One of the things government might best avoid is moralising. Yet government seems drawn to it, often with ridicule being the result.
A recent pronouncement on what is or is not moral deserves some ridicule.
It is, apparently, immoral to pay a tradesman cash in hand.
Why?
Because he or she will then evade tax.
Ah.
So my window cleaner's tax affairs, and the honesty or otherwise of his disclosure is my moral responsibility.
I don't think so.
Wednesday, 25 July 2012
Tuesday, 24 July 2012
JUST GIVING
Perhaps you
give to charity. I do. Not, probably, what one would call huge sums, but a
significant enough part of my earnings to feel I am doing something worthwhile.
It’s a simple enough process: choose a charity I think is worthy; give to it.
I get
irritated by all the justgiving requests I get.
Here are a
few examples. A friend is climbing Mont Blanc for charity. Another friend is
doing an epic walk in the Welsh mountains for charity. Other friends are
running a marathon, a triathlon, a 10k a midnight adventure, all for charity.
Now these
are all well and good, but my hypothesis is this: they aren’t doing it for
charity. They are doing it because they want to.
I intend to
test this hypothesis by offering a pound more than all the funds they have had
pledged if they agree not to do it: not to climb that
mountain, complete that hike, set off on that run.
This should
sort the charitable men from the boys.
Sunday, 22 July 2012
IN SERVICE OF THE PUBLIC
The spoilsport strike decision of five and a half percent of the members of a public servants' Union triggering a national strike have prompted some heated debates about the relative efficiencies of public services being met by the state or the private sector, along with the more obvious debate around the merits or otherwise of this rather limited definition of a democratic decision.
Look at the awful things that have happened to state services since they have been privatised, say those whose preference is for state ownership, and look how much profit they are making.
Mathematically, of course, the argument for privatisation, is simple. If service levels can be maintained or improved at same or lesser cost to the user, then profit levels are irrelevant in anything other than a political sense.
Of course you can argue that the same service maintenance or improvement could have been got under state ownership at lesser cost, because the profit margin would be removed. Except that the very people who make this argument - an efficiency argument - are the leaders of the Unions currently threatening strikes on such highly suspect grounds. That does not give one great confidence in their relentless efficiency drive.
There is another smart little argument which applies. Even under a Labour government, there was a constant questioning of whether public services might better be outsourced to the private sector. I have never yet heard of a private sector organisation seriously examining whether a public body should deliver its essential services.
Look at the awful things that have happened to state services since they have been privatised, say those whose preference is for state ownership, and look how much profit they are making.
Mathematically, of course, the argument for privatisation, is simple. If service levels can be maintained or improved at same or lesser cost to the user, then profit levels are irrelevant in anything other than a political sense.
Of course you can argue that the same service maintenance or improvement could have been got under state ownership at lesser cost, because the profit margin would be removed. Except that the very people who make this argument - an efficiency argument - are the leaders of the Unions currently threatening strikes on such highly suspect grounds. That does not give one great confidence in their relentless efficiency drive.
There is another smart little argument which applies. Even under a Labour government, there was a constant questioning of whether public services might better be outsourced to the private sector. I have never yet heard of a private sector organisation seriously examining whether a public body should deliver its essential services.
Thursday, 19 July 2012
Wednesday, 18 July 2012
PATTON: A MAN WORTH LISTENING TO.
No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country.
He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country.
Never tell people how to do things.
Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.
Sunday, 15 July 2012
Monday, 2 July 2012
SUPPER
Take enough potatoes which when sliced will cover a large roasting pan.
Slice very thinly.
Thinly slice two onions and add in the pan to the potatoes.
Rinse two handfuls of fresh sage from the garden. Scatter this on the potatoes and onions.
Be liberal with your covering of good quality olive oil.
Grind on sea salt.
Bake on the Aga floor for about thiry minutes, by which time the potatoes will be brown and crispy.
Poach eggs.
Serve potatoes with poached eggs on top.
Open a decent bottle of Rioja.
You will be very well fed indeed.
Slice very thinly.
Thinly slice two onions and add in the pan to the potatoes.
Rinse two handfuls of fresh sage from the garden. Scatter this on the potatoes and onions.
Be liberal with your covering of good quality olive oil.
Grind on sea salt.
Bake on the Aga floor for about thiry minutes, by which time the potatoes will be brown and crispy.
Poach eggs.
Serve potatoes with poached eggs on top.
Open a decent bottle of Rioja.
You will be very well fed indeed.
Sunday, 1 July 2012
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