The Alternative Denmark
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Uffe Elbæk Uffe Elbæk Founder and former principal of The KaosPilots – International School of New Business Design & Social Innovation. Uffe Elbæk was born in 1954 and has, as he says, already managed to live several lives since. Personally as well as professionally. From 1991 to 2006 he was the principal of the KaosPilots in Denmark, and is today Special Advisor for the new leadership-team at the school. In November 2001 and again in 2005 Uffe Elbæk was elected to City Council of Århus (Denmark’s second city) for the Danish Social- Liberal Party. He stepped down as city counselor in Århus, when he was hired by the City of Copenhagen as the CEO of the World Outgames 2009, a position he held from 2007 to 2009. In the spring of 2010 Uffe Elbæk accepted to run for the Danish Social-Liberal Party in the upcoming national election for the Danish Parliament. One year later Uffe Elbæk was voted in to The Danish Parliament and was Minister for Culture from October 2011 to December 2012. In November 2013 he founded the new entrepreneurial green party: The Alternative.
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Transcript of The Alternative Denmark
Uffe Elbæk
Uffe Elbæk
Founder and former principal of The KaosPilots – International School of New Business Design & Social Innovation. Uffe Elbæk was born in 1954 and has, as he says, already managed to live several lives since. Personally as well as professionally. From 1991 to 2006 he was the principal of the KaosPilots in Denmark, and is today Special Advisor for the new leadership-team at the school.
In November 2001 and again in 2005 Uffe Elbæk was elected to City Council of Århus (Denmark’s second city) for the Danish Social-Liberal Party. He stepped down as city counselor in Århus, when he was hired by the City of Copenhagen as the CEO of the World Outgames 2009, a position he held from 2007 to 2009.
In the spring of 2010 Uffe Elbæk accepted to run for the Danish Social-Liberal Party in the upcoming national election for the Danish Parliament. One year later Uffe Elbæk was voted in to The Danish Parliament and was Minister for Culture from October 2011 to December 2012. In November 2013 he founded the new entrepreneurial green party: The Alternative.
Uffe Elbæk is also on the board of several Danish and international organizations, and has over the years received numerous honors and awards, ranging from his appointment as ambassador for the local premiere league football club AGF to Knight of
the Dannebrog. He lives today in a big old apartment in the heart of Copenhagen, together with his partner Jens.
Uffe Elbæk has given himself the title: Senior Troublemaker and Solution Finder. Because that is his job these days.
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THE ALTERNATIVEÅbenrå 33, st1124 Kbh KTelefon: +45 7179 1864Mon-Thur: 12-16Fri: 9-13Sat-Sun: lukketEmail: [email protected]: 35284893
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
Alternative titles: BJP; Indian People’s PartyBharatiya Janata Party (BJP), English Indian People’s Party, pro-Hindu political party of postindependence India. The party has enjoyed broad support among members of the higher castes and in northern India. It has attempted to attract support from lower castes, particularly through the appointment of several lower-caste members to prominent party positions.The BJP traces its roots to the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS; Indian People’s Association), which was established in 1951 as the political wing of the pro-Hindu group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS; “National Volunteers Corps”) by Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. The BJS advocated the rebuilding of India in accordance with Hindu culture and called for the formation of a strong unified state.In 1967 the BJS gained a substantial foothold in the Hindi-speaking regions of northern India. Ten years later the party, led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, joined three other political parties to form the Janata Party and took over the reins of government. Plagued by factionalism and internal disputes, however, the government collapsed in July 1979. The BJP was formally established in 1980, following a split by dissidents within the Janata coalition, whose leaders wanted to prohibit elected BJS officials from participating in the RSS. (Critics of the RSS have consistently accused it of political and religious extremism, particularly because it was one of its members who assassinated Mohandas Gandhi.) The BJS subsequently reorganized itself as the BJP under the leadership of Vajpayee, Lal Krishan Advani, and Murali Manohar Joshi.The BJP advocated hindutva (“Hindu-ness”), an ideology that sought to define Indian culture in terms of Hindu values, and it was highly critical of the secular policies and practices of theIndian National Congress (Congress Party). The BJP began to have electoral success in 1989, when it capitalized on anti-Muslim feeling by calling for the erection of a Hindu temple in an area
