Month: November 2021

Journal, Politics

Channel crossings death by design

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Channel crossings death by design

Thousands of people every year cross the channel, claims hundreds of lives each year.  We only care once images appear on TV screens of boats not the dead bodies. United Kingdom is outraged at people seeking a new home. The liberal’s failure to challenge dehumanising language is leaving us with blood in the water. Various policy areas, which same thing has been repeated in. Allowed are opponents to frame the debate and control the language. Common ground can be found but we can’t take purity at all cost approach. That means learning from defeat and what any opponents do well. Even from the so-called liberal defenders given little pushback. Only appear to care when it comes to internal power struggles and failing to counter the message.

Deaths do not matter just ‘illegal migration’ more ‘asylum seekers’ not human after all. Falling into this trap means we repeat the same mistakes and nothing gets better. General public are not monsters who hate everything. Drawbridge means that taking this risky unsafe route is only option left. If you want to stop unsafe crossings or reduce deaths need to provide safe routes and make it easier. Cooperation is required and some, humble pie on this British created problem. Tougher approach just leaves us with blood in the water.  These people are doing nothing illegal, want to make the UK their new home. Numbers coming to the UK are tiny, rest of Europe takes in way more people.

We frankly do not deserve them and should be ashamed of how we treat people. Asylum system places limits on what can do and often takes years to complete with perilous little support. I doubt people would enjoy having the same treatment applied to them. And climate change is likely to see way more people being pulled towards us.  Not a single successful nation in the world that does not have migration towards it. Best resource we can export is people. I never been more ashamed to be British than now.

Loads of things we can do but we refuse have decided to blame others. Instead of cooperation decided to demand and give nothing in return. Suits us more for purely political reasons to allow it to carry on. Current channel crossings are death by design and establishment don’t care. Yearly outrage yet no real desire to change policy.

Journal, Politics

What does UK polling tell us?

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What does UK polling tell us?

Polling offers you a brief snapshot, how do people feel about politics. The average British voter keeps politics away from daily life until needs to do something about it. A general rule of thumb during any general election voters minds are focused. Support starts to drift until the next cycle, people can’t remember who they supported last time. Polling offers you a brief snapshot of how people feel. The margin of error must be kept in mind but can give you a sense of direction. Noise in polling comes down to the famous don’t know.

What does the current snapshot tell you? Almost one 1/3 of voters don’t have any views on Keir Starmer. Some negative feelings from the core Tory base, Labour voters have positive feelings. The average person thinks Labour as a brand can’t lead but thinks the man in a suit can some don’t have any views of him. Safe to say the pandemic has delayed voters taking notice. During any crisis people normally give govt full support, again no poltics please we’re british. 

Compare to other opposition leaders at the same time, only David Cameron has similar numbers. Cameron held his cards close to his chest, voters listened to him during the 2008 crisis and his path to number 10 is history. During any crisis need to repeat the same message and get into voters minds. Not enough to say X party is shit, need your own story and message. Need to respond to any crisis, not policy firesale. Labour has made about 200+ policies but not a clear idea or message.

Polling is hinting towards a reduced majority and risk of hung parliament. Tories being biggest party still and Labour not being close to forming a govt alone. The margin of error means most likely looking at a smaller majority. Not certain but still possible increased majority is possible. The ground needed to be retaken is huge and need swing Tory but former Labour / lib dem voters.

Lots of work to do and hard choices need to be made. Loads of seats that last had a Labour MP back in 2001 or 2005 some further back.

Journal, Thoughts

The craze of NFT

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The craze of NFT

The last couple of years have seen blockchain-focused technology causing major crazes. Blockchain first use was cryptocurrency digital ledger, now non-fungible tokens use the same system. Both act very much like assets, markets for both being super volatile.

Meanwhile, gaming companies have pushed microtransactions as a core part of the business model. Digital sales of video games have been ballooned in size, with cosmetics items replacing expansions. Items for one game can’t be transferred. Revenues have become primarily driven by these cosmetics mainly.

Big AAA gaming companies claim customers still have a choice but to make digital items core to the experience. Rarely these days can you find a game without it. They have not been shy about it, apart from when regulators look around. Regulation of this new digital economy has yet to catch up. Dark underbelly and abuse have happened with this rapid growth some from mainstream actors. Wildwest with blockchain, criminals have milked the system using old methods.

The recent craze has been NFT or non-fungible tokens, normally digital art who the owner is stored on blockchain ledgers. Major brands have been slowly entering the market selling tokens. Gaming companies have been slowly waking up to this new source of income. Some are planning on adding it to the gaming experience. Whatever the hell that means…

A concept already exists with time-limited skins or items. The only difference is the lack of blockchain, which could in theory allow you to share it between games. Other technical solutions exist, the game shares assets between the various call of duty games.  Call of duty warzone has proved that not strictly necessary to do this. Laughable it would improve gameplay or user experience, finding it is hard to believe that the goal. We already have pre-order the game to get this cosmetic with no other way of getting it. Been massive focus on looking good to show off to your friends.

Gaming companies are chasing NFT due to seeing huge potential revenues, they have been abusing loopholes for years now. Hoping this craze leads to nothing but I fear the worse. This could be the next step something that is already here and possible. 

Journal, Thoughts

Everybody is terrible?

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Everybody is terrible?

Easier for people to recall negative memories over positive ones. Part of the reason why negative news stories get attention. Human nature designed to keep us safe from the same danger. This does however end up clouding decision making. Some great insights can be found in Thinking fast and slow by Daniel Kahneman. Book called lord of the files covers the idea everybody can be awful. The main idea from the book that everybody can be evil. A real-life example that inspired the book was rather different. Group of boys all worked together to survive. Somebody broke a bone the boys carried him around.

The majority of people are not acting out against each other. Most people are hard-working and follow the law. Of course, things not black and white, some grey areas but on average we not that terrible. Society has become desensitization always expecting the worse from people. Unfortunately, this does have policy consequences, extremes are seen as normal. Happens all the time with doctors or social care workers. Sometimes feeding on worse impulses resulting in poorer outcomes. Recent example UK government expected people not to follow any lockdown. Refused to consider it as an option, delaying the later response. In reality, a big chunk of the people acted first avoiding unnecessary behaviour.

Need to be careful not to get stuck in thinking everybody is terrible. Most people live within the grey zone, not angels or demons try to avoid causing harm. People can make poor choices based due to products that help exploit people. We don’t directly see it happen. Good example is cheap food production, helped by pushing down conditions for HGV drivers and pay. Most people have short memories when comes to these stories. Another example would be climate change, you don’t directly feel the impact but somebody else does.

Role to be played here for strong institutions and legal framework to help protect people. Fixing undesired outcomes by making them not viable. Group think that we are uncorrputable better than other nations as slow decline happens. Reducing or damaging rules or institutions as general voter looks away is the worse outcome. Voter apathy may suit some people but does long term hard to fix damage.

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,”

Self reflection is required and we should ask tough questions. Needs to be some serious debate about what sort of nation we want to be. Sometimes that means making unpopular but neccessary choices that benefit people.