THE FINAL SOLUTIONS

21 Janury 2024

We want to understand what's been going on the world geopolitical stage - if it isn't Ukraine then it's Gaza if it isn't gather then it's time when why do we feel so much closer to World War 3; and what can we do to find peace the other side of the conflicts?

Based on the principles of Godzilla (who was the biggest, meanest bully on the block), one-culture one-country, and balance-of-power geopolitics, I feel there's a good and final high-level understanding that most objective and rational people could agree on ( if only they can be left free of this terrible claustrophobic Western propaganda, and allowed to think for themselves from the available and build their own narrative understanding).

The principal goal of any nation state is to keep secure and conserve or improve its position in the anarchic world order of nation states. 

American objective in this regard is to weaken Russia first, to prevent a China-Russia alliance, then America will be free to focus on its principal adversary which is China.

Second, after Russia, America's objective is to avoid a link-up between Russia and Germany and this explains its European policy and why it has weakened Europe, while taking sales ( breaking Germany's commercial link with China and sucking talent and industry out of Europe and into America, from where it can make the sales) and raising costs the point of detonating the Nordstream pipeline) as eliminating another potential threat for the future.

In passing, we can acknowledge the failure of American foreign policy in the realm of military and and financial sanctions.

You can call the solution in Gaza genocide, ethnic cleansing, deportation or simply one-culture one-country. 

A template solution : have a West Ukraine while Russia integrates Russian speakers in the East, try a two-state solution with an independent Palestine  and an independent Taiwan. Ie have separate sovereign states; and use balance of power geopolitics to mark borders and maintain sovereignty.

This is a divide and rule strategy by splitting bigger nation states into smaller it makes it much easier for America to dominate the geopolitics.

Read More

IS AMERICA'S MADNESS REVERSIBLE?

18 January 2024

From time to time, I watch these nature films and also the boxing. They are about violence, first recourse is to violence. Like the American reaction towards the Palestinians. Or America's response to Russia, that finally responded vack to America by entering Ukraine after years of fearing invasion.

We human animals quit the jungle and agreed to live together in tribal settlements for protection from outside attack by animals and other tribes. To manage the impulse to violence inside the group, to keep order and direct energies, we developed religion and began building the rule of law.

That's all very rational. But America's behaviour increasingly defies reason, it goes beyond simply wanting to maintain its world hegemony (athough that explains a lot) and now we see only threats and actual violence.

America spends no time on foreign policy analysis and no effort was made evaluating the programs of work necessary for success, such as would the military supply chain be up to the challenge.

No reflection before action, no planning after setting the goals, nothing except an immediate recourse to violence. Why is this?

It's true that the political leadership in the West is mediocre, some leaders have been mad, others senile even, but given that foreign policy doesn't change much from one Administration to the next, it's not really the leadership that's deciding foreign policy, it's what we call the Deep State keeping up the momentum of wars, so this won't explain the serious mistakes in American foreign policy.

Although Congress seems to be a most corrupt place, where in reality it is the military industrial complex calling the shots, the congresspeople as paid spokespersons for commercial causes, this still doesn't explain satisfactorily, to me at least, why America would get itself into three seriously-losing positions, on three war fronts, with three nuclear powers, and all at the same time. Why are they not seeing the colossal risks, let alone the injustices?

Europe has been neutralised, France has lost its voice and lost its way since Mitterand, and Germany didn't see the American maneuver coming. So Europe is not there to warn America, it daren't.

Never mind what all the clever Talking Heads tell us in the alternative media, no one in power listens to them.

It's very apparent that America has lost its head and become irrational, plain irrational - it is destroying others as well as itself and as I say, it is hard to see why. There's no listening, no internal dialogue within the elite, only conflict,  propaganda and cancellation; and there's no external dialogue or diplomacy, only war. 

If you are not inside the small box of permitted thinking then you are outside and you are ignored or cancelled. And yet, I believe in a plurality of voices and let the best ideas win through. This is what democracy is about. If we don't work like that, we have a dictatorship or fascism, call it what you want.

No listening, no reflection, no objective thinking, no analysis of history. There's just an immediate resort to violence ... so we are back in the jungle!