in Ayodhya considered sacred by Hindus but at that time occupied by the Babri Masjid (Mosque of Bābur). By 1991 the BJP had considerably increased its political appeal, capturing 117 seats in the Lok Sabha (lower chamber of the Indian parliament) and taking power in four states.The demolition of the Babri Masjid in December 1992 by organizations seen to be associated with the BJP caused a major backlash against the party. The mosque’s destruction also led to violence throughout the country that left more than 1,000 dead. The party was regarded with skepticism and suspicion by many committed to secularism in contemporary India. To alleviate fear among the public, restore confidence in the party, and expand its base, the BJP’s leaders undertook a series of rath yatras (“journeys on the carriage”), or political marches, in which the Hindu god Rama was symbolically invoked as the symbol of cultural renaissance.In elections in 1996 the BJP emerged as the largest single party in the Lok Sabha and was invited by India’s president to form a government. However, its tenure in office was short-lived, as it could not muster the majority required to rule in the 545-member lower house. In 1998 the BJP and its allies were able to form a majority government with Vajpayee as prime minister. In May of that year, nuclear weapons tests ordered by Vajpayee drew widespread international condemnation. After 13 months in office, coalition partner All India Dravidian Progressive Federation (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham) withdrew its support, and Vajpayee was prompted to seek a vote of confidence in the Lok Sabha, which he lost by the margin of a single vote.The BJP contested the 1999 parliamentary elections as the organizer of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), a coalition of more than 20 national and regional parties. The alliance secured a governing majority, with the BJP winning 182 of the coalition’s 294 seats. Vajpayee, as leader of the largest party in the alliance, was again elected prime minister. Although Vajpayee sought to resolve the country’s long-standing conflict with Pakistan over the Kashmir region and made India a world leader in information technology, the coalition lost its majority in the 2004 parliamentary elections to the Congress Party’s United Progressive Alliance (UPA) coalition, and Vajpayee resigned from office. The party’s share of
seats in the Lok Sabha was reduced from 137 to 116 in the 2009 parliamentary elections, as the UPA coalition again prevailed.As the 2014 Lok Sabha elections grew near, however, the BJP’s fortunes began to rise, largely because of growing discontent with Congress Party rule. Narendra Modi, the longtime chief minister (head of government) of Gujarat state, was chosen to lead the BJP electoral campaign, thus making him the party’s candidate for prime minister. The polling—held in several stages in April and May—produced an overwhelming victory for the BJP. The party won 282 seats outright, a clear majority in the chamber, and its NDA partners added 54 more. Shortly after election results were announced, Modi was named head of the party members in parliament, and he began forming a government that included not only senior BJP officials but also several leaders from parties allied with the coalition. Modi was sworn in as prime minister on May 26.
Rahul Gandhi
Introduction :Rahul Gandhi is 46 years old Loksabha MP, elected from Amethi of Uttar Pradesh state as a member of Indian National Congress Party.
Rahul Gandhi was born to Late Shri Rajiv Gandhi & Smt. Sonia Gandhi
Background information of Rahul Gandhi:Rahul Gandhi is Grandson of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, son of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, great-grandson of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. He is considered the prince of Gandhi Dynasty.Rahul Gandhi is Vice President of Indian National Congress , Chair Person of the Youth Congress and the NSUI.
