Blog 2023 Malcolm Blair-Robinson

There was nothing inherently accusatory or upsetting in the Government’s letter to Muslim leaders all across Britain, other than the fact that it was sent to Muslims alone. At the moment it is true that religious extremism is focussed on Islam, but this has not always been the case. We know from the violence in Northern Ireland that Christians too can terrorise to achieve a goal. The Jewish Stern Gang killed large numbers in Palestine in the period immediately following WWII.

A letter was in order but it should have been sent to all religious leaders in the UK. They all have a responsibility to the rest of us and to each other. In particular they share a huge responsibility towards the rising generation. If there was a message to convey which in the present context may apply to some more than others, it is wiser to avoid singling anyone out. The fact that it was sent in the form that it was and only to Muslims tells us more about the senders than the recipients.

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It is the view of this Blog that we are moving into uncertain times because two models, one of government and the other of the present form of capitalism, are not working. Or they work only for the political class and the financial sector, specifically the part engaged lending and trading money.

We now know that for the first time the richest one percent  in the world own more than all the other 99% put together. That is unjust and  cannot last. Change may come in a measured form but it rarely does; it may be forced and it may even be violent. On the political side change is already in motion. Mainstream political parties are losing members, while smaller parties gain in popularity. These smaller parties are usually focussed on issues of discontent and often of the far right or left. They are gaining ground all across Europe.

The highly respected Economist Intelligence Unit, in a project commissioned by the BBC, has reached the conclusion that Britain may be heading for a period unstable government when no clear majority exists after the next election for a structured legislative programme. Individual preferences will have to be traded one against the other, with the prospect of a fall of the government ever present. In America gridlock is a fact of political life.

The critical factor which will drive change is that the 99% have lost confidence in the system. Just as communism in its old form tottered and fell in the nineties when the people lost confidence in the doctrine. To the extent it did survive it was remodeled, as in China. A remodeling of how capitalism functions on a global scale and the nature of the democratic institutions which underpin it, is a process now in gestation. It may have  begun already.

The Tor Raven ethos is to make books and downloads available for the lowest possible price so that they can be afforded even if money is tight. Browse the Tor Raven page on AMAZON.COM or AMAZON.UK

    All Tor Raven thrillers are compelling reads but with an unusually varied style, from vintage gothic, through romantic mystery, political intrigue and historical drama.

It is not often that this blog agrees with any church. The ethos of these posts is detachment and independent thinking; secular and non-partisan. So it came as something of a surprise to agree with two Archbishops and the Pope on different issues but on the same day.

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have jointly written a book about modern social issues in which they highlight the bad consequences of the growing income gap between rich and poor. This has been a theme of this blog for some time, and will be developed further as the general election approaches. So on that issue (not on all) we back the Archbishops.

The Pope became animated in his aircraft en route in his tour of the Far East and declared that he would punch his colleague standing next to him where he to insult the Pope’s mother. He went on to say that freedom of expression did not necessarily include the freedom to insult and make fun of other people’s religious convictions and that the very existence of the freedom to do it imposed a duty of restraint. We agree with that too.

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Malcolm Blair-Robinson U.S          Malcolm Blair-Robinson U.K.

David Cameron, as part of his election campaign, has flown off to the White House to boost his credentials as a world statesman of whom note is taken. It will impress voters. Actually it won’t because as the old saying goes, those voters have other fish to fry. Living standards, immigration, the NHS, their children’s schools, job prospects for the young; all the stuff Cameron does not want to talk about. By contrast Labour talks about nothing else, but not enough people are listening. Maybe their leader is a bit, well kind of, you know. Of course loads of people listen to Nigel, mostly in pubs. Then there’s Nick. Yes. Who?

So David will cosy up to Barak and they will agree on everything as they always do anyway. It is a fact worth noting that the US has the strongest recovery in the West following the recession and it is based on the diversity of its economy with its technological lead, its manufacturing capacity, its near self sufficiency on fair value energy and its can do culture.

There is another factor which makes Cameron feel good. America is the only country in the world that owes more money than the UK. Phew, that’s a relief.

The UK Home Secretary wants to introduce new powers to allow the police to intercept texts, phone messages and emails in order to keep ahead of people wanting to kill innocent citizens. She is a Tory. Her Lib Dem partners in the Coalition oppose this move on the grounds that it is an unjustified surrender of privacy in a democracy and to let it go through would be a victory for the terrorists.

The Lib Dems have the moral high ground but on the wrong hill. Viewed from an armchair or a debating chamber the notion of individual liberty free from state snooping is a non-negotiable foundation of a free society. Faced with a direct threat to those they love, wives, children, parents, partners, which can only be relived by surrendering a part of that freedom, most civilised people would give it up gladly. This is why this non-partisan blog says with conviction that in this case the Lib Dems are wrong and the Tories are right.

In WWII there were huge restrictions on personal freedom. Everybody carried identity cards and there was censorship of mail. I found an old letter written to my parents from a friend, a woman whose son was serving in the army, with part of the letter cut out with a razor. Clearly the lady had said something she should not have. There was also an Orwellian sounding Ministry of Information.

We can debate at length whose fault it is young people have become radicalised, but the fact is they have and they do terrible things. Until we have worked out a way to de-radicalize them and eliminate the threat, we have to do whatever it takes to guard against it. If that means that the authorities have to snoop on all of us, we must pay the price until the threat is removed. And if you are Lib Dem and don’t like that, too bad. If you cannot cope, get rid of your PC, smart phone and tablet and live in the past. The rest of us want to be sure our loved ones go on living safely in the now.

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Set in the mid nineteen nineties, this fast moving thriller lifts the curtain on sex, sleaze and corruption in high places as the long reign of the government totters to an end, following the ousting of the iconic Margaret Thatcher. The novel captures the mood of those times with a host of fictional characters who engage in political intrigue, money laundering and murder, pursued by an Irish investigative journalist and his girlfriend, the daughter of a cabinet minister found dead in a hotel room after bondage sex.

(also in Tor Raven imprint as Power Corruption and Lies)