By Dwight Swanson

One of the myths that remains a prevalent affect of the Thatcher era is that the solution to all problems can be found in management. This is a corollary of privatisation and free-market liberalism—that private business management is better because such managers are keen to make a profit.

The Thatcher government pressed a vigorous policy of privatisation in which large swathes of public services were sold off to private enterprise: telephones, utilities, the rail network, etc. Astonishingly, when New Labour came in, it revealed an inexplicable fascination with this project, and extended it further, to education and the health service. The clear belief has been that the only way any institution can work is by application of principles of management based on the profit motive.

The recent shake-up of senior management in a number of rather prominent banks on both sides of the Atlantic—with billions of dollars/pounds lost in the mother-of-all-gambling games—should be a wake-up call to someone that private sector management is capable of making much bigger mistakes than public sector management has opportunity to make. And, that, when given free-market rein to spend other people’s money, these managers will over-reach themselves on unimaginable scales.

Let me be clear that I am most aware that good management is essential to the healthy functioning of any institution that involves more than one person. My point of contention is with the ideology that management is the solution to all problems, which follows from the prior faith in the open market.

This story, in my own home town, (here ) shows where such practice leads. There was great public support for the large increases in budget given to health and education over the past decade of Labour management. But, with the passing of time, it has become clear that the funds have not gone where most needed—to health workers and teachers. Instead, the money went to bring in managers, who—we were assured—needed to have salaries incumbent with those they would receive in the private sector. (more)

By Dwight Swanson

For those who like to worry, the news is bad both in the short run and in the long run. That is, if we survive the short run long enough to reach the long run. You can decide which is worthy of greater worry. Or not.
First of all, another of the Climate Change-Doom Brigade reports comes via the UN (one is spoiled for choice in this regard): this

On the other hand, there is at least one evolutionist who seems to have hope for the future, at least for some of us—or, shall I say, some of our descendants: this

It is comforting to know I don’t have to worry that there won’t be something to worry about! (more)

By Dwight Swanson

Much of what we do in life is routine: we repeat the same actions over and over in the same way. Routine actions are not meant to draw attention; they are meant to happen over and over without thought. When our routines in life draw attention to themselves, we usually identify them as ‘dull routines’. They are dull because they do not excite. They are not meant to excite—they simply serve to assist daily life in going on smoothly. Routines should not be disparaged as ‘dull’, because they are not meant to be anything else. Of course, when we speak of dull routine we are really saying that life has become reduced to no more than that of routine action, devoid of interest or excitement. And, we expect human life to have an element of interest or excitement.

So, we look for ways to add excitement to our lives. The most common ways appear to be: going to clubs; exotic holidays; drugs and alcohol.

Once we find something that is interesting or exciting we then try to replicate that interest over and over again. As with Hollywood and cinema sequels, we think that if a formula works once it should work over and over. But, once we repeat the excitement a few times it, too, becomes a routine. Then, to get over the new dull routine, we have to add a new level of excitement. A tragic example of this appears to be the case of the recent sex and drug-related murder in Pelugia.

But I wish to praise routine for its life-saving virtues. (more)