Basic DetailsParty Name Indian National Congress
Assets ( In Rupees) More than 9 Crore(s)
Background Family - Multiple connections
Profession Strategy Consultant
Education Post Graduate
Contact DetailsPermanent Address 12, Tughlak Lane,New Delhi - 110 011
Delhi Address 12, Tughlak Lane,New Delhi - 110 011
Phone 011-23795161
Fax 011-23012410,011-23012410
Email address
Communist Party of India (Marxist)Central Committee,A.K. Gopalan Bhawan,27-29, Bhai Vir Singh Marg,New Delhi 110 001Tel. (91-11) 23344918, 23363692, 23747435/36fax: (91-11) 23747483email: [email protected]
CPI(M) Headquarters at New Delhi
States
Andaman & Nicobar Island Committee,Shaheed BhawanAnarkali, (PO) HadoPORTBLAIR – 744 102Andaman & Nicobar IslandsPhone: 03192-239691
Andhra Pradesh State Committee,H.NO.27-30-3, Akulavari Street,Governorpet,VIJAYAWADA – 520 002Andhra PradeshPhone: 0866-2577202Fax: 0866-2577203email:[email protected]
Assam State Committee,45 – P. D. Chaliha RoadHedayetpurGUWAHATI - 781 003Phone : 0361-2663183Fax: 0361-2660731email:[email protected]
Madhya Pradesh State Committee, 13-B, Padmanab NagarNew Subhash Nagar ColonyBHOPAL - 462 023Phone: 0755-2757751, 2759441Fax: 0755-2759732email:[email protected]
Maharashtra State Committee, JanashaktiGlobe Mill PassagePandurang Budhkar Marg, WorliMUMBAI - 400 013Phone: 022-24951576, 24926841Fax: 022-24961525email:[email protected]
Manipur State Committee, Governor's LaneNear Keisampat BridgePaona Bazar (PO)IMPHAL - 795 001
Bihar State Committee,Jamal RoadPATNA - 800 001Phone: 0612-2203325Fax: 0612-2203325
Delhi State Committee
14, Vithalbhai Patel HouseRafi Marg, Near Patel Chowk Metro StationNew Delhi 110 001Tel. 011-23713434Email: [email protected]
Chattisgarh State Committee,Noorani Chowk,Raja TalabRAIPUR - 492 001Phone & Fax: 0771-2432838email:[email protected]
Goa State Committee,P.O.B. 90, 2nd Floor, Mukund
Phone: 0385-2442691
Orissa State Committee,Samyabadee BhavanJ-7/1, Jayadev ViharGangadhar Meher MargBhubaneswar – 751 013OrissaPhone: 0674-2360378, 2360 379Fax: 0674-2360363email:[email protected]
Punjab State Committee,Baba Karam Singh Cheema BhavanSector 30-BCHANDIGARH - 160 020Phone: 0172-2657038, 2657936Fax: 0172-2657429email:[email protected]
website: http://www.cpimpunjab.org
Rajasthan State Committee,
BuildingF.L. Gomes RoadVASCODA GAMA – 403 802Phone: 0832-2513028
Gujarat State Committee,Prathana SamajRaikhad Char RastaAhmedabad 38 0001Phone: 079-25352764email:[email protected]
Haryana State Committee,Jasbir ColonySheila By-PassROHTAK - 124 001Phone: 01262-266900, 266901Fax:01262-266901email:[email protected]
Himachal Pradesh State Committee,No. 9, Bawa BuildingThe Mall
Mazdoor Kisan BhavanShanti Nagar,Hatwara RoadJAIPUR -302 006RajasthanPhone: 0141-2220757 Fax: 0141-2221104email:[email protected]
Sikkim State Committee,Daragaon, (PO)TadongGANGTOK - 737 102Phone: 03592-231021, 09434064112
Tamilnadu State Committee,P.R. Ninaivagam, 27, Vaidhyaram StreetSouth Boag Road, T. NagarCHENNAI - 600 017Phone: 044-24341205, 24326800, 24326900Fax: 044-24341294email:[email protected]
website: http://www.tncpim.org/
SIMLA – 171 003Phone: 0177-2653019, 2808119Fax: 0177-2808119email:[email protected]
Jammu & Kashmir State CommitteeH-1, Gupkar RoadSrinagar (Kashmir) – 190 001Tel. 0194-2487611 (Srinagar)
email:[email protected]
Jharkhand State Committee,Vishwakarma Mandir LaneMain RoadRANCHI - 834 001Phone & Fax: 0651-2331625email:[email protected]
Karnataka State CommitteeNo. 37 A8th Cross, Near Post Office
Tripura State Committee,Dasrath Deb BhawanHariganga Basak SaraniMelarmathAGARTALA - 799 001Phone: 0381-2323448, 2325365Fax: 0381-2310875email:[email protected]
Telangana State Committee,M. Basavapunnaiah Bhawan1-1-60/2 RTC Cross RoadMusheerabad, HyderabadTelangana.Phone: 040-27665011, 27665012Fax: 040-27601001email:[email protected]
Uttarakhand State Committee, Lall Jhanda OfficeNai Basti, Gandhi GramKanwali RoadDEHRADUN - 248 001UttarakhandPhone: 0135-2728967
Mahalaxmi LayoutBangalore 560 086Tel/fax: 080-23197965email: [email protected]
Kerala State Committee, AKG Centre, A. Raghavan RoadThiruvananthapuram - 695 034KERALAPhone: 0471-2305731, 2305733Fax: 0471-2307141email:[email protected]
website: http://www.cpimkerala.org
Uttar Pradesh State Committee,10, Vidhan Sabha MargLUCKNOW - 226 001Phone: 0522-2628829, 2610459Fax: 0522-2614736email:[email protected]
West Bengal State Committee,31, Alimuddin StreetMuzaffar Ahmad BhawanKolkata - 700 016Phone: 033-22176633, 22176634Fax: 033-22640721email:[email protected]
website: http://www.cpimwb.org.in
BASIC INFORMATION OF EMBASSY OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA IN NEPAL
His Excellency Mr. Wu Chuntai
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Residence: Baluwatar, Kathmandu
Tel: 00977-1-4419389
Economic and Commercial Section
Address: Naxal,P.O.Box 4234, Kathmandu
Tel: 00977-1-4425887
Fax: 00977-1-4434792
Visa Section
Address: Hattisar, Kathmandu
Telephone: 4440286 4425520
Fax: 00977-1-4438260
Political Section, Tel: 00977-1-4413916.
