Hi Folks,
A lot of good conversation going on here. I want to tell you that tomorrow
is the New Moon Ceremony for our community which I officiate. That means
that I will be away for 24 hours. Just wanted to let you know that the
conversation is good and that I'm not taking a rest. Be back Sunday.
REH
----- Original Message -----
From: "Keith Hudson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Friday, April 27, 2001 5:08 PM
Subject: RE: Musings on the FTAA
> Hi Arthur,
>
> At 10:48 27/04/01 -0400, you wrote:
> >Very discouraging. Sounds more like a " 3rd world country. "
>
> No, don't get too depressed. The picture I've described of England and the
> police is a highly selective one. The deteriorating situation doesn't
> adversely affect most of the population, only the poor. As Francis
Fukuyama
> points out in his latest book, "Trust", populations in developed countries
> have, in fact, become more law-abiding in the last couple of decades or
so.
> Thus the serious decline in the efficacy and morale of the police doesn't
> affect most people.
>
> The situation is, in fact, very similar to that which applies to America.
> When I visited San Francisco two years ago, and stayed at an hotel near
the
> city centre I never saw a single policemen in the whole of three days. Not
> a single one -- neither on foot nor in a police car! At the time I
couldn't
> understand it. I actually felt that my American experience had been
> deprived because I hadn't seen a genuine American cop. Yet the hotel
people
> also told me never to turn right at a nearby corner and walk down that
> particular street. Otherwise, I would certainly get mugged at the very
least.
>
> (AC)
> >The breakdown in social cohesion, once started, seems very difficult to
turn
> >around.
>
> I'm not so sure that "social cohesion", in the sense that you probably
mean
> it (up and down the social classes and also laterally across the whole
> society), has ever existed -- except in its "pure" form in the
> pre-agricultural hunter-gatherer tribe which cohered in order to protect
> its area from surrounding tribes, and in other relatively isolated
examples
> throughout history such as coal-miner villages in Wales (cohering against
> other sorts of enemy and adversity). There are also episodes of quite
> extensive nationalistic coherence when countries are faced by a foreign
> threat, such as we've had in the past two centuries in Europe. But all of
> these "coherences" soon break down when prosperity spreads around or an
> overall threat disappears. During the First World War, the coherence
> (deference) of the newly-urbanised and naive masses to their "betters"
soon
> evaporated when they saw just how incompetent the officer class was. As
> soon as the war was over, and there was no more perceived threat, social
> divisiveness rose to a pitch in the 20s that led to a General Stike and
the
> possibility of a Revolution similar to that which occurred in Russia.
>
> In my opinion, the apparent lack of social coherence is not important.
What
> is of importance, however, is that the natural intelligence of an
> increasing minority of developed countries' populations has been blunted
by
> State(bureaucracy)-imposed education systems over the past century. This
> would not be so serious if we had a fairly static job structure. But
> because of technnological change, an increasingly dumbed-down and
> standardised educational system has created a terrible vicious circle. A
> proportion of the school population cannot respond to changing conditions
> and get decent jobs because they were confined to curricula which were
> always out of date, in due course they become poverty-struck parents
> trapped in sink housing estates, their children in turn then become doubly
> deprived by both poor environments and schools which are even worse than
> their parents.
>
> In de-bunking economics as the be-all and end-all of life, Ray Harrell in
> another posting was quite right. Economics is surely important but the
> talent and culture of the human inputs are just as important, if not more
> so, in shaping the resultant social and job structure.
>
> Keith H
>
>
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: Keith Hudson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> >Sent: April 26, 2001 4:39 PM
> >To: Ed Weick
> >Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >Subject: Re: Musings on the FTAA
> >
> >
> >Hi Ed,
> >
> >Yes, I was a bit snide about our police, I'm afraid. But they're in a
> >pretty poor state actually. Perhaps your police forces are better than
> >ours. Over here, there's no doubt that the calibre of the ordinary
recruit
> >has been steadily going downhill for 30-odd years now. (They're even
going
> >to appoint recruits who have minor court records.) In fact, we're tending
> >to have a police force which is a reflection of the overall job situation
> >-- that is, a widening separation between the bright and the
not-so-bright.