It was religion and the rule of law that was supposed to keep the peace, so if there is no peace, little social cohesion left - as evidenced by the culture wars, the mass demonstrations, the rise of populism - it must be due to the collapse of a cultural or moral framework, once offered by religion. Religion gives a vision (of heaven and hell as motivator to individual acts), a common way of life (the Commandments and catechism, rewards and punishments for morality) and a set of values (the protestant ethic starts with education, there is a belief in progress from hard work, this needs discipline, thrift and discovery, there is great moral pressure on the individual). Religion unifies and controls ... or it used to. 

Thesis: the Puritan Work Ethic united the people in praise of the Lord. Now that's dissappeared, replaced by science, people feel pushed into extreme individualism, to deny limits once set by our collective identities. By identities, we understandI mean, your race, your culture, your orientation, your gender...all these things you are free to choose. This means that "society", "the family", all these groups we belong to and define who we are, all are swept away. 

With the result Western governments are losing physical, moral and financial control and are devising more and more methods to control their people.

 

Our reserve of tolerance and restraint is broken, it's just constant stress and in-fighting and attempts by the elite at Total Control through blatant propaganda, social credits, discrediting those telling uncomfortable truths, outlawing protest. This strips out our capacity for rational thought and leaves us reacting emotionally and instinctively.

I think that to arrive at this state, our society and its leadership suffer from some kind of group psychological madness. Behaviour is no longer guided by reason but by animal responses. Perhaps an anthropologist could explain this one day...  it looks to be a form of nihilism, this is what happens when an elite loses its sense of purpose and when the people lose their moral sense, Society disaggregates and becomes anomic. Doesn't that characterise the United States today? And increasingly the United Kingdom?

Seems we have the re-emergence of irrational animal instincts. We have this madness that we cannot explain through any kind of rational analysis.

So what to do about this? The usual route for dealing with madness is to get back in touch with reality and attempt to adapt to the real world ie change, respond to the opportunities and threats on offer. Means relaxing, opening doors, listening to the winds of change.

Read More

IF THE AMERICAN ORDER IS DEFUNCT, WHY DOES EUROPE STILL SUPPORT IT?

14 January 2024

Why does Britain continue to contribute to Ukraine? It can only be out of blind deference, it is because of black-and-white thinking - if you are not with us, you're against us.

Reality is, we are in a multi-polar world and that requires listening, diplomacy, negotiation, cooperation. But the West are in a state of denial or resistance.

The West is blind to the construction work underway in The Rest of the world. How to explain this resistance to change? Why for example has Britain just agreed to contribute another £2b of borrowed money to the war in Ukraine, when its own infrastructure and economy are crumbling?

Reality is, no-one anywhere, not even in China which is only really interested in commerce, would be necessarily against the American Empire, provided America is a fair and comprehensive umpire. The problem is it just doesn't work as-described at Bretton Woods anymore, the game is broken, it no longer lives up to the promise, it no longer lives by its own rules.

THE PROMISE

We know that in the US, the system of kickbacks, from industry to campaign funds, and the Wall St. ethic of short-term gain, is what keeps Congress ever-looking for the next war. It would seem to work like this:

 The outlook is maritime (and they thought they could fuck Russia?). 

 The frame is global dominance and free trade. 

 The method is the international rules-based Order, keeping the shipping lanes open for trade, one world currency for payments and safe storage of profits.

 The organisation is through the global units, set up around Bretton Woods in 1944:

  IMF for a common trading currency and any balance-of-payments problems

  The World Bank for the reconstruction of Europe, then Japan and South Korea and later to assist the development of "the Third World"'s infrastructure and economies.

  GATT now WTO, for fair trade.

THE REALITY

 AMERICA

The decline of these lofty ideals set in with decolonisation, corruption and finally Biden. Reality is, the Global Resistance pushed back against the use of the military and sanctions  instead of discussion. China worries about the value of its US govt bonds in the face of heavy indebtedness and borrowing.

 THE UK

In 2016, it was popularily recognised in Britain that a strong Europe comes from a Europe of Nations and that the European Commission was completely wrong in thinking that a federal Europe would be a strong Europe - reality is, the EU is "a house divided against itself". The only problem here is that the British Elite have failed to recognise this truth, and - as expected - have proven themselves incapable of competently managing a sovereign UK.