Military Section, Tel: 00977-1-4411958
Culture Section, Tel: 00977-1-4438762
Administrative Office, Tel: 00977-1-4419053
Embassy
Address: Baluwatar, Kathmandu
International call code:00977-1
Telephone(daytime): 00977-1-4411740
Fax: 00977-1-4414045
Website:http://np.china-embassy.org/chn/xbwz/
E-mail:[email protected]
Working Hour: From Monday to Friday
9:00a.m.-12:00a.m.
14:00p.m.-17:00p.m.
About ALBA INFO
ALBA INFO hosts links to a variety of resources on the Bolivarian Alliance, displaying them in a simple accessible manner. This includes a broad range of written pieces such asbooks and book chapters, academic articles, student papers, newspaper and magazine columns, as well as links to multimedia resources. ALBA INFO also features a news page which provides up to date information of developments in the ALBA and research into it.What is the ALBA? The Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (the ALBA or ALBA-TCP for short), was founded on the 14th of December 2004 when presidents Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Fidel Castro of Cuba signed protocols bringing the agreement into existence. In its own terms the ALBA is a “political, economic, and social alliance in defense of independence, self-determination and the identity of peoples comprising it”, which now includes eleven member states from Latin America and the Caribbean. For more information please see our What is the ALBA? page, read some literature on the ALBA , or consult one of the websites listed on our Website Links page.
(Photo: Rafael Correa, Raul Castro, Nicholas Maduro and Hugo Chavez at the ALBA’s
Ninth Summit, held on the 19th of April 2010 in Caracas, Venezuela. From Presidencia
de la República del Ecuador on Flickr and reproduced under Creative Commons 2.0)
Why ALBA INFO? While there has been extensive coverage of the Latin American “Pink Tide”, material focusing on the ALBA itself seems relatively scarce – certainly at first glance.In the conclusion of his literature review on the ALBA Christopher Absell writes “One of the principal weaknesses of the literature is the absence of the development of a shared bibliography”. Absell is concerned about how those approaching the topic of the ALBA may be speaking past each other, rather than effectively engaging with each other and developing a useful research agenda.
Although some are clearly well aware of other work on the ALBA (see for example Thomas Muhr’s criticisms within his introductory chapter to Counter-Globalization and Socialism in the 21st Century), Absell’s point
does seem to hold a certain level of validity. Furthermore, while it may be an easier task for experienced researchers, finding and accessing the various dispersed resources on the ALBA can be a difficult and time-consuming task for many.Who edits ALBA INFO? ALBA INFO is an independent website created by Laurence Goodchild (Rugby, UK) . The website is currently still in its embryonic stages and limited to the English language. Any comments or suggestions are welcome, as are any contributors who wish to actively help with the running of the site. Please contact Laurence Goodchild at laurencegoodchild91 <at> gmail.com
[NOTE TO AUTHORS AND PUBLISHERS]Only links are provided on this website, no content is hosted. If your content is linked on this website and you want the link to be removed please contact us and it will be removed immediately.Most images on this site are either copyright free or published under a Creative Commons public domain license. Where this is not the case (e.g book cover images), efforts to attain the permission of the copyright holders will have been sought prior to their uploading.
