TheoGeoPolis

Wordle

2010-03-11T23:33:00.000-08:00

Just discovered www.worlde.com and I love it.
Here's what this blog looks like as a word cloud (click for larger image):

Behaviour change: Regulation or relationship?

2010-03-10T09:22:00.001-08:00

I was recently lucky enough to blag a free seat at the Guardian Public Sector Conference 2010, held at the very impressive Grove Hotel in Hertfordshire (scene of the recent bugging debacle - it wasn't me, honest).

There were a number of fascinating presentations, including former Canadian PM Paul Martin on how he got Canada out of debt (cut everything that doesn't reflect your priorities, do it hard and fast and ensure that the burden is shared equally across society) and hillarious after-dinner comments from Senior Guardian Political Editor and general legend, Michael White.

However, the most thought-provoking and challenging talk was given by traffic engineer and anthropologist Ben Hamilton-Baillie on the subject of behaviour change.

Hamilton-Baillie observed that there is a marked difference between assumptions about human activity and observations of reality, noting that an ice-rink would surely be banned as a chaotic hazard to health were it to be assessed by modern health and safety regulations.

The prevailing wisdom would have us believe that people are incapable of making sensible choices (when in traffic and other spheres), meaning that the State is required to intervene and regulate behaviour for the common good. Citing Seven Dials in Covent Garden and other projects across the country, Hamilton-Baillie argues that, in the absence of rules, people actually act more intelligently.

Without strict rules to define their behaviours, individuals are forced to negotiate a new, more mature relationships towards others and their surroundings. This is readily demonstrated by the issue of speed limits in town centres: if as a driver your focus is on a regulation that says you should drive at a specific speed, you seek to maintain that speed and perceive any limiting factors on that goal (such as pedestrians) as a pest infringing on your right of way. However, if there are no rules, you don't assume that the road is yours to own, so you drive more carefully, sensitive to the needs of other road users (drivers, cyclists and pedestrians alike). By overwhelming people with regulations that govern all aspects of our daily lives, we have accidentally institutionalised the population and engineered out the space for people to make sensible choices for themselves.

In other words, if we treat people like idiots, they’ll act like idiots.

Contrary to widespread assumptions, peer pressure and social norms are sufficiently effective at enforcing order and appropriate behaviours without the need for expensive and excessive regulation. Research shows that if we develop higher expectations of people, they tend to meet those expectations.

The implications for this simple realisation are profound and have flavoured my conversations ever since the conference. Whether by nudge or nannying, behaviour change has been a hugely important ambition for the State in recent years. From promoting sustainable lifestyle choices to conversations about public sector spending, we need to understand how to move beyond blunt regulation and towards relationship. Perhaps the time is right for us to tear off the bubble wrap and enter into a more sophisticated relationship with citizens that allows them to make adult decisions about their lives.

PostScript
As a Christian, I can't help but observe that this idea of moving from regulation to relationship is exactly the sort of revolutionary message that Jesus brought - freedom from the old Jewish law in exchange for a new relationship with God and each other. In other words, don't get so caught up going through the motions that you forget why you're doing them in the first place. Rather, let your faith guide your behaviours and decisions:

"Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value...

... Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."

(Colossians 2v20-23 & 3v12-14)

When did the poppy become political?

2009-11-06T10:23:00.000-08:00

It worries me that this year, for perhaps the first time, publicity for Remembrance Day poppies seems to be more about honouring contemporary soldiers from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan, and not the fallen of the First and Second World Wars.

Perhaps this is an inevitable transition as we move further from 1914 and the last of those men and women who lived and fought in the wars is promoted to glory. Indeed, there is a striking symbolism (and irony) to the reality that today's soldiers are still fighting in poppy fields, although this time in Afghanistan rather than northern Europe.

However, I feel a deep unease about this move to honour (celebrate?) the more recent fallen. There is a sense that wearing a poppy is now akin to wearing a badge that says Support Our Troops, or at least it as at risk of becoming a symbol of tacit support for the current conflicts in which our forces are engaged around the world.

After reading much on the subject of conflict and faith, I am edging towards identifying myself as a pacifist. This is a pretty hard decision to reach, given that a) military hardware is strangely alluring to the male psyche and b) as an historian, I am aware of many occasions when not standing up and acting would seem not just counterintuitive but unforgivably negligent. However, history also reveals that redemptive violence is a myth; even the best intentioned violence only ever leads to more violence.

The Bible challenges us to adopt a path that is more constructive and ultimately more difficult than taking up arms; Jesus responded to persecution and violence with love and self-sacrifice that perplexed, frustrated and transformed the lives of his enemies (as well as costing him his own). It is often argued that the ‘righteous’ course of action is to fight evil with force, but we should remember that Jesus never said "Greater love has no man than this: to kill those who oppress others”.

Coming back to the immediate issue of poppies, I should clarify that its not that I don't believe those that have lost their lives in more recent conflicts shouldn't be treated with respect, but rather that wearing a poppy should not be a political (or indeed martial) statement.

Wearing a poppy is about recognising and remembering the tragic losses of the Great War. It’s about remembering the self-sacrificing and humbling bravery of ordinary people in both the First and Second World Wars. It’s about remembering that I am not a soldier, but were I to have been born in another era, I would undoubtedly have been. It’s about a point of universal agreement – on whichever side one's forebears fought, we all acknowledge the tragedy, the stupidity and the terrible loss of the wars of the early C20th.

We should be very careful not to allow vested interest groups to exploit the poppy (and the power of that fleeting moment of unity that it encompasses) to promote public endorsement of modern conflicts for which there has been less than universal support. I fear that doing so threatens to politicise and therefore undermine this unique and potent symbol of our mutual remorse, humility, pride and regret.

Twitter: A pointless exercise?

2009-08-14T02:01:00.001-07:00

The bizarre and wonderful thing about twitter is that it allows communication between individuals who would never have met in the real world - whether that be a brief conversation with a celebrity or a the discovery of a new intellectual ally.

I don't care that 80% of my followers are US marketing bots or porn sites.