 EUROPE

Europe's response never ceases to amaze! Where is its diagnosis of its problems?  Europe has lost its Enlightenment ability to critically observe and adapt, and is floating like a cork in a rising tide of irrelevance and impotence.

Brussels, in its deference to Washington, doesn't see how America has severely weakened the European economy, created massive supply problems -  especially in energy - left it defenceless, voiceless and of no strategic importance in world affairs; and now has a cesspool-of-a-war bubbling away at its heart. 

What situation could be worse than this? Yet the EU (lately dwindling member support) and UK don't see any of this, they just resist the construction of a new multi-polar world Order that is taking place before them, under their noses.

It is Make-Believe v. Reality.

Read More

HOPES FOR PEACE IN THE WORLD 2024

13 January 2024

In three geopolitical regions of the world now - the Middle East, Europe and East Asia - the future of humanity and this planet is threatened by all-out direct war between super-powers, so let us try to imagine how peace might descend on the world in 2024.

PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Various currents are coming together in the Middle East with the Arab nations uniting in a sense of common identity and a common future. Relaxing this way results in a more tolerant and less aggressive interpretation of Islam, a drawing away from America and the West, a turning East looking to Asia and  emerging groupings such as the BRICS, and an increasing self-reliance, confidence and self-assertiveness.

Iran to the East is Persian of course, but is included in the Middle East, as is Turkey to the North in the Proche Orient, together with Egypt to the West linking the Middle East to North Africa. This makes the Middle East a crossroads between Asia Europe and Africa.

Arab nations finding common cause is a big problem for Israel. Israel sees itself as a separate ethnic group, but Jews and Arabs are semites, what tells them apart is their religion. Jews are a religious community not an ethnic grouping. Israel is governed by Ashkenazi Jews holding to an extreme version - and political ideology - of the religion called Zionism. Let's remember that Zionism was built by the mad Ashkenazis fleeing the maddening European pogroms (so in a sense we created this horror, a kind of anti-Christ philosophy sharing much with the philosophy of that mustachioed gentleman). 

Will Israel catch up on this new trend from aggression to tolerance? It is certainly in its interests to do so. After all, if Israel wants to be accepted by its neighbours, then surely it should accept its Muslim subjects by according them rights of citizenship. And what if America recalibrates to gradually withdraw from the ME - the Jewish Lobby would become powerless to retainAmerican suppory for the 51st state*.

So point being that although absolutely no-one believes In a one-state solution, that is only because people here, Western elites and popular opinion, are trapped in yesterday's thinking. It is quite possible that Israelis will come to abandon Zionism as unworkable - they are a very pragmatic lot, which accounts for their outstanding success as well as their widespread persecution ("anti-Zionist", not "anti-Semitic"!) - and accept a non-apartheid, one-state solution where they live cheek by jowl with other Arab albeit non-hebraic, people, as they did before "Partition" ... And if it can't do this then remember that Humpty Dumpty could not be put back together again (look at where America's foreign policy mistakes have left Its victims today).

...Of course you could say that this confuses the meaning of Semite and Arab and  overlooks the profound hostility expressed in the Quran towards Jewish people, but then again wasn't there also a similar hostility between Sunni and Shia?

So that is the hope for peace in the Middle East and the alternative is that the Jewish community evacuate to another part of the world, possibly Argentina, to avoid destruction.

* Is America's Israel Lobby Ashkenazi? My impression is that the only Messianic Zionists are those living in Israel and that American Jews are far more liberal, ignorant of what is happening in Gaza and not entirely Jewish.

PEACE IN EUROPE

If the Middle East is toning down the aggression, finding a unity, drawing away from America and developing a self-reliance; then could this be a global trend that will eventually hit Europe? In other words, in a spiritual re-awakening, might Western Europe come to realise that it has much in common with the rest of humanity and in particular those Europeans living the other side of the border-zone between West Europe and Russia? We in West Europe certainly need to draw away from the American neocons as they have brought disaster upon us, so that would be a long and difficult path to follow, requiring technology and military industries and a security framework with Rissia, but a most welcome path.

In support of this argument about a new trend sweeping out of desert, we can remind ourselves that the three abrahamic religions, which are followed by 60% of humanity, originated in the Middle East, meaning this move to peace and tolerance has a spiritual dimension.