Communist Alternative PartyFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"PdAC" redirects here. For other uses, see PDAC.
Communist Alternative Party
Leader Francesco Ricci
Founded 22 April 2006
Headquarters Via Luigi Lodi 68, Rome
Newspaper Progetto Comunista
Membership IWL-FI
Ideology Communism,Trotskyism
European affiliation none
International affiliation International Workers League (Fourth International)
European Parliament group
none
Coalition stand-alone
Website
http://www.partitodialternativacomunista.org
Politics of Italy Political parties
Elections
The Communist Alternative Party (Partito di Alternativa Comunista, PdAC) is a communist political party in Italy. Its leader and founder is Francesco Ricci.
History[edit]
In April 2006 some members of Communist Project, a trotskyist faction within the Communist Refoundation Party (PRC), left the party and launched the PdAC, which was officially founded on 7 January 2007. In June 2006 Communist Project itself left the PRC under the new name of Communist Workers' Party.In 2009 this party obtained in the national election 0,06% of votes.
The Alternative PartyIntroduction
trust – tolerance – self-sufficiency
The Aims of the Alternative PartyThe ProblemThe SolutionAn Ethical Basis
Health Warning: This site is unsuitable for anyone with a short attention span. It is for people who care and who want to do
something, however small.
“Do you know my name, do you know my trade, I’ll not rest ‘til the world is made” After Jethro Tull
WELCOME
1st December 2014
I have been asked why, in the name of sanity, without money or political clout, would I venture on such a project, given the fate of minority parties in this country and the callous savagery of the media. I came across a quotation the other day which answers this question for me : “Here I stand. I can do no other”
See you again, I hope
Roger Taylor
I presume you are here because you share my fears about the parlous state of modern politics and where it is taking us. The three major
parties are virtually indistinguishable and irreparably tainted by their own conduct. They lack both the will and the problem-solving skills needed to deal with a rapidly changing world. Once, this was not too serious – we knew we could survive their bumbling even though they crashed economies and squandered vast sums of our monies on blatantly fatuous projects. Now, however, we face real dangers. If this same inept governance continues, then aside from ever more economic and social problems, increasing climate instability will leave our children and future generations beyond, with exhausted resources and a dangerously degraded and hostile environment. If we wish to be able to look our offspring in the face in our later years then a continuation of our present political inertia is not an option.
We have to move away from the old, worn-out two/three-party deadlock. Practicality, of course, will be essential, but we will need also, originality. Small, conventional parties – the Greens, UKIP etc – despite often having good ideas and being run by people of some calibre, will sadly get nothing but a conventional pasting at a General Election as those who still have faith in voting (myself included), having no-one to vote for, vote against, to prevent ‘the other party’ from gaining power.
I do not have an answer to this problem, but I know that you (plural) have it and that you(singular) may well have part of it without realizing and so I formed the Alternative Party in 2003 on the basic engineering, problem-solving principle – ‘when you don’t know where to start – start’.
It is very small, penniless and, currently, a one-man (funded) band. However, it is bona fide, and its affairs are in proper order as required by the Electoral Commission. With your help and support it will grow and achieve worthwhile things. Without it, it will not; the present appalling, not to say, frightening, situation will continue with all that that means for the future of ourselves and, worse by far, our children.
Have a quiet browse through the ideas set out here and think what they mean. It is not an extremist rant – the only thing radical is that the ideas are the result of rational thought rather than political dogma. If you like what you read, and would like to support this venture, drop me an email at info[at]alternativeparty.org.uk with your name and address. This will make you a member (yes, it’s free) and I will keep the information secure and confidential (we are registered under the Data Protection Act). You can also go to the Comments section at the bottom of this page and engage in a debate.
1. If you have any ideas, let’s hear them. It may take a hundred to produce a good one, so the more the merrier and the sooner we start, the better.
2. If you have helpful information, let’s have it. (If you want anything kept confidential, just mark it as such and I will note it but not publish it)
3. If you want to help, let me know what it is you can offer, up to and including being willing to stand as an MP.
That said, I do not want to hear from ‘Golden Agers’, (unless this is an aspiration for the future rather than some imagined memory of the past), ranters, carpers, moaners, groaners, racists, utopiasts, adult non-voters, ‘Little Englanders’, or anyone with nothing positive to suggest.