> >(Like the army, too, thinking about it.) Because of the declining quality
> >of the average recruit and the shortage of good officers coming through
> >from the ranks, the Home Office started to recruit "fast-track"
candidates
> >from the universities some years ago. After a minimum period "on the
beat"
> >these get promoted into comfortable desk jobs very quickly -- much
resented
> >by the ordinary "copper", of course. Once in position, these bright
sparks
> >then start to bring in the latest fancy management doctrines. Then, when
> >they get promoted, and other fast-trackers take their place, the latest
> >fashion is brought in.
> >
> >The result is that the old-time bobby has become ever more confused and
> >demoralised, and a further consequence of this is that the Police
> >Federation (that is, the trade union) has become increasingly militant.
> >Because policemen cannot go on strike, their militancy takes other forms,
> >such as wide-scale illness and massive early retirements for medical
> >reasons on the basis of stress -- and taking with them quite substantial
> >compensation. Recently The Times newspaper carried out an audit of
> >policemen in several boroughs in London and found only one-third on duty!
> >The rest were on leave, or ill, or attending courses, or something . . .
.
> >
> >Corruption is widespread, too, particularly in the large cities where
drug
> >pushing is highly organised and needs the "support" of well-placed
> >policemen taking back-handers. Police forces in "sink estates" on the
> >outskirts of the large cities hardly ever patrol there, and racial
attacks
> >on immigrants are rarely prosecuted. In some of the most poverty-struck
> >housing estates, the local councils employ private vigilantes because the
> >police are completely inept. In other places, vigilantism
(euphemistically
> >known as "Neighbourhood Watch") is growing and many local hoodlums are
> >actually kidnapped and ditched elsewhere.
> >
> >In Northern Ireland, the police force (the Royal Ulster Constabulary)
never
> >enter Republican neighbourhoods except when driving through fast in
> >armour-plated vehicles. The peace there is kept by vigilante groups.
Unlike
> >other city neighbourhoods where drugs are rife, there is no
> >drug-trafficking and hardly any crime. Drug traffickers get killed and
> >petty thieves and burglars are warned once and then, if they persist, are
> >"knee-capped" (shot in the leg or something similar). But, then, it'sd a
> >well-known secret that there are also similar no-go neighbourhoods in one
> >or two large cities in England where the police never enter, except in
> >coach-loads, and only then, to pick up bodies. Murders are rarely
> >investigated in those places.
> >
> >Actually, I think that many ordinary London policemen are quite looking
> >forward to the May Day demonstrations so they can lay about them with
their
> >batons with permission and relieve the boredom of their jobs.
> >
> >Yes, I'm sure there are still many decent and conscientious policemen,
but
> >they're a disappearing breed. There's little doubt in my mind, that the
> >policeforce, like state schools and the National Health Service is now
> >breaking down and will become increasingly privatised in the coming
years.
> >All sorts of isolated "experiments" are taking place in all these public
> >services and, as morale sinks lower, there'll come a time when
> >privatisation will suddenly accelerate -- and then we'll be in an
entirely
> >different world in which the inefficiencies of the developed nation-state
> >will be fully exposed.
> >
> >Keith H
> >
> > At 08:55 26/04/01 -0400, you wrote:
> >>Hi Keith,
> >>
> >>I will try to reply with more later, but for the moment I must say that
I
> >>like the terms "spikeys" and "fluffies". The latter is an especially
good
> >>term to apply to Canada's political left in its current state of
absolute
> >>disarray. It was out in some force (if you can call it that) in Quebec
> >>City.
> >>
> >>I would add that I'm not so sure that the intelligence of the police is
> >>below that of many of the demonstrators. Watching the latter bounce
around
> >>trying to bring down the Quebec City fence had me wondering if they were
> >all
> >>body and no brains. One police officer who handled himself extremely
well
> >>was Mike Gaudet, the spokesperson for the RCMP, whom I happen to know
when
> >>he is not in uniform. He is a highly intelligent and socially conscious
> >>person.