If even a handful of people outside of my pre-twitter sphere read and are inspired / intruiged / amused by my tweets, then my broadcasts are not pointless.

Anything that helps us connect to each other in this age of isolation is valid.

Somali Pirates: An alternative perspective

2009-08-12T06:38:00.000-07:00

Over recent months, much attention has been given to the almost surreal resurgence of piracy on the high seas, particularly off the coast of Somalia. Most articles have roundly condemned these pirates, but some have taken an alternative view of their actions - condemning the act of hostage-taking, but recognising the validity of the pirates' motivations and local popularity.

Johann Hari from the Centre for Research on Globalization sums up this alternative perspective in this article, in which he argues that Somalis have resorted to piracy in response to international exploitation and extreme domestic need:

In 1991, the government of Somalia collapsed. Its nine million people have been teetering on starvation ever since - and many of the ugliest forces in the Western world have seen this as a great opportunity to steal the country's food supply and dump our nuclear waste in their seas.
Everyone agrees they were ordinary Somalian fishermen who at first took speedboats to try to dissuade the dumpers and trawlers, or at least wage a 'tax' on them. They call themselves the Volunteer Coastguard of Somalia - and it's not hard to see why. In a surreal telephone interview, one of the pirate leaders, Sugule Ali, said their motive was "to stop illegal fishing and dumping in our waters... We don't consider ourselves sea bandits. We consider sea bandits [to be] those who illegally fish and dump in our seas and dump waste in our seas and carry weapons in our seas."

Its the classic 'one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter' senario, but certainly the evidence does seem to suggest that the developed world has been taking advantage of the instability in Somalia to further its own interests.

One possible solution to the ongoing problem of piracy, poverty and exploitation in the Horn of Africa would be to establish one of Paul Romer's Charter Cities in Somalia. If we assume that piracy is partly an expression of misappropriated capitalist ambition (as this satirical game from Wired.com argues), then we know that Somalis have the necessary drive to make a go of the more constructive opportunities for change that a Charter City offers. After all, many successful modern cities have their origins in illegal activities and investments, including London and Las Vegas.

One primary goal of Charter Cities is to alleviate poverty through creating opportunities for native innovation and organic development. Surely, few countries need to reduce poverty and instability more than Somalia. An additional ramification of such a development would be the reduction in the flow of Somali migrants and asylum seekers into Western states, thereby lightening the burden placed on Western welfare systems.

Finally, a Somali Charter City (in partnership with whichever developed nation) would likely have greater potential to stop foreign nations from exploiting Somali waters and therefore correct the fundamental complaint of the pirates.

Sounds like a no-brainer to me. Clearly, the issue of political instability elsewhere in the country would be a problem, but if we think of the charter city like the Foundation from the Asimov series of the same name - an isolated bastion of stability and innovation created to develop and share life-changing alternatives with its underdeveloped neighbours - then the potential for positive change must surely outweigh the threat of instability.

The goal of modern medicine?

2009-07-17T09:05:00.000-07:00

I came across this interesting comment in the book I'm reading at the minute (Island, by Aldous Huxley - of Brave New World fame). In it, Will, a cynical journalist and part-time oil prospector has been shipwrecked on an idyllic (and unexploited) southeast Asian island. While convalescing from his injures from the wreck, he learns about the unique way of life on the island, including these thoughts by his nurse on the problems with western medicine. Although perhaps, the nurse's verdict is too harsh, it raises interesting questions about what the health system is there for:

------------------------------------------------------

"So you think our medicine is pretty primitive?"

"That's the wrong word. It isn't primitive. Its fifty per cent terrific and fifty per cent non-existent. Marvellous antibiotics - but absolutely no methods for increasing resistance, so that antibiotics wont be necessary. Fantastic operations - but when it comes to teaching people a way of going through life without having to be chopped up, absolutely nothing. Its the same all along the line. A plus for patching you up when you've started to fall apart, but D minus for keeping you healthy. Apart from sewage systems and synthetic vitamins you don't seem to do anything at all about prevention. And yet you have a proverb: prevention is better than cure."

"But cure," said Will "is so much more dramatic than prevention. And for the doctors its a lot more profitable..."

Sunday joke

2009-06-28T09:47:00.000-07:00

A zookeeper walks past the ape house and sees a large male ape sat on rock in the cage with a book in each hand. In his left, the ape has Darwin's Origin of the Species, and in his right he holds a copy of the Bible.

Confused, the zookeeper asks the ape what he's doing. The ape looks up and replies, "I am trying to decifer whether I am my brother's keeper, or my keeper's brother..."

Boom, boom

Book review: The Drowned World

2009-06-24T06:40:00.000-07:00

Like the swamps and prehistoric jungles which form the landscape of much of The Drowned World, this book took some wading through in places. That being said, it was an immersive and beguiling read.

The plot is typical of my tastes (as my wife will tell you, I only ever seem to read post-apocalyptic dystopian novels): Fluctuations in solar radiation have caused the polar ice-caps to melt and the seas to rise. Global temperatures have climbed, and civilization has retreated to the Arctic and Antarctic circles. London is a city now inundated by a primeval swamp, to which an expedition travels to record the flora and fauna of this new Triassic Age...

Were this book written by Michael Crichton, this would be an action-packed romp through primordial jungles with a gung-ho cast of all-American heroes. As it is, Ballard's debut (published) novel is relatively light on plot. It is less an exploration of the new physical landscape as the landscape of the mind; a psychotropic(al) adventure into the psyches of those coming to terms with their new environment.

Ballard's prose is not always digested at first glance and his vivid descriptions frequently overwhelm comprehension. Nonetheless, his imagery seeps into your conciousness like the terrible throbbing sun of the protagonist's dreams to create a compelling and immersive vision.

[SPOILER WARNING]

I found myself unexpectedly allured by the strange beauty of the lagoons and shared the protagnost's distress when the waters were drained to reveal the lost streets and buildings beneath; like corpses raised to await Judgement. The horror and chaos of this hellish graveyard - complete with troupes of dancing devils - was evocative of the nightmarish events of Chesterton's 'The Man Who Was Thursday'. Like the protagonist, I too longed for the familiar, purifying waters to return and bury the decaying ghosts of London under the waves once again...