Those are quite reasonable hopes for peace in the Middle East and in Europe and while we are at it, consider the situation between America and China.

PEACE BETWEEN CHINA AND AMERICA

The issue with Taiwan is much the same as the issue with Ukraine. China does not want an American platform on its border, containing, or limiting, its freedom of movement, and threatening its sovereignty and security. 

You could argue that if Taiwan can promise neutrality, it will be spared destruction, in the same way that the government in Kiev was most unwise to accept the invitation to join NATO, and the people of Israel to follow the extreme beliefs of the Likud party.

The destruction of Taiwan would not be good news for America's strategy of containment, but neither would it be good for China because China too would pay a heavy price for challenging American global hegemony.

So it seems that Taiwan could offer a neutrality in exchange for Chinese protection, both countries living under a common roof ... "one roof, two apartments" ... more a treaty than a federal solution or some supra-national body like the EU or ASEAN.... perhaps Taiwan's joining ASEAN (which incidentally organised a conference attended by 27 countries following Nancy Pelosi's mad and irrational visit last year) could start the ball rolling.

When trying to imagine how China and Taiwan could feel about each other, this video about a common enemy and shared experience, is useful

https://youtu.be/NQ0q0-jBfik?si=VFaYgyfgpBZk5UU_

Read More

DO SOME PEOPLE TALK TOO MUCH?

10 January 2024

https://youtu.be/pDTBAiuxGcM?si=llKXF-s-ei6ySc8H

Does Mercouris talk to much? Are his Youtube videos too long? Why do some people talk so much?

"The first thing to say is", well, he is a lawyer!!!

A lawyer has two complexities to deal with.

One is his client's case. Cases don't get to court unless they are complicated and ambiguous.

And he has the law to manage which is also complexed and nuanced.

And his goal must be to fully explain his client's case and make sure that the judge understands it. 

So yes they can be quite long-winded, with lots of repetition as they navigate the intricate details of the case and its legal framework. 

All in a crisp confident clear voice; but low-key ie unemotional, factual, objective.

But I totally agree, 86 minutes is enough for a really long and deep snooze during the day!!! He'd do better to spend more time in planning and preparation with diverse supporting collaterals, and less in delivery.

Plus he could include his "brief" with plan, as agenda items, and his skeleton arguments (we can see he does what all lawyers do and anyone who has a case to argue: they always prepare skeleton arguments which they then talk through). So plan and skeletons as slides.

And other illustrative media such as film, interviews, graphs... 

But then again, lawyers of a certain age and above do not have much of a grasp of modern IT and PowerPoint and apps, plus he is handicapped by his poor sight.

"Anyway" ...

Read More

WE ARE RULED BY GANGSTERS

30 December 2023

https://www.youtube.com/live/dlKuQ3r3Mwk?si=xSu817r0XOfgdB7L

Exactly, it's not so much that our leadership are incompetent, it's that they are corrupt - it is the practice of war that they love because it's good for business.

But we want freedom and prosperity and we know that comes from peace and productivity and planning.

So how is it that it's the bad people that get to the top? Because the system must be wrong, it isn't delivering. All we get is mass murder, theft, lies and impoverishment. Repeated foreign policy failure, the fear of regional conflagration or World War, the threat of recession or depression, intl pariah status, nothing seems to discourage this band of gangsters : 

"One failure after another, one disaster after another, eight trillions of dollars down the drain".

Not while they are making money ... you can hear the clickety-clack of counting money when they're talking.

As Erdogan says, Netanyahu is worse than Hitler, Israel takes from America to lock up and torture these poor people and our leaders queue to praise them. Netanyahu's dream is of an ethnic cleansing and an apartheid state, based on words written 2,500 years ago that he falsely claims promise a Jewish state and the appearance of god on earth. This is so mad! How can this be?

We thought democracy was the best system of government, but it has failed us and corporatism - rule by corporations, corporate elites, oligarchs - has supplanted rule by the people. We are no better than the autocratic states we criticise. Why aren't these guys chased out of town, asks JS? It's because they own the town, like in some cowboy film.

We need insurrection, to storm Congress and the H o P, take them away in chains to the guillotine !!!

