1) From the Guardian, a few days ago. Silicon Valley bigwigs are calling for new immigration laws to allow more skilled immigrants to move to Silicon Valley.
2) The Baby Market – an excellent piece in The New York Times’s equally excellent Room for Debate about The Baby Market.
3) How to stick to your New Year’s Resolution over at Nudge.
4) …. and how not to over at Freakonomics.
5) Iain Dale highlights the story of Rory Stewart walking all over the constituency he would like to win for the Tories. Stewart is an interesting character, a fine writer and, from everything I’ve read, a bright and brilliant candidate. As does Alex Massie.
6) Jeff over at SNP Tactical Voting gives us his predictions for the Year.
7)  Matthew Yglesias debates torture.
8 ) John Stokes over at Spectator Coffee House puts forward ideas how to overcome America’s intelligence woes.
9) And Scotland’s geekiest sports blogger has upped his output . (What?! You can’t blame a boy for trying!).

Enjoy!

RCM

A few days back, I wrote a piece about David Cameron’s big idea – the post-bureaucratic age.

One of the problems with PBA is that many people in the UK, whatever they say, are unwilling to take control of elements of their own lives (their children’s schooling etc).

A perfect example is from my own street. I am lucky enough to live in a nice area of Edinburgh – Stockbridge. It is a lovely bit of town. People take pride in their gardens, front doors are painted nicely etc.

Over the last week, the snow has turned to ice about 1 to 2 inches thick. It isn’t terribly treacherous but can be problematic for people (especially old people) to walk on. Only two houses on the two streets I walk to the shops on have cleared the ice away (mine was one and the other was an elderly gentleman around the corner). It took an hour or so but it wasn’t too hard.

I went to my old flat in Dalry and the ice was as bad on the pavements there. Indeed, all over town this seemed to be the way. Now, I understand, you’ll be asking ‘what the hell has this got to do with the post-bureaucratic age’?

My point is this. I’ve heard people in pubs, on trains etc complaining that the council hasn’t cleaned the ice off the pavements.

And this is where the link comes (this is smooth stuff – ed.). The problem, too often, is that when people could do something for themselves (like cleaning their steps and the area outside their steps) they expect the council to do it for them. If we all cleaned our steps and the little areas outside our houses everyone would be better off. A shame really – how have we got to the point where we expect the state to do such simple things for us and, when we could act, we sit and wait for the state to intervene? Sad stuff.

Anyway, a glum thought but let us hope that 2010 is a fantastic year !

RCM

RCM

On first impressions this seems like a very sensible plan.  It still taxes carbon but only if we start recording warming point forwards.  If the sceptics are right and man’s influence is irrelevant then we don’t pay any tax.  However if warming is recorded an (what seems to be) exponential tax rate kicks in.  There are fair criticisms of the scheme but most are answered pretty well by Dr McKitrick.

The estblished all-conquering two nights of prime time telly a week machine created by Cowell for the specific purpose of selling 500,000 records at Christmas was defeated by a couple on Facebook in their bedroom urging people to buy what they believed in, not what they were told to. If we apply the same logic to politics then is it so unreasonable to expect that people faced with increased taxes, failing public services, mountainous National debt, rising unemployment, dying soldiers and a resurgence of spin will vote not for the free spending and legislation happy political parties, but rather for individuals who have become frustrated with the size and ineptitude of the Governmant and want to see its role cut? In this scenario all the main political parties would get  bloody noses as the electorate make it clear that the centre (Cameron, Brown, Clegg, Salmond) cannot act in an oligarchic  and must instead respect the underlying priciple of a representative democracy that local MPs will vote in the best interests of their constituents and not just how they are told.

The main political parties have consistently peddled the idea that it is the Government’s role to solve any problems in the economy, but maybe the defeat of another seemingly invincible foe (Cowell – not Joe) can convince the public that any solution lies with them and that any political party advertising a cure-all driven by the state in the next few months is pushing nothing better or more helpfull than a Hannah Montana cover.

If my dream scenario of local MPs having to take a stand against their party does not materialise in the run-up to the election then lets hope that the Rage campaign has at least shown Brown et al that they must first ask the people of the UK what it is they want, rather than telling us.

1) How to become more productive at work. Block email for an hour from Thaler and Sunstein.
2) Alex Massie thinks we need a Government of Old Age Pensioners – and he might very well be right.
3) Does money change everything – read Dubner and think for yourselves.
4) SNP Tactical Voting wonders if it really is true that a politician is lying if their lips are moving.
5) Everyone’s favourite impecunious Greek lets us consider the ‘best of’ 2009.
6) The ever insightful Calum Cashley has a look at the state of the Edinburgh Lib Dems
7) Iain Dale gives us Keith Simpson MP’s Christmas Reading List – always worth a read even if makes you feel hopelessly inadequate in terms of books read/to read!

As you were.

RCM

There is a dearth of informed political debate and new ideas in Scottish politics.  The growth of Scottish focussed blogs and a range of think tanks, represents the evolution of devolution – from its early unsure days to a new and growing confidence.  As the Scottish people and politicians begin to understand the opportunities and limits of our devolved parliament, it is of vital importance that principled ideology starts to play a part.  One such ideology that is yet to be clearly articulated is Liberalism.

Liberalism has long held a place in Scotland’s history and politics.  David Hume and Adam Smith were the leading liberal thinkers of their day in the 18th century.  In the 19th century the Free Church was established and the Crofters’ Holdings Act