I would particularly like to hear from: MPs desperate to do something about the way they are treated by the Executive and who are genuinely looking to reform Westminster; party activists; police officers (all ranks); NHS, Prison Service, Social Service, Utility, and Local Authority employees; teachers; members of the armed forces; anyone who has fallen foul of political correctness, ‘manageocrats’, and asinine so-called health and safety rules or compensation threats etc.
You may well feel too insignificant and inconsequential for such a venture as trying to sort out the present almighty mess. Don’t! You should never underestimate the effects of a small action. Think about this – if you won’t do something, who will? Cameron, Clegg, Milliband and their cronies? The three big parties? Be realistic – the future, your children’s future, cannot afford such a triumph of hope over experience! Your support is essential and your contribution may be more important that you think, however small you feel it may be.
So? Time to stop grumbling into our beer/cocktails/horlicks, ladies and gentlemen – time to do something. This is your chance. Please help.
Hope to hear from you
Roger Taylor
THE AIMS OF THE ALTERNATIVE PARTY
Firstly, using constructive and rational discussion, to find a party structure that will be able to challenge the major parties effectively with a view to setting the country on a course that will enable it to deal practically with the many social, economic and environmental problems that we face. It will need to be simple, very open, and highly original. Almost certainly it will have to be internet based.
Secondly, in the event of there being too little support for this to make political changes, using this same discussion to build up a network of practically-minded and competent individuals who can work together to help one another, and society, with the problems that will ensue as Government becomes increasingly irrelevant and, quite probably, dictatorial.
THE PROBLEM (see also, Parliament)
Craven, self-serving and self-perpetuating, all the major parties have nothing but contempt for, and distrust of the British people. Distrust breeds distrust and, as a result, our political life has degenerated to a point where public faith in it has almost totally collapsed; the whole tone of our society is being set not by reason and the quiet majority but by anyone who can generate a headline – noisy minorities, extremists, and the pathologically timorous. Public service has been replaced by self-enhancement and self-aggrandizement; basic honesty and integrity are vanishingly rare; problems are tackled not with a view to solving them but with a view to gaining favourable headlines and further extending the powers and machinery of Government; enterprise and initiative are being suffocated by bureaucracy; ancient freedoms that thousands have died to win for us are being discarded without a thought, and, to add final insult to grievous injury, the whole desperate shambles is being paid for with our hard-earned money.
Looking at the way some MPs strive to become ‘interesting characters’ or TV quiz show hosts, one is tempted to say we are no longer a Democracy, but a ‘Celebritocracy’. However, a more accurate word is Kakistocracy, (look it up, it’s spot on!)
Unfortunately, Parliament, as presently constituted, cannot mend itself – most MPs, decent and conscientious though many strive to be, could not begin to earn their present salaries in ordinary employment – many, in fact, have never had a proper job for any length of time. As a result, independent thought puts them at risk and they must bow to the diktats of the party whips. Party discipline and party loyalty – the retention of ‘power’ by the party – supersede the good of the country.
Further, most MPs are lawyers and as such their basic training makes them poor problem-solvers. They examine evidence not to obtain a measure of the truth of a situation, but to select such parts of it as can be presented in the most favourable manner to meet the short-term needs of their clients – in this case, the Party. Thus, time and again new laws and procedures are tacked on to old ones to ‘deal with’ particular problems, without any semblance of an overview and often with a complete disregard for hard evidence. This is not only unscientific, it is fundamentally irrational – voodoo law-making - an ancient and primitive way, where superstition, bigotry, tribal hatreds, all our darkest instincts, can hold sway. It is not the way of rational and civilized peoples, nor a way forward. The effects of this, bad enough as they are, are further aggravated by the instinct of Governments for social engineering – that pious arrogance which imbues them with the belief that they know better than we do how to run our lives and our businesses. Hence the relentless deluge of detailed diktats imposed on every business and public institution. This, of course, as any remotely competent businessman would point out, is the very essence of bad management. Such good work as the police, teachers, NHS staff, all of us, manage to do, is a tribute to decent people trying their damnedest to work within these constraints, often having to ignore or ‘bend’ the fatuous procedures foisted on them from above. Very sadly this can be at great personal cost. Having to spend hour after hour doing ‘work’ you know to be completely pointless instead of doing what you are good at, can take a very heavy toll.