AND EUROPE WILL RISE AGAIN.

Read More

A NEW POLITICAL DYNASTY FOR INDONESIA

1 December 2023

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/indonesia-constitutional-court-ruling-democracy-political-dynasty-joko-widodo-gibran-rakabuming-raka-3851566

READERS' REACTIONS

Some reader reaction:

"Very interesting article about the Supreme Court's reversal of the under 40 ruling."

 

"It is a bit worrying when you see relatives bending the rule of law."

ANALYSIS

The court ruling didn't lower the min. age requirement, which is still 40, but it did open up opportunities for younger people who have executive governance experience. I can't see much wrong with that, on the face of it, except to say this could have been a change initiated and approved in Parliament rather than in the Supreme Court.

It is also worth pointing out that the youngest prime minister in the UK was William Pitt the Younger and he took over at the age of 23 and the youngest president in the world has ever seen was Emmanuel macron who came to power at the age of 39.

As to powerful dynasties let's not forget the Kennedy clan! And surely tinkering with the minimum age requirement or other qualifications is not the way to prevent or encourage a Dynasty. Dynasties are organised to improve their own lot, but aren't all politicians like that and shouldn't there be anti-corruption legislation and its effective implementation to deal with that ? I mean, if you fear dynasties then look elsewhere for a means to control them.

CONCLUSION

The minimum age requirement to be president of Indonesia is about finding candidates with sufficient experience and wisdom. Well, if people under 40 have proven wisdom and experience then why not let them run? If you stop these younger people from running, then you're excluding potentially great leaders like our William Pitt the Younger!

And finally, if the people don't like the idea of a dynasty then it is the third largest democracy in the world and they've only got to say "Jokowi you're joking!".

Read More

COLUCHE FOR PRESIDENT

15 December 2023

Coluche was one of those rare people where a single name is enough. He was one of the world's greatest comedians but unlike Billy Connolly his language couldn't translate outside his country of origin.

In 1980, he decided to run for president of France and he had many original ideas on his program: there would be no work for anyone, there would be no school for the children, all drugs would be legalised and money abolished.

In 1980 there was no internet and Snail mail was the only way to communicate in writing so kaluche wanted all the stamps issued to have either a picture of a fanny or an asshole, so that when lick the stamp ...

He was a complete outsider and his appeal was to all the people who had no voice so I suppose today, you'd call him a populist and the nearest you get today is Trump, although I think Trump is rather more vulgar.

Notice to the population

 COLUCHE CANDIDATE

 I call the lazy, the filthy, the drug addicts, the alcoholics, the fags, the women, the parasites, the young, the old, the artists, the jailbirds, the dykes, the apprentices, the blacks, the pedestrians, the Arabs, the French , the long-haired, the crazy, the transvestites, the former communists, the convinced abstainers, all those who do not count for politicians to vote for me, to register in their town hall and to spread the news.

 ALL TOGETHER TO FUCK THEIR ASS  WITH

 Coluche

 The only candidate who has no reason to lie.

Read More

COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR POLITICIANS - THE EXAMPLE OF PUTIN

15 December 2023

However much people here in The West hate Putin, the president of the Russian Federation, some of it must surely be to do with his success in bringing Russia back from the dead these last 20 years.

Today, let's take a look at how he does it - and why. 

(If you've read the previous piece on livingintheair.org on basic communication skills that will be a help in understanding the technical side of Putin's communication skills.)

Why does he do it?

Apart from all the usual vision, planning and execution stuff (subject of earlier articles on livingintheair.org), he takes a great deal of trouble to communicate with his people and create a sense of unity, belonging and optimism. Opinion polls give him 80% - that's amazing if true. 

He will first of all set the goals or objectives of his communication. Then he will identify his audience. With objectives and sensibilities of his audience in mind, he will now assemble the winning arguments.

First, the politician seeks the support of the people he fears the most: his own people, those who have the power to unseat him.

Second, the successful politician wants to master the international environment. The politician inhabits an anarchic system, ie a system of International Relations (IR) where there is no recourse to a higher authority. If you combine being on your own, with the uncertainty that comes from not knowing what is in the mind of your neighbours, then you can understand that Security (secure from invasion, secure in your sovereignty) is the number one concern. Security comes mainly from diplomatic and military means, of which the most important are the communication skills of the Diplomat.