[END SPOILER]

Like other books by Ballard, this is not exactly an easy read, but it was certainly worthwhile. Even as I think back over the book to write this review, fresh details and significances float to the surface of my mind that will keep me pondering for some time to come.

Horizon Scanning with the MOD

2009-06-16T01:36:00.000-07:00

I've been skim reading a strategic trends report from the MOD (2006). Its projections for political instability in Iran are remarkably prescient, but this projection on the risk of global economic instability seems to have rather overstepped the mark (emphasis added):

"Globalization will result in critical interdependencies that will link members of a globalized society that includes a small super-rich elite and a substantial underclass of slum andsubsistence dwellers, who will make up 20% of the world population in 2020. A severe pricing shock, possibly caused by an energy spike or a series of harvest failures, could trigger a domino effect involving the collapse of key international markets across a range of sectors. The impacts of this collapse could be transmitted throughout the globalized economy, possibly resulting in a breakdown of the international political system, as states attempt to respond to domestic crises and the local effects of wider economic collapse. Sophisticated societies that depend on complex, transnational networks for the supply of basic human needs, such as food that cannot be provided indigenously, are likely to face severe infrastructure failure, collapse of public services and societal conflict." (Pg 79)

There's also an interesting projection regarding the rise of (quasi-)independent city-states, as forecast by the Quantum Manifesto:

"Successful, internationally networked cities, as engines of economic development and opportunity, could increasingly assert their independence and new found status in contrast to their backward, less developed and burdensome hinterlands. The formation of new city-states would challenge the major assumption that underpins the current international system - the sovereignty and integrity of the nation-state. Recognition of city-states’sovereignty could cause wider secession and new alignments, leading to uncertain diplomacy and a heightening of international instability." (Pg 82)

Kudos to Justin Pickard for flagging up this report.

Up through the cracks in the concrete

2009-06-15T23:17:00.000-07:00

The revolution rises.

Hordes of soundbite politicians roam Westminster professing progress with their words but denying it with their lives. Media jackals haunt the streets, rooting through the recycling to feed their voracious appetites for suffering. They devour their own young on a capricious whim; the dark lords of celebrity fate. High above, in the glassy towers and gilded boardrooms, oil barons and money men plunder the planet's pockets, turning its own riches against itself.

And all the while, weary and disenchanted, the world yearns for something different.

Rumours of revolution abound.

Quietly but irrepressibly, revolutionary souls subvert the status quo, reclaiming and recruiting communities into their revolutionary fold. The tendrils of this revolution spread far and wide, bringing the hum of new life to the ruins and rubble. Green shoots of change break through the concrete jungle, creeping up through the cracks in the pavement, disrupting the carefully maintained constraints of the prevailing system.

The revolution rises.

Its faithful followers don't just sell light at the end of the tunnel, but see the diamonds sparkling in the grimy walls along the way. They collaborate, co-exist and conspire to create lasting change. They have a vision for the future, not just more of the same. Their lives are lived in community; not just knowing their neighbours' faces but their names and their stories as well. They are a new humanity; humankind 2.0.

The revolution rises.

These revolutionaries embrace technology, adopting and adapting rapidly to integrate new tools and toys just as their prehistoric forebears once did. They live on the wire, as comfortable navigating the twitterverse as the tube map. However, they are not consumed by consumerism, nor deafened by digital broadcasts. Their lives are more than the sum of their playlists and podcasts. They delight in discovering the wild heartbeat that sounds in untamed open spaces; they marvel at the stars that exist beyond the mask of city smog.

Such individuals celebrate their membership of the global village, but lament the exploitative implications of globalisation, the systematic corruptions that make our lives better at the expense of others. But they don't just lament: they act, they speak, they go and stand alongside the poor and the broken. There are no boundaries or borders that can stop the revolution; it is inexorably laying claim to the whole world.

The revolution rises.

Nations fall, politicians falter, but the revolution will continue. It is a perpetual rediscovery. A society turned inside out and outside in at the same time. It is radical yet non-violent, unheralded yet long-awaited.

It is Quantum and it has arrived.

The future of UK population statistics

2009-06-15T05:41:00.000-07:00

There is a general concensus among population statisticians and demographers that the 2011 will be the last decennial census in Britain. Here are my thoughts from a recent Beyond 2011 meeting at the Royal Statistical Society, London discussing the short-comings of the coming system and hopes for its replacement.

Why do we need a new system?

The many and rapid changes in the UK population (mobility, migration) mean that decennial counts such as taken place for the last 150 years are swiftly rendered obsolete; even by the time the 2011 findings are released in 2013, the human landscape of Britain will be significantly different.

Another reason for introducing a new system is that fact that the current arrangement is insufficient to meet the ever-greater expectations of users in terms of accuracy and frequency of data. Other countries (such as Australia) conduct a census every five years, but the decennial model is logistically and financially burdensome enough, doubling the frequency would only exacerbate matters.

The solution to this dilemna is already partially in place. There are plentiful administrative data sources which can be used to inform population statistics (indeed, official mid-year estimates and projections are already influenced by these sources).

What is needed is a coherent, long term strategy for capturing population statistics that will meet the needs of C21st users.

Issues

There are a number of key challenges facing the Beyond 2011 project. These are how to integrate multiple data sources which were never intended to be compiled, how to handle the delicare issue of public acceptability (especially amid parallel talk of identify registers), and how to retain the richness and detail that the full census survey currently offers, but vanilla admin data cannot provide in its current state.

Testing the new system

The plan is to test the accuracy of the new system's output (drawn from combined administrative and alternative sources) to the 'true' results revealed by the 2011 census itself. If the alternative data is sufficiently comparable to the census outputs, the utility of the new system will be validated and the decennial survey may well be retired.