THE SOLUTION
The bringing of a practical problem-solving attitude towards legislation. Asking, exactly what is the problem? Precisely how will
this proposal deal with it? Subjecting laws to much the same scrutiny as scientific research – if it’s not working, find out why and change it or get rid of it. What has been done before is only of value insofar as it provides evidence of effectiveness.
Two basic principles are : if what you are doing is not working, do something else, and pay no heed to those declaiming the thousand ways something cannot be done.
Listen instead to the experts – the people who do the work – caretakers, nurses, soldiers, social workers, constables, teachers, plumbers, clerks, on and on. Their collective wisdom, expertise and goodwill is immense.
We need politicians who accept and understand this fully. They are public servants, paid by us, and charged with temporarily overseeing the health and well-being of our society. Their fundamental duty is to put in place a regime which acknowledges the talents of the people and encourages both co-operative and individual endeavour. They must both follow and guide. Follow, by asking, listening and striving to understand. Guide, by bringing calm, open-minded and rational thought, and perhaps a little courage and wisdom, to whatever is before them, not least to protect us from the worst excesses of democracy – mob rule. It is not for them to define what we each may do, but to define only the few things that we may not do, to accept the principle of ‘do as you wish, but hurt no one’ and to propose restraints on us, based on reason and practicality, ‘so gentle and moderate . . . that no man of sense or probity would wish to see them slackened’.
Government is a necessary evil and politics must be pragmatic. At best, politicians should seek to do the greatest good for the greatest number. Failing that, they should seek to do the least harm to the fewest. Much has been spoken in the past of ‘passion’ and ‘conviction politics’, but sincerity is not necessarily a cardinal virtue in a politician
– Hitler, Stalin and Mao Tse Tung were all sincere conviction politicians. While ideals are essential, ideologies are a curse and ideologues invariably dictatorial. What is needed is a strong commitment to democratic ideals – trust in the people – together with a realistic acceptance of Churchill’s comment that democracy is the worst way to run a country except for all the others – it is messy and inefficient, but it works. Also needed is practical ability. ‘I meant well’ is no more acceptable an excuse from a failed politician than it is from a failed plumber who has wrecked the house, cost you a fortune and left the scene with water still coming through the ceiling.
AN ETHICAL BASIS
‘So many gods, so many creeds, So many ways that wind and wind, While all the world needs Is that we be kind ’ after Ella Wheeler
Wilcox
Over the years we have been offered ‘Victorian values’, ‘Family values’, ‘Christian values’, ‘Back to basics’, ‘Ethical foreign policy’, ‘Moral compasses’ etc. All vague and ill-defined, not to say, pompous terms, deliberately chosen to give the impression that the floundering policies they ostensibly justified were rooted in some deep and worthy philosophy, and all based on the assumption that the voting public is too stupid to see them for the word games they are. Inevitably, they have each faded away ingloriously, following in the wake of concepts such as integrity, honour, dignity, honesty, and, not least, public service. In their place has come arrogance, mendacity, hypocrisy, blame-shifting, and glaring self-interest.
However, notwithstanding these failures, some form of moral basis is essential to government as it is in ordinary life, so I would offer the plea that is fundamental not only to all the great modern religions but
is accepted by most shades of non-believers, namely, the Golden Rule – ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you’, though for political purposes its negative form is perhaps more appropriate – ‘Do nothing to others you would not like done to yourself.’ This needs no theological debate, Holy Book or Divine Being to justify it. It is the practical wisdom of our species. While we are each unique individuals, we have evolved to need others, hence we are empathic: we understand and generally respect the feelings of others and, for the most part, we manage to preserve our uniqueness and work together for the common good.
I would offer three practical watch-words: trust, tolerance, self-sufficiency.
1. Trust is deeply rooted in us all. Indeed, without it, society could not function. Every day we trust thousands of complete strangers with our lives without giving it a thought and Governments should accept, encourage, and build on this. Trust however, is mutual. You cannot trust someone who does not trust you and when almost every action by Parliament demonstrates a deep distrust of us, the people who lent it their authority, it will not be restored easily. Which prompts the question, would you trust me to run a Government? Well, I would not ask you to - you should watch anyone vying for power over you like hawks and hold them continually to account. I would ask you to give me – and anyone who chooses to pursue this venture with me – a chance. I certainly trust you. We are the only real alternative to the stifling grip of the existing parties, perhaps even a last chance.