How does he do it?

Putin has these regular press conferences where he talks to the nation. He uses the opportunity of these progress reports to the people, his audience, to run through the history of Russia and the character of its people.

This is what we so sorely miss in the West. Our leaders seem unwilling to do other present current tactics.

Blank out the past to start again

Regular reviews of progress are something that is highly desirable, but we cannot do in the West because we no longer have a single identity or character, we don't have a unifying culture. Additionally, we are ashamed of, and seem to be forever trying to rub out or forget, our history and our civilisation. 

The self-doubt of The West

What is wrong with our history or civilisation? What did the West do that it should reproach itself? How has the West fared, from a Security and Moral perspective,compared with other historic civilisations?

It seems to me that the elite is forever trying to weaken or distract its greatest threat - its own people - away from important matters like public finance, economics, class and abuse of power. It is almost as if the governing elite is trying to make "Tabula Rasa" of the past, a "blank slate" on which it can paint and engineer a rootless, passive and obedient slave class.

It's a pretty barren and frightening landscape that western leaders have created for their peoples. Compare this with the rising prosperity and optimism that Putin generates by his communications and actions.

Read More

COMMUNICATION SKILLS 101

15 December 2023

This is a technical piece on basic communication skills, with an emphasis on skills needed for success in the office.

First, let's take a look at key communication skills. Once we have set this frame, let's look more closely at a responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) for determining roles within a project team, your project teams.

Effective communication skills 

Effective communication skills are crucial for success in the office, if you want to enhance your ability to work collaboratively, minimise misunderstandings, contribute to a positive and productive work environment and ... get a pay rise and promotion.

Key skills include:

1. Clear Verbal Communication

   - Expressing ideas clearly and concisely.

   - Using the right tone, emphasis and language for each situation.

2. Active Listening

   - Paying attention to others.

   - Responding thoughtfully to demonstrate understanding.

3. Written Communication

   - Writing clear and coherent emails, reports, and documentation.

   - Ensuring proper grammar, spelling, and formatting - one idea per paragraph only & multiple paragraphs broken by white space for readability.

4. Non-Verbal Communication

   - Being aware of body language and facial expressions. (Funny remark it is more difficult to read the expressions of People who use botox or filler and thus difficult for you to respond.)

   - Projecting confidence and professionalism, in manner and appearance.

5. **Emotional Intelligence:**

   - Understanding and managing one's emotions.

   - Recognising and empathising with others' emotions.

   -  Try Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP),

a somewhat manipulative technique, particularly the use of "mirroring", all copying the body language of the other, for developing a rapport with people.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuro-linguistic_programming?wprov=sfla1

6. Adaptability

   - Adjusting communication style based on the audience.

   - Being open to feedback and willing to modify approaches.

7. Clarity and Conciseness

   - Conveying messages in a straightforward manner.

   - Avoiding unnecessary jargon or complexity, or introducing such language before using.

8. Conflict Resolution

   - Addressing conflicts calmly, unemotionally and constructively.

   - Seeking solutions that benefit all parties involved.

9. Collaboration

   - Fostering open communication within teams.

   - Encouraging the exchange of ideas and feedback.

  - Getting everyone on board.

10. Networking

    - Building and maintaining professional relationships.

    - Communicating effectively with colleagues, bosses and clients.

Some intermediate remarks

Please expand acronyms on first use in a message, or have a glossary

Use punctuation to improve readability

Check spelling, check structure before hitting send

Don't assume readers are clairvoyant, take time to contruct / edit before send, to be sure you are understood first time ( people will often be reluctant to ask for clarification so you should make sure they don't need to).

Be sure to understand the purpose of any message you send or receive and be sure to communicate clearly. Especially if you are talking, speak clearly and strongly, be structured, be concise !!!

Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)

Communication skills are your absolute number one skill, both written and oral, listening and reading (rapid and summarising), (the four skills). If you are not confident that you are communicating efficiently and effectively, then take a communication skills course - this could be the most important thing you do in 2024.

Consult. Communicate before action with those who you want to motivate and involve in the action.

Inform. Inform those who must change as a result of an action in preparation for the happy implemention.

The RASCI

This is a typical version of a esponsibility assignment matrix (RAM). The people on your project RAM are the people with whom you exchange messages, it is about their roles...and yours: 

R - Responsible - the person who makes the change

A - Accountable - the person who gets the pay rise or the kick in the pants if it all goes right or wrong, probably your boss, your customer, your client, who agrees your plan and makes resources available

S - Support - those whom you can rely on for help getting the change made, like accountants or lawyers or IT or consultants

C - Consult - The people you talk to, to get information for your analysis and action plan

I - Inform - the people downstream who will have to operate the change on a regular basis, those who need to know

RASCI is your basic frame 101 for working in any team if you want to get things done. These are the roles people have and with whom you communicate.

Good to be clear in your head on your role and the role of the other people, before you do anything, before you start communicating.

RASCI - responsible accountable support consult inform.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Responsibility_assignment_matrix

Read More

THE TRIUMPH OF REASON OVER EMOTION

14 December 2923

I have always taken a "realistic" position on IR, but this growing world anger, and anger at home, the emotions or passions that drive everything, emotions esp anger seem more and more to be overriding reason and common sense.

Look at Gaza. Any analysis would say that Hamas has performed an almost miraculous feat in getting this decades-old conflict back at the top of the world's priorities, and that there is little to be gained from Israel's military intervention.

Nonetheless, Israel charges back in, hammer and tanks, because the people demand revenge and demand their government restore dueish superiority. (They demand of Netanyahu, even though it is his fiasco.)

You can kill the Hamas leadership, but you can't stop this movement which has the backing of the Palestinian people (about half theaccording, accordingto polls) - the leadership and the arms will only return.

So what's the point? Is it revenge? Or is it dissuasion - teach those civilians not to support an organisation dedicated to the destruction of Israel? Or is it driven by the Zionist Ideological vision of ethnic cleansing to create a greater Israel?

Seems to me it's purely emotional, the desire for revenge and to re-establish fear and respect of Israel in the neighborhood.

But there's no plan for "the day after". Gaza has been flattened - will the people of Gaza file out into the Sinai? 40 years in the desert stuff?

Or will something "unexpected" happen? Ok, the Arab elites would be happy to see the brutal destruction of Hamas, which is Muslim street Brotherhood that threatens Wahhabi power; but what about a changing mood in American and European public opinion, especially the young like us, who take sensible, if radical, positions; or the Evangelical Christians who apparently want all Jews to collect in Israel and wait for the Messiah? You see how mad and magical the emotions get.

And Ukraine was much the same story - the emotions seemed to be in the driving seat, the West took what it considers a moral position and for a long time that position was buoyed by the story around the initial defeat of the Russians, by the emergence of plucky Zelinsky on the world stage, we all remember his crowd thumping speeches, and by the heroic resistance of the courageous Ukrainian people. 

No one seemed to notice that actually Ukraine had made itself a most powerful enemy ("poked the bear in the eye with a sharp stick") and that the West's reserves were depleted, its army a paper tiger etc.

Some of us saw all that ... with a spot of help from Mearsheimer and Mercurios and the rest, because we took a realistic point of view, analysed the facts and were not influenced by public opinion or government propaganda. That is the starting point: analyst and consultant. In other words, we present an analysis and the customer, or the politicians, then frame it to their liking, give it Vision and Direction.

Surely Boris' visit to Ukraine last year was the triumph of hope and emotion over realism and reason. Far as I remember, the Western militaries were telling the politicians the score, but the politicians went ahead anyway and now there are half a million dead, Ukraine is flattened, the world economy split in two, debt piled up even higher and decline sped up. Thank you neocons and Boris 

(Brexit, Covid, Ukraine - what a total disaster Boris was, but he drew the crowds - shows how difficult it is to pursue realistic negotiations when you have a baying crowd in front of you, stoked up by neocon insecurities and harangued by the msm!).

Anyway to finish this piece on "The Triumph of Hope over Despair", or emotions over reason, we have reached actually the opposite: now reason has been proven right and it's "The Triumph of Despair over Hope" after half a million deaths in Ukraine, the utter failure of the offensive and a very cold winter ahead with the energy supplies knocked out. All of which is likely to finish off the people of Kiev. Similar script for Tel Aviv.

Read More