Implications for local government and other users

Not everything the census provides can currently be sourced from administrative sources. There is a need to identify innovative indicators to measure some trends when traditional sources are insufficient. This may require the creation of new limited surveys, as well as creative thinking from demographers (eg. using sewerage data to analyse whether admin-based estimates are truly reflective of the population).

Since adminstrative sources are already (and increasingly) forming the basis of central government population estimates (which in turn inform funding allocations), local authorities need to work closely with partners on improving the coverage and accuracy of existing administrative sources (eg. GP lists, Electoral Roll, School Census etc) so that these provide the best possible representation of their local communities and therefore funds are allocated accordingly. This will be especisially important in a context of shrinking funding.

Suggestions were made that there should be a separate online census for under 25s (the Facebook / 'Netizen' generation) which could capture information more readily (and regularly?) from this demographic, as well as establishing the grounds for a possible population register in the future. With a recent study showing that 98% of parents in Hackney (a London borough with significant socio-economic and ethnic diversity) successfully completed school applications online last September and the Government planning to invest heavily in Digital Britain, surely its time to move away from the paper survey and towards a more distributed, electronic arrangement?

A collaborative effort

Whatever happens after 2011, the need to collaborate actively in shaping something which will meet the needs of all census users (including the general population, who benefit from the strategic planning and funding shaped by data from the census) was both pressing and essential.

An alternative reading of first contact

2009-05-28T08:56:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen the new Star Trek yet, then I urge you to stop reading this right now and get down your local cinema.

Done that? Good.

In short, it's awesome. Great cast and visuals, full of loving nods to the classic series for fans without too much geek to alienate newcomers. Like the moment in The Clone Wars when there's a fleeting glimpse of plans for a Death Star, or when Wolverine and Cyclops banter about yellow lycra. Add to this a pacy plot and witty script and you've got a winner. I quite fancy going to see it again...

In the week since seeing the film, I read a classic Russian sci-fi short entitled Roadside Picnic. In Roadside Picnic, aliens make a fleeting visit to Earth, leaving behind strange Zones where the rules of Nature are strangley corrupted. The consequences of this contact are equally as revolutionary to life on Earth as the meeting between Zephram Cochrane and the Vulcans (Star Trek: First Contact), but the context is quite different to that of other first contact stories.

Rather than landing to invite humanity to join the galactic community, testing us to measure our value as allies or invading to steal our natural resources, this 'Visitation' is a meaningless and much more mundane reality (and one that deals much more with the practical - and terrible - implications of such an event for humanity). The pivotal discussion takes place between two characters - both scientists - in the local pub towards the end of the text as they struggle to understand the meaning of the Visitation:

"Listen, since we're talking, are there any answers to these questions? Who are they, what did they want, will they return?"

"There are answers," Valentine said, smiling. "Lots of them, take your pick."

"And what do you think yourself?"

"A picnic. Picture a forest, a country road, a meadow. A car drives off the country road into the meadow; a group of young people get out of the car carrying bottles, baskets of food, transistor radios, and cameras. They light fires, pitch tents, turn on the music. In the morning they leave. The animals, birds, and insects that watched in horror through the long night creep out from their hiding places. And what do they see? Gas and oil spilled on the grass. Old spark plugs and old filters strewn around. Rags, burnt-out bulbs, and a monkey wrench left behind. Oil slicks on the pond. And of course, the usual mess –– apple cores, candy wrappers, charred remains of the campfire, cans, bottles, somebody's handkerchief, somebody's penknife, torn newspapers, coins, faded flowers picked in another meadow."

"I see. A roadside picnic."

"Precisely. A roadside picnic, on some road in the cosmos. And you ask if they will come back."

"Let me have a smoke. Goddamn this pseudoscience! Somehow I imagined it all differently."

"That's your right."

"So does that mean they never even noticed us?"

"Why?"

"Well, anyway, didn't pay any attention to us?"

"You know, I wouldn't be upset if I were you."

----------------------------------------------------------------------

For those of you (are there any of you?) tickled by this alternative take on first contact, you'll be interested to know that there's a 1979 Russian art film version of the book (Stalker, highly acclaimed by fans of the genre) and rumours of a Hollywood remake on the production trail (threatened to star John Travolta). Although, its probably fair to say that production teams for any Hollywood reimaging will get as far as 'Aliens land, romantic scallywags get into scrapes with overly beaurocratic police' and cover the rest in explosions, high-speed cuts and machinegun fire. Plus, odds are that Monkey, the protagnist's mutant daughter, will be rewriten as a pretty blond lass...

Where have all the bees gone?

2009-05-19T10:14:00.000-07:00

Saw an interesting programme the other evening on the mysterious disappearance of the world's bees. Totally bizzare that so many colonies are literally vanishing - one American keeper had moved his hives bees to a remote valley in the desert to avoid contamination from 'infected' colonies, but he still woke up one morning to find that all 20 million bees (!) had gone without a trace...

It seems that this phenomenon is present across the world. Autstralia and New Zealand are apparently the only parts of the world where bee colonies are still flourishing (and are making a mint exporting their bees to the rest of us who need them to pollonate our foodcrops). Seriously, can you think of the last time you saw a bee? Thought not...

But don't worry, because I have found where the bees has been hiding: the bushes outside our flat in North London. Am tempted to join the league of urban beekeeepers (the best place for keeping bees these days apparently, given the cocktail of deadly pesticides scattered liberally throughout our countryside) . Not sure I have the vocational conviction to be even a hobbyist bee keeper (I have little desire to be "covered in bees"!), but I do like the idea of local food production and reimagining the boundaries between 'urban' and 'rural' lifestyles. Plus, it would be cool to have a swarm of bees at my command to ward off burglars and the like...

The changing landscape

2009-05-13T04:14:00.000-07:00

An example of how attitudes critical of progress (such as wind farms and tidal barages) can change:

In the 1860s, the Monsal Dale railway was built, running through beautiful countryside between Matlock and Buxton. At the time, the poet John Ruskin raged, "The valley is gone and the Gods with it, and now, every fool in Buxton can be at Bakewell in half-an-hour."