> >>
> >>Ed
> >>
> >>> At 11:42 25/04/01 -0400, you wrote:
> >>> > The tear gas has cleared. The politicians and their advisors have
> >>gone
> >>> >home. The kids have gone back to their classes or wherever else they
> >>came
> >>> >from, though a few are still being held in Quebec City.
> >>>
> >>> Well, all may be quiet in Quebec City, but we (that is, Londoners) are
> >>> expecting the biggest riots yet, now being known generically as "S-26"
> >>> (after the September 26, 2000 riot in Prague) on 1 May. Enormous
numbers
> >>of
> >>> police are already being trained and kitted out with riot shields and
> >>> batons and so forth. They don't stand a chance of keeping the peace,
of
> >>> course, their intelligence being generally below that of the
> >>demonstrators.
> >>> Their plans (from what we learn in the media) are to protect about 200
> >>> monuments, McDonalds' and the like in the City of London and, to do
that,
> >>> they are going to plant a few police in each place. The "spikeys" (the
> >>> generic name for the real trouble-makers) will wheel about
> >>> opportunistically, coordinating their activities with mobile phones,
> >while
> >>> the police, only instructable from the centre, will be slow to react.
I
> >>> think we can expect the worst riots yet. The whole thing is being
charged
> >>> up to high voltage by the politicians. I wouldn't be surprised if
someone
> >>> dies this time.
> >>>
> >>> We seem to have a new tradition in the making -- Seattle, Melbourne,
> >>> London's Parliament Square, Quebec City, and now back to London.
Spikeys
> >>> must be spending an awful lot on airline tickets in order to join the
> >>> home-grown and relatively peaceful "fluffies" in one capital after
> >>another.
> >>>
> >>> What's the answer? There isn't one within the present terms of
reference.
> >>> How can there be when almost every major politician in Europe has been
> >>> tainted with suspicions of corruption on a large scale in each case --
> >>> Kohl, Schmidt, Mitterand, not to mention the relatives (such as the
> >>alleged
> >>> backhanders to Thatcher's son, Mark)? Political scandals follow one
> >>> another like cars off the production line. How can there be an answer
> >when
> >>> important political decisions are taken in secret according to hidden
> >>> agendas (as is now occurring with Foot and Mouth Disease in the UK)
> >>without
> >>> consulting the experts and with no public debate?
> >>>
> >>> No wonder that only a minority of young adults bother to vote in
General
> >>> Elections (only 44% of 18-24 yr olds last time, and probably about 33%
in
> >>> the one due to be held in June). Within three or four more General
> >>> Elections, only a minority of the whole electorate will bother to
vote.
> >>> This is not a short term phenomenon -- it has been going on for
decades.
> >>> This trend, plus the riots, are clear signs that the present political
> >>> system is coming to an end and has got to change radically. This is
> >>> Chartism of the 19th century all over again.
> >>>
> >>> Keith Hudson
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> What’s it
> >>> >all mean? From the media reports, I gathered that much of the
discussion
> >>> >among leaders focused on the politics of a more closely linked
western
> >>> >hemisphere, not on the economics, though economics may well have
> >>dominated
> >>> >discussion in the back rooms. Politicians appeared to give
particular
> >>> >attention to the so-called "Democracy Clause", which was intended to
> >>> >establish conditions that would exclude non-democratically elected
> >>> >countries from the FTAA. It would seem that, as long as a country
could
> >>> >demonstrate that its leadership was elected, it was in, regardless
of
> >>how
> >>> >elections were held or rigged, how power was distributed, and who
had
> >>> >control behind the scenes. Dictatorships like Cuba, even if
benevolent,
> >>> >were out. The economics will undoubtedly prove more troublesome. The
> >>> >protesters on the street were probably right in seeing the FTAA as a
> >>means
> >>> >of making it easier for corporate capital to move from the richer
parts
> >>of
> >>> >the western hemisphere, mainly the United States, into the poorer
parts
> >>> >where labour was cheaper and restrictive environmental and social
> >>> >regulations were fewer. However, the protesters were wrong in making
> >>this
> >>> >look all bad. Poor countries would benefit and so might the rich.