2. Tolerance is traditionally a powerful British virtue but it can be hard work. It does not simply mean living peacefully with people whose views are a ‘little different’ from yours, it means living, dealing, co-operating, and debating to find common ground, with people whose ideas and actions you may heartily detest, people who may mock and deride your most cherished beliefs – as you
might theirs. Nevertheless, it is essential in a free and diverse society – one which aspires to progress. It is the first thing to go once trust begins to collapse and without it there is only ignorance, bigotry and hatred, the harbingers of social violence. The only thing we can safely be intolerant of is intolerance.
3. Self-sufficiency is the only way that peoples can be truly free and nations both strong and good neighbours. It is also the only way to protect ourselves from international economic vagaries, random acts of violence (see ‘Terrorism’), pandemics, ecological and climatic disasters such as floods and droughts etc, and, not least, over-weaning and autocratic Governments. Not to be able to grow or make everything we need to survive is frankly insane. It leaves us defenceless and vulnerable to the whims of others far away in what will become an increasingly unsettled world. Self-sufficiency should be aspired to in everything both locally and nationally: from agriculture to manufacturing and from heating and lighting our houses to defending ourselves in our homes and neighbourhoods
Socialist Alternative
Founded 1995
Split from International Socialist Organisation
Headquarters Victorian Trades Hall,Melbourne, Australia
Newspaper Red FlagMarxist Left Review
Ideology Marxism,Trotskyism,International Socialism
Political position Far-left
International affiliation Fourth International(permanent observer status)
Website
www.redflag.org.au
Politics of Australia Political parties
Elections
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Progress PartyFremskrittspartiet
Abbreviation FrP
Leader Siv Jensen
Parliamentary leader Harald T. Nesvik
Founded 8 April 1973
Headquarters Karl Johans gate 250159 Oslo
Newspaper Fremskritt
Youth wing Progress Party’s Youth
Membership 16,342 (2014)[1]
Ideology Conservative liberalism[2][3]
Economic liberalism[4][5][6]
Right-wing populism
Political position Right-wing
European affiliation None
International affiliation None
Colours Blue (dark blue)
Storting 29 / 169
County Councils[7] 83 / 728
Municipal Councils[8] 889 / 10,781
Sami Parliament[9] 2 / 39
Website
frp.no
Nationalist Party of Japanワコクコクミントウ
Political Chief Tanigaki Sadakazu
First Secretary Shii Kazuo
Founded February 5, 1919
Youth wing National Youth League
Membership (2012) 15,504,829
Ideology Gobosei Shiso
Japanese nationalism
Social conservatism
Populism
Political position Right wing to Centre-left
National affiliation National Front
International
affiliation
International Meeting of Social
Nationalists
Official colors Navy blueThe Nationalist Party of Japan (ダイワコクミントウ; 大和國民
AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESSSOUTH AFRICA'S NATIONAL LIBERATION MOVEMENT
The African National Congress
The ANC is a national liberation movement. It was formed in 1912 to unite the African people and spearhead the struggle for fundamental political, social and economic change.
The ANC's key objective is the creation of a united, non-racial, non-sexist and democratic society.
This means the liberation of Africans in particular and black people in general from political and economic bondage. It means uplifting the quality of life of all South Africans, especially the poor.
The Tripartite Alliance
The ANC is in an alliance with the South African Communist Party (SACP) and theCongress of South African
Trade Unions(COSATU). Each Alliance partner is an independent organisation with its own constitution,
membership and programmes. The Alliance is founded on a common commitment to the objectives of the
National Democratic Revolution, and the need to unite the largest possible cross-section of South Africans behind
these objectives.
Former Leaders
The Officials
John Dube
SEARCH THIS SITE GO
Sefako Makgatho
Zaccheus Mahabane
Josiah Gumede
Pixley Seme
Alfred Xuma
James Moroka
Albert Luthuli
Oliver Tambo
Nelson Mandela
Govan Mbeki
Walter Sisulu
Thabo Mbeki
FollowANC on
Luthuli House - HQ
PO Box 61884Marshalltown2107
54 Sauer StreetJohannesburg2001
Telephone: 011 376 1000 Fax: 011 376 1242/086 508 2441E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.anc.org.za