A century and a half later, the railway is now regarded fondly by many people as an integral and beautiful element in the landscape.

Personally, I already find the sight of wind turbines awe-inspiring. How long will it take for the new structures of the green revolution to be seen as complimentary to the landscape as the railways bridges and modernist structures of the first industrial revolution?

Some suggestions for No. 10

2009-05-12T05:21:00.000-07:00

In the wake of Expenses-gate and the general disillusionment with our government officials (on both sides of the table), here are two suggestions that Gordon may want to consider...

Replace London residences for non-London MPs with a Parliamentary Hall of Residence.
By collectivising many of the everyday expenses incurred by MPs (such as cleaning, heating, water, electricity, gym membership), not to mention the extraordinary costs of buying and furnishing entire houses, we could dramatically reduce the financial burden on the public purse while still allowing MPs to maintain a personalised and private base in London (which we accept that hotel accommodation may not provide). Moreover, if such a residence was within walking distance of the Houses of Parliament, it would cut the government's day-to-day travel expenses and carbon footprint.

Introduce a None of the Above option on ballot papers
This idea was suggested on the PM programme yesterday on Radio4 and its a compelling one.

With faith in our mainstream politicians so low, it seems likely that fringe - even extremist -parties will perform disproportionately well in the forthcoming EU elections, with voters casting their votes anywhere but the Big 3 in protest. Protest votes are a legitimate and valuable element of modern democracy, but the risk of 'accidentally' electing alternative parties / MEPs into power is a serious one.

If there was a tick box for None of the above, voters could voice their protest without fear of letting something worse slip in to power by default. Imagine the effect on the government's attitude if None of the above won an election...

Towards a theory of Quantum Governance

2008-11-19T01:24:00.000-08:00

Introduction

"Scientific, spiritual, philosophical, and mythological worldviews, shaped by available technologies, have provided the basic principles and values for the creation of social order. Indeed, at every size and scale, political and social experimentation has been a necessary and persistent human activity. However, with the exception of the relatively short-lived experiment with centralized communist statism, there has been little true innovation in governance since the creation of the U.S. Constitution. If mechanical governance is fatally flawed both technologically and cosmologically, then where else can we look?"

http://www.superstructgame.org/s/post_newtonian_governance

One of the key questions facing us today is how to re-imagine society and government in light of our post-Newtonian, quantum paradigm. The following thesis is an attempt to generate radical, world-changing ideas that will allow us to see beyond our existing structures and glimpse the next stage in human organisation.

The Problem
Political power structures orginating from an alpha-male oriented society have traditionally been defined by top-down, pyramidal organistational hierarchies. While the pendulum-swing of governmental forms has produced differing distribution of executive powers, even in Western democratic systems the locality of participants and the lack of cross-council forums has lumped and locked citizen electors into predefined categories. New user-defined power structures are required to capitalise on the decentralisation of thought made available by emergent social phenomena.

We need to begin creating governance by common interest, not vested-interest. Informing people of the choices available to them and allowing them to choose for themselves whom to elect and why at a community-upward scale is an essential step in breaking through currently enforced, parochial democratic boundaries, and a first step on the road to larger, more adaptable decision-making structures. We're all in this together.

Towards a theory of Quantum Government

Quantum society
According to quantum scientists, the fundamental building blocks of our reality – the basic elements from which everything else is formed – are best described as packets of energy. These packets are by no means uniform in character or form; some are exotic, capable of remarkable feats of teleportation, even bi-presence; others are less spectacular, but no less remarkable. Whether exotic or reserved however, each of these packets of energy plays a vital role in maintaining the fabric of the universe in which we live.

Just like these packets of energy, human society is filled with unique individuals, brimming with creative energy and remarkable talents. In a quantum model of governance, every person would be considered equally vital to the whole, regardless of race, gender, creed or pedigree. The myriad differences in society would be celebrated, but the fact that every single person contains the same creative energy - the same intrinsic significance - would also be acknowledged.

A relational model
Quantum mechanics is an inherently relational science. Relationships between quantum packets are complex and convoluted – some quantum particles have only ever been observed in communities of two of more; others seem to be disengaged with their immediate neighbours, but have an impact on distant packets. Understanding these intricate and often bizarre relationships is one of the key goals of quantum research.

Just like quantum packets, a quantum society would exist in community with itself. As history has shown, humans are an irrepressibly social species – we actively seek out groups and large numbers with whom to share our existence. This is not to say that individuals would be denied the option of self-isolation or solitude in a quantum society, but rather that society would be radically inclusive, placing a high value on meaningful interaction, dialogue and cooperation, rather than self-serving ambition and segregation. Just like the interactions between our infinitesimal counterparts, life in the quantum society would be discrete yet deeply interdependent. This complex duality of valuing both community and individuality in equal measure highlights another important aspect of quantum theory that should inform our model of quantum governance...

Both/And, not Either/Or
In a Newtonian universe, everything is binary: either This, or That. In a quantum universe however, the possibility of a third option emerges alongside – perhaps even surpasses – this binary concept. That concept is Both/And. Both/And is typically explained by the fact that, while energy was previously believed to be divided into particles and waves, light has been proven to exist as both a particle AND a wave. This has complex ramifications for physicists, but also for theories of quantum governance.

We have already discussed that society would simultaneously prize individuality and community. WHAT OTHER EXAMPLES OF DUALITY ARE THERE IN QUANTUM SOCIETY?

Entanglement
We have already seen that relationships are integral to quantum reality. One fascinating element of these relationships is the fact that they are often deeply symbiotic in nature. That is to say that instigating a change in one quantum packet can have direct repercussions for other packets, both near and far. Indeed, some quantum relationships are so intimately related that they demonstrate super-symmetrical qualities. That is to say that some particles directly mirror others; spin one particle backwards and its mirror will naturally echo the reversal of its symmetrical opposite.

Understanding quantum entanglement raises several important issues for quantum political scientists. Perhaps most immediate of these implications relates to how government structures should be regulated in a quantum system.