For
> >>> >example, Jamaica is alleged to have become a major transshipment
point
> >>for
> >>> >drugs moving from South America to the United States not only
because
> >>the
> >>> >drug trade is extremely lucrative but also because young people in
the
> >>> >vast shanty towns of Kingston can find little else to do. Giving
them
> >>some
> >>> >alternatives and raising the standard of living even a little might
do
> >>> >something positive in stemming the flow of drugs. Providing more
jobs
> >at
> >>> >home could also stem the brain-drain which Jamaica and other
Caribbean
> >>> >countries are experiencing. As another example, people who must live
in
> >>> >the huge and growing slums of Sao Paulo have a strong work ethic and
> >>will
> >>> >do anything legal or illegal, to keep themselves and their families
> >>alive.
> >>> >They try to learn English in little classes held at night to get jobs
in
> >>> >downtown hotels. Even exploitative foreign investment would be
welcome.
> >>> >Unions were out in some force in Quebec City. They do not want to see
> >>> >capital move from the United States and Canada to Jamaica and
Brazil.
> >It
> >>> >means a loss of jobs for their members and a further decline in
their
> >>> >powers. However, the movement of capital to cheaper labour abroad
has
> >>been
> >>> >only one of a number of factors accounting for the decline of
unions,
> >>and
> >>> >not likely the most important factor. The industrial structure of
> >>advanced
> >>> >economies, the nature of work, and the character of
employer-employee
> >>> >relations, have all changed greatly over the past few decades and
would
> >>> >all seem to have eroded labour power. But the most important thing
about
> >>> >the FTAA is that it is unlikely to result in anything very
substantial
> >>by
> >>> >2005, the target date set at Quebec City. Indeed, it will probably
not
> >>> >result in very much that could not happen under bi- or tri-lateral
> >>> >arrangements. There are just too many problems and differences among
> >the
> >>> >countries of the Americas to permit the establishment of something
> >>unified
> >>> >and workable. They vary enormously in wealth, income distribution,
> >>> >education, the composition of populations, and other such factors.
> >>Efforts
> >>> >have been made to establish freer trade. The most notable example is
> >>> >Mercosur, the trading block which includes Argentina, Brazil,
Paraguay
> >>and
> >>> >Uruguay. At present, however, Mercosur appears to be in some
trouble.*
> >>> >The FTAA will most certainly not result in anything resembling the
> >>European
> >>> > Union. Member nations of the EU were originally much closer to
enjoying
> >>a
> >>> >similar standard of living than are countries of the Americas. They
have
> >>> >put years of work into fiscal restructuring. They were willing to
> >>> >relinquish important powers of governance, including monetary
policy,
> >to
> >>> >central authorities. There is no way that one can see anything
similar
> >>for
> >>> >the Americas in the next few decades. * (See:
> >>> >http://www.stratfor.com/home/giu/archive/042401.asp#Cavallo) Ed Weick
> >>> ___________________________________________________________________
> >>>
> >>> Keith Hudson, General Editor, Calus <http://www.calus.org>
> >>> 6 Upper Camden Place, Bath BA1 5HX, England
> >>> Tel: +44 1225 312622; Fax: +44 1225 447727;
> >>> mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >>>
________________________________________________________________________
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >___________________________________________________________________
> >
> >Keith Hudson, General Editor, Calus <http://www.calus.org>
> >6 Upper Camden Place, Bath BA1 5HX, England
> >Tel: +44 1225 312622; Fax: +44 1225 447727;
> >mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >________________________________________________________________________
> >
> >
> ___________________________________________________________________
>
> Keith Hudson, General Editor, Calus <http://www.calus.org>
> 6 Upper Camden Place, Bath BA1 5HX, England
> Tel: +44 1225 312622; Fax: +44 1225 447727;
> mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> ________________________________________________________________________
