the top 1% worldwide for income, you need to be in receipt annually of around GBP25,000 pension or salary - and in net worth terms - GBP600k. Remember that is to be in the top 1% globally!!]. “Rich” for me though is measured not just in terms of fiscal and asset wealth, but also in terms of freedoms, happiness and health. So yes, I am rich and so I also have to say while we are about it that I am also lucky.

Where I am right now, the people are not financially rich! I am on the Mekong River in Laos. It’s really interesting. The part I have been going down bisects Laos and Thailand and the contrast between the two sides has been stark. The more prosperous Thai side with its brick built villages shows up the poorer Lao side with its run down wooden huts and dirt tracks. Oh yes, say the tourists, the Lao side is just so much more picturesque and unspoilt. I was having a chat with Lee, our Lao guide, and asked him about the border between the two - with the river providing a natural boundary. He told me it was very easy to cross between the two sides to visit but only for a day. No visa needed, but if you stayed any longer you would be sent back to the other side, and anyway you couldn’t work without a permit. So, I asked him more about his feelings when he saw the prosperity on the Thai side and didn’t it make him wish Laos was more like Thailand? His response was simple. Yes, of course it would be better, but then he also said why couldn’t they be the same country? They have many ethnic similarities - even the Thai Baht is accepted in Laos, but of course the Thais don’t want to share what is theirs. And there you have it, the problem in a microcosm. Why should they share something they have built up? What is wrong with possession even if your neighbour is poor.

The world was once made up of small communities, happy in their own environments but then those communities started to spread out to meet their needs for food or grazing then ultimately other raw materials gathering influence on the way by bullying or by diplomacy. But it became a matter of ownership and possession, and over the ensuing centuries it has ever been thus. The explorers, the adventurers ... Marco Polo, Vasco de Gama, Zheng He, Captain Cook. The colonisers and acquirers of land and property - the Vikings, the Romans, Genghis Khan, the Portuguese and Spaniards, the Dutch in Asia and the British everywhere. Did they develop the countries they invaded or colonised ... well some will argue yes ... or did they just take what they wanted. And then did they prepare those countries to fend for themselves when they became independent? I would argue no. They made possession the key word. It’s rather the opposite of what we tell our children, which is to share. As adults do we encourage sharing? 

Lee, the Laotian is interestingly not bitter about the wealth of Thailand, but does wish they had some of it, or that they could live together. Possession is I am sure what drove many of the people of Britain to vote to leave the European Union (and I know I will be criticised for this view) because “protecting your own” is what possession is all about. The USA - a country built on immigrants - now wants to protect the possessions it has acquired and build some wall to stop other people from having the same opportunities afforded to their forbears.

What can one do? Look, this is as much a matter of human nature as anything else. Like a child, you have something - you think it is yours and you want to keep it. But everyone seems to agree that the gap between the “haves” and the “have nots” is growing. This cannot, in the longer term, be sustainable. Don’t we owe it to our children and the generations that follow to see sense, to both educate and encourage this generation - and beyond - to reign in the excesses. Are the huge salaries paid out actually justified, and just how much do you need to live comfortably? Yes, you can still reward success and hard work - and that would be right because there should be no room for the idle. But people like Lee work at least as hard as many millionaires I know - and while he is rich in knowledge and in culture, he needs a little more to be able to build a better house and educate his family. Although being my usual cynical self, that “little more” of course needs to find its way into the hands of the people who need it and not the hands of the corrupt; yet another problem seeking a solution!

Here We Go Again!

Whooosh ... where did that go?

Sorry about the silence, as a result of which I don't expect this will get read by too many people, but it is really so I can get clear in my own head what I thought about the last twelve months and think of the coming twelve;  there is no substitute for writing it all down. That said, I have been surprised by the number of people who still check in to the Blog and then say, "Why have you not written anything recently - are you okay?".

Short answer - yes very okay thank you and the last annual medical was positive too. I can still think, walk, talk, contribute and enjoy life. "What more can one ask?" - he says, touching wood!

Last 364 days - roller coaster. For me lots to do at work and play. For the world - uncertainty. The lunacy (IMHO) of Brexit continues and is going to roll into 2019. Why on earth would Europe create a decent deal for Britain when to do so would probably lead to a number of other countries in the Union saying "If that's on the table then I'll have some too". A decision to leave Europe that was based on limited (or no) factual information being made available to the public, and an "it'll be alright on the night" sort of attitude was doomed from the start. A decision that was driven by emotion and the policies of the United Kingdom to take in everyone who turned up on the doorstep.

A US President who has been the butt of every comedian's jokes around the world - more, surely than any other President in history - except that it seems the jokes are not jokes all but reality while much of the world looks open-mouthed  at the antics. Did America need to change gear and focus? From where I was sitting - probably yes, although I'm no expert. Did the USA need to take a stand on certain issues - again yes and let's be rational, not everything that is done or said by President Trump is insane; but his grasp of world politics has - if left unchecked - the ability to tip us into conflicts we do not need. The revolving door that represents the Administration in the White House is of concern, and when Americans say to me "all the adults have left" I think we should all be concerned.

Mainland Europe - fragmenting, the Middle East - always carrying the potential to surprise and mostly on the downside it seems, inflation in Argentina and a deteriorating situation in Venezuela, uncertainty still in North Korea, and China continuing to fill parts of the world stage and grow - not to everyones pleasure. 

For me in 2018, a couple of brighter spots amongst many others. It seems that someone in HSBC - my full time employer for 37 years - realised that I had actually joined the bank in January 1968 and that this year marked 50 years with the organisation. It's a little bit of a stretch because I was away from the bank between retiring and re-joining, but hell - why not, so I was recently recognised for having been involved for those 50 years which was embarrassing for me but a wonderful gesture by them. (I actually started my Banking career in 1964 so it's going to be 55 years in the industry next year - and yes, clearly I started when I was 10!!)

The other bright spot amongst the gloom was further proof that not all young people are oblivious to their surroundings when a colleague of mine currently with HSBC in Egypt shared a musical video created by his daughter which she had written and performed herself as a result of being concerned about the plight of homeless people in her neighbourhood. The link is worth a look, and I hope she keeps this sort of thing going. She is, I know, not alone in her compassion but it's just so nice to see it up close.

And so to 2019; I keep wishing people a Happy New Year, but I am sorry to say that it comes with a "rider", as I add - "I hope it will prove to be better than it currently looks and that we will be pleasantly surprised".

I have said in Blogs before that I am by nature an optimist but that optimism has been dented in recent years. For 2019 that optimism is going to be sorely tested by a world which, in short, is showing increasing signs of nationalism, a growth in extremism, religious fervour in some quarters not in keeping with the teachings, economic uncertainty and dare I add, a lack of common sense. We run risks created by leaders who are bullies or who are weak. By an unwillingness to speak out against injustice. By a culture where it is almost impossible to express an opinion without causing apparent offence to someone somewhere. These are all, to me, not the best foundations for a stable future. Our young communities have few role models. Even the newly born - who depend on us to have a world into which they can grow - are going to have a bleak future unless we can deliver something positive.

Will the Chinese Year of the Pig come to our rescue? Interesting question. even though the Pig was the last animal of the 12 to arrive at the Emperor's party (apparently because he overslept!), they are nevertheless a symbol of wealth but can they solve the world's problems? Let's see.

And finally - common sense, to which I referred earlier. I wrote a blog in September 2008 entitled "Obituary - Farewell to Common Sense". It included an anonymous piece which I re-read a few days ago. What I hoped at the time was that stories of the death of common sense were premature. Re-reading it I am far from certain - but I think it is probably our only hope in the short term.

Have a happy, peaceful and healthy 2019!