Just as relationships between quantum packets are symmetrically balanced, so the relationship between individuals and the government should be meticulously balanced, with neither side holding too much power over the other. In other words, quantum politics should be subject to natural (but deliberately implemented) checks and balances that divide power equally between various ‘symmetrical’ institutions. It has even been suggested that there might be more than one PoTUS at a time in the future (although Q Govt officials have already voiced suspicions that the USA as it exists today is unlikely to survive the transition to Quantum Governance, so the concept of multiple presidents is probably moot). Just as redundancy is built into biological eco-systems, its role in quantum governence needs to be careful considered.

Clearly, the danger of spreading executive power across ‘opposing’ groups risks undermining the efficacy of both and therefore the stagnation of the political system. This remains an issue that the Q Govt brain-team are seeking to overcome. Since the majority of day to day decision-making will take place on the local, democratic council level, this kind of stalemate scenario should be uncommon (it has hardly been a problem for the UK or US Government, who both employ a primitive version of this system).

Even if a stalemate situation did arise, the forces at play within quantum society would be quite able to resolve the problem without recourse to external adjudication. Quantum geo-politics will be far more nimble, energetic, dynamic, responsive and protean structures than 'modern' nation states (more on how this geopolitical landscape might look below). If a constellation of city-states loses energy, becomes stuck, static, locked into some state, either the internal dynamics from within individual city states will force a change of conditions which will break the state, or the constellation will decay or break apart to re-constitute itself in new constellations with new members.

Unpredictable?
The other major implication of quantum entanglement for post-Newtonian governance is complexity.

Since discoveries in quantum mechanics have blown predictable, Newtonian theories out of the water, one of the few certainties of quantum mechanics has that it is essentially unpredictable. However, as scientists come to understand more and more about quantum mechanics, it seems increasingly likely that events on a quantum level are not truly unpredictable, but simply infinitely more complex than ever previously imagined.

This complexity is equally true of human society and therefore of quantum government. The actions of an individual in one location can have a remarkable and unexpected impact on another seemingly disconnected individual or group. Because of this, one key facet of quantum government is recognising that every action can have unexpected and exotic consequences. In practise, this means that the outcome of any given policy decision or action is nowhere near as predictable as previously supposed: removing a dictator from power does not necessarily bring democracy or stability, policies intended to combat climate change can created crises in other systems, such as the economy and food markets.

The Way of Complexity
Quantum research has demonstrated that reality is far more complex than we had ever previously imagined. It is essential that Quantum Governance embraces this complexity as it seeks to construct its post-Newtonian socio-political and economic models. Much of our inspiration can be taken from the Natural Kingdom, where remarkable complexity is clearly evident on every level.

Unlike ‘artificial’ human structures, ‘natural’ biological systems are unconsciously self-organised, meticulously self-regulating and mutually beneficial to all parties. Where humanity has over-exploited and acted selfishly, natural ecosystems always strive for balance and sustainability.

Every biological system – from the collaboration of cells that form each of us, to the sprawling array of ecosystems that inhabit our planet – exists in a complex dance of symbiosis; a change in one variable has consequences for a myriad of other elements. A quantum society and its government would bear this reality in mind when planning new organisational structures. This means no more hyper-exploitation of resources and of each other. The way of complexity dictates that while humanity may be pinnacle of evolution, we cannot survive independent of the other elements that comprise creation. In order to guarantee our own survival, we need to understand that the rest of the system needs to survive as well.

The Power of Observation
In a quantum universe, the simple act of observation can radically change the course of events. By observing (or in some cases trying to observe) quantum mechanics in action, we introduce additional variables which distort the pre-existant reality. This concept was expounded by the German scientist, Werner Heisenberg, paraphrased here by the highly respected commentator, Bill Bailey:

“The particle. Very difficult to measure the particle. To measure it you must shine light upon it, but by doing so you distort the image of the particle making it impossible to take an accurate reading. I used smaller and smaller amounts of light, but still to no avail. Eventually I used the smallest amount of light known to man – the glove box light of a 1974 Austin Maxi. Still this was too much light!”

In the context of quantum politics, observation can be equally effective at altering the nature of our reality. Intensive public observation discourages corruption at the source and can challenge any existing dishonesty; if individuals know that they could be being watched at any time, they will temper their behaviour accordingly. Of course, there must be careful limits and controls on this system – we do not wish to create a climate of fearful paranoia akin to the police states of East Germany or Pol Pot’s Cambodia, after all. To avoid this fate, it will be essential that observation and the power inherent therein is open to everyone, not just a powerful elite.
By harnessing the power of observation, Quantum Governance would seek to establish a community where anyone who can provide appropriate evidence has the power to challenge perceived corruption at whatever level, where large power-brokers are held under close public scrunity, and genuinely democratic values allow the voice of every individual to be heard equally, regardless of social standing or influence.

To support this new, all-access approach to observation, quantum governments might seek to recruit 'Free Radicals' – roving anti-corruption specialists who will both seek to uncover illicit dealings themselves, but also support local communities in identifying, challenging and preventing corruption for themselves. (Note: to avoid Free Radicals from becoming the Stassi of tomorrow, their powers and influence will be no greater than anyone else in society’s. They will simply foster an environment of scrutiny and an intolerance of corrupt behaviour that will eventually become the norm within Quantum Society).

String Theory
The Holy Grail of Quantum mechanics is the quantum string – an almost mythical entity that weaves every complex and unfathomable element of quantum mechanics together.

Probably.

To ensure success, Quantum Governance must search out its own unifying threads which can connect and unify each element of its manifesto into a common philosophy, a vision that encapsulates, inspires and informs the worldview of its new society.

There is perhaps an element of the spiritual in this search – just as belief in quantum strings requires faith, so too does belief in quantum society. We cannot be certain that we have built the necessary safeguards to protect against the evils of corruption and despotism, but we have faith in the fundamental potential for good within human society. We cannot even be certain that we have understood enough quantum mechanics to build a societal model that reflects it accurately, but we have faith that our revolutionary system will sustain us beyond the current crises and into the next millennia.

