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Author Archives: Stephen Shellard
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A…
“It’s coming from the silence /on the dock of the bay, from the brave, the bold, the battered/heart of Chevrolet: Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.” A few lines from Leonard Cohen’s song “Democracy” as a kind of answer to … Continue reading
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Post Capitalism – A Guide to the Future
I’ve finished a book, a few months ago now, by the financial journalist Paul Mason, called Post Capitalism: A Guide to Our Future. If this kind of thing interests you I would thoroughly recommend it. As a starter you … Continue reading
Posted in Books
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Thought for the day…. [inauguration day of Donald J Trump]
“Even the president of the United States must sometimes have to stand naked.” It’s a good day, I think, to remember these words from Mr Dylan. Should you wish to listen to them in the full glory of the original … Continue reading
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The Hidden Strengths of Unloved Concrete
Well concrete may not seem like much of a subject, but Tim Harford, who normally writes for the Financial Times and hosts the excellent weekly BBC radio programme, More or Less, has a good touch with such unpromising material. It … Continue reading
Posted in Podcasts etc.
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Basic Income – The Finnish Experiment
Basic income – an important idea, recommended in particular by Paul Mason. This Finnish experiment will be well worth watching Will Finland’s basic income trial help the jobless? – BBC News Two thousand jobless Finns are being given a basic … Continue reading
The European Union and Democratic Balancing
The European Union and Democratic Balancing Revised 20th March 2016 Democratic balancing – a mechanism for creating a democratic balance between the European parliament and the member state parliaments of the European Union which would allow, in certain circumstances, an … Continue reading
6 Months in West Berlin
It was in January 1983 that I set out on my adventure into West Berlin. Margaret Thatcher had recently won the Falklands war; the British Labour Party was shortly to suffer one of its greatest electoral defeats in post war … Continue reading
Should the House of Lords be abolished, become more democratic, or be kept as is?
The house of Lords should be reformed. It should not in my opinion however be elected. There are a number of reasons for this. If it were elected, there would be a danger that it would, probably at some moment … Continue reading
Posted in Misc, Other Constitutional discussion
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Nationalism and the Rise of the SNP
Alex Salmond has pulled off a remarkable coup by leading his party to an overall majority in the new Scottish Parliament. We are told that the Labour Party designed the electoral system for the Scottish Parliament specifically to avoid this … Continue reading
Carruchan 
Play and Creativity…
Listen to this glorious discussion which manages to combine stories about the production techniques of Brian Eno, the importance of play in learning, a goal for Arsenal by Giroud, the importance of untidiness in creativity, the screw up behind one … Continue reading →