Quantum is more than just a political manifesto; it is a way of life, a philosophy, a worldview. It is the tool we need to change the way we live and interact, the way we organise our society and our economy, the way we visualise our place in the universe. If we can unite the world behind this unifying thread – our own quantum string – then we can create a society that will not only outlast the survival horizon, but emerge the other side stronger and better than ever.

[Cue inspiring swell of music!]

Getting practical 01: How would a quantum socio-political system be organised?

The City-state model

Self-sustainable scale with agricultural/commercial/technological capacity to meet is immediate needs, most people happy to stay in local sphere
City-states could specialise in an area relevant to their location (eg. Fishing for coastal collectives, arable/dairy/meat for those inland, depending on habitat). This would allow trade and dialogue between neighbouring communities (and those farther afield). Ref: The Fife Dieters, http://fifediet.wordpress.com/
Communal approach to government / economics / agriculture etc
A democratic system, with city-state reps sent to regional / national / international forums. (Note quantum Both/And: local and (inter)national / decentralised and centralised power).
Formation of larger conglomerations (‘superstructs’?) as and when to meet extraordinary needs; fluidity
A biological model – cells operate independently, but unite to form larger, more complex organisms for mutual benefit

External Feedback on the city-state model
This is an enjoyable idea. For a start it's graspable - which is not usually a strength of quantum anything.

Graspability is valuable because it is what will release energy in the system. If people are particles then they need to be zipping around if quantam governance is going to work (stretching the physics metaphor well beyond what's decent).

It should be fairly easy to generate loyalty to a city-state, and from loyalty comes commitment to make its institutions work. It's also easily contrastable as a unit of organisation with the nation-state, which most people seem to have given up caring about, and least in the sense that they care to participate in politics. And quite rightly too, because politics is done by small groups of well paid lobbyists moving in tiny geographical and social circles of influence. The city-state offers and opportunity to break those circles, if only by balancing them.

There is probably lots of supporting evidence for city-states in economics and human geography. Regions (city states in all but name) are often talked about as units of regeneration, and how different would city states be from federal models of regional government in Germany, the US, or indeed the city states of Italy.

What would be unusual (?) would be for these city-states to be given enough power to form their own supra-national constellations at the expense of their "host" nations.

There is lots of opportunity for unpredictable outcomes. For example London and New York might form an alliance for their own mutual benefit which would certainly be too great forany counterweight from continental europe, while Californian cities are most likely to form alliances around the pacific rim. In truth, most of this probably happens unofficialy already, certainly given the lobbying weight that bankers in London and New York are able to throw around.

The idea of city-states put lots into play, which has a very quantum feel, but study of Machiavelli and the Renaissance might also be a good idea.

Getting Practical 02: Quantum Economics

A new socio-political system requires a new economic model that matches its core vision and values. For Quantum Economists, this means searching for a new, non-exploitative economic system that will transcend and supplant existing capitalism concepts.

The model favoured by this quantum evangelist is 'Competitive Benevolence'. This ground-breaking system aims to strike a dynamic balance between capitalist enterprise and socialist collectivism, thereby achieving the quantum principle of Both/And. Under Competitive Benevolence, just as in capitalist systems, individuals are encouraged to work hard, innovate, and expand their enterprise. These competitive elements are essential to furthering human/technological/scientific development. However, there will also be a strong incentive to invest in the community; not to hang on to wealth, but to share the benefits of success throughout the quantum society.

Tired of the neo-fascist consumerism of the early 21st century, quantum societies will champion socially responsible, post-consumer values that echo our newfound understanding of our place in the wider quantum context. With relationships of trust restored between individuals, quantum societies will seek to support their neighbours and friends generously, sharing resources and finances freely and without expectation of anything in return (though in this quantum universe where consequences are largely unpredictable, a return favour may ultimately be given). In this way, a competitive element will emerge in acts of benevolence – not kindness in exchange for some immediate reward, but based on the knowledge that what is good for society is good for me. If I give this much away, what will be the outcome? We will become competitive with ourselves as we seek to discover just how generous we are willing to be.

To achieve these exciting ambitions, Q Govt are looking at Potlatch ecomonies, which promote and facilitate the free exchange of surplus between neighbours and the needy:

"You give your neighbour some apples from your tree, and they may give you a pie or some cider, or help fix your porch. Each of you may well think they got the better of the deal, and rightly so... We have charities and freecycle, but consider the incredible material wealth, the real surplus that most [of us] now possess: the garages with no space for cars because they are filled with what they ought to consider junk, but which could be a treasure or a needed material for someone else... How many lawnmowers and hedge trimmers are needed on any given block?"

A similar project which echoes this quantum approach to economics in the UK is Besom, whose purpose is to connect those who have with those who need:

"Besom provides a bridge between those people and groups that have resources and skills to share, and those who are in need. Most people don't know how to help those from outside their own immediate social sphere or cultural background - Besom creates those bridges and facilitates deeper and more meaningful connectivity throughout society, alleviating suffering in the process."

Both of these are examples of a radically new way of economic organisation which Quantum theorists should consider further.

Getting Practical 03: The challenges

Harnessing the Power of Observation
There is a serious risk of corruption and despotism within the new system. To safeguard against this, Q Govt will need to consider ways to harness the positive power of public observation.

Restoring Relationships
The success of quantum society relies heavily on developing relational interdependence - a reality that can only be achieved if people's faith in each other can be restored and the gulf of paranoia overcome. If we can restore relationships, we can stem the growth of fear and isolationism that plagues our failing society.

Superman and Jesus: a Comparison

2006-08-18T05:01:00.001-07:00

The release of Superman Returns has revitalised the (largely geek-fuelled) debate over messianic imagery in the Superman franchise. For those of a less obsessive nature, the following is intended as an overview of the manifold similarities between Jesus and Krypton’s favourite son.

Superman’s real name is Kal-El, which is Kryptonian for Star Child (apparently) – reminiscent of the Nativity story – and Hebrew for Voice of God, which isn’t a million miles from calling him The Word (John 1:1-2). In both the original and recent film, Superman’s father is quoted as saying:

Live as one of them, Kal-El, to discover where your strength and your power are needed… They can be a great people, Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you... my only son.

Again, this bears direct parallels to that most famous of verses from John’s Gospel: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life”. (John 3:16)

Superman, like Christ, is both human and divine, since he has both a human family and a heavenly origin; He is Clark Kent/Superman. Moreover, both Jesus and Superman (probably) suffered the loss of their step-father during their youth. While there is no direct mention of the death of Joseph in the Bible, scholars agree that he probably died when Jesus was a youth since he does not appear in later episodes.

In the original 1974 film, before becoming Superman, Kal-El goes ‘into the wilderness’ or, in this case, the Fortress of Solitude, where he consults with his true father, Jor-El and learns about his mission on Earth. Similarly, Jesus spent 40 days and nights in the wilderness in preparation for His great mission. On leaving the wilderness, both Superman and Jesus performed feats of supernatural power. One of which, the flight with Lois Lane, is arguably a parallel of Jesus walking on water (Matthew 14:28-9). Just like Peter, Lois loses faith and begins to fall/sink, but Superman rescues her.

Superman’s arch-nemesis is Lex Luthor. In both films, Luthor lives underground – the traditional location of Jesus’ enemy, Satan. In the 1974 film, just as Satan tempts Jesus with possession of a worldly kingdom (Matthew 4:8-10), so Lex Luthor tries to seduce Superman with the offer of a worldly kingdom. In Superman Returns, Luthor – still obsessed by land ownership – tries to imitate God by creating an island out of the sea. This is similar to the traditional interpretation of Lucifer’s fall from grace – the improper desire to be like God – as well as drawing from the Hebrew tradition, in which the sea commonly represents the dwelling place of Evil.

In the original film, Superman ‘dies’ in a swimming pool but rises through the waters to new life in a manner reminiscent of Christian baptismal symbology (Romans 6:4). As with Jesus, this ‘death’ is accompanied by an earthquake. In another parallel, Superman’s ‘resurrection’ is first witnessed by a woman, Eve Teschmacher. As well as paralleling Mary Magdalene, Miss Teschemcher, with her significant first name, could also be an allusion to Adam and Eve. This is significant, in that the Bible describes the resurrected Jesus as the second Adam who brings hope where before there was despair (1 Corinthians 15:45-49). On his ‘resurrection’, Superman rescues Lois from her car which has become buried in the earthquake. Just as Superman has the power to save Lois from her situation, bringing releasing from the confines of her car-coffin, so too can Jesus free us from spiritual death and lead us to eternal life (Romans 8:1-2).

Superman Returns is equally full of parallels to Jesus’ life, particularly towards the climax, which could be interpreted almost as a passion play. [SPOILER WARNING] Having been made vulnerable by Luthor’s Krytonite-infused island, Superman is beaten and stabbed in the side with a shard of Krytonite, echoing Jesus’ pre-crucifixion torture and subsequent stab from a Roman spear. In a final act of sacrifice, Superman literally takes the weight of the world (or rather island) on his shoulders and carries it away into space, despite the fact that the island is composed of lethal kryptonite, just as Jesus bore the weight of our sin. Having defeated evil, Superman falls back to earth, arms outstretched and cruciform. As with Jesus, Superman’s friends carry their hero away, suddenly uncertain at what will happen next. Later, in hospital, a female nurse comes to look after Superman, only to find that he is missing from his room, just as Mary discovered that Jesus was missing from the tomb.

Finally, perhaps the most obvious element of Christology in the film revolves around the discussion raised by Lois Lane’s Pulitzer Prize winning article, ‘Does the World Need Superman?’ Superman Returns begins with our hero returning to Earth after some years away, searching for the remains of his homeworld. During this time of absence, humanity has learnt to survive without Superman around. As a result, his return is received with mixed feelings; while some celebrate, others argue that they simply don’t need Superman. Again, this situation echoes the passage at the beginning of John, where the gospel writer tells us that Jesus was received with disinterest by many, while Isaiah tells us that still others “despised and rejected” him (Isaiah 53:3).

In the modern world, rejection and scorn of Jesus is commonplace. Society emphasises mankind’s ability to look after itself and dismisses faith as little more than a cosy delusion. Despite this, as both Superman and Jesus know, the need for salvation is greater than ever:

Lois Lane: The world doesn't need a saviour…
Superman: Listen.
Lois Lane: I don't hear anything.
Superman: I do. I hear everything. You wrote that the world doesn't need a saviour, but every day I hear people crying out for one.

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me; I have come that [you] may have life, and have it to the full.

(Revelation 3:20, John 10:10)

Israel in Lebanon

2006-08-09T16:13:00.001-07:00

I found this interesting observation in a book for my thesis. It basically describes how Israel's unrestrained militarism (as we are seeing daily in Southern Lebanon) has overshadowed the nation's awesome spiritual legacy; the very reason for its existence - bringing the light of God to the world - has been forgotten in the clamour to demonstrate the might of the IDF. In the Old Testament, Israel did not need the largest or most sophisticated army to win victories, God fought for them.

It seems that perhaps Israel has become too concerned with having the strength to fight its own battles, rather than relying on the God of Jacob to deliver them from their enemies?

Anyway, interesting quotation:

"Over the centuries of exile and yearning, the ancient academic community of Jabneh, a short way inland from Palestine’s Mediterranean coast, symbolised spiritual and intellectual glory. During the same long years, over-looking the barren Judean cliffs and bleak winters of the Dead Sea, the ruined fortress of Masada embodied the heroism of Jewish patriots who fought to the death against Rome in AD 73. After 1967, when modern Israel astonished the world with its martial prowess, Jabneh was swallowed up in the industrial suburbs of Tel Aviv; Masada became a national shrine".

From Peter Grose, Israel in the Mind of America (Knopf: New York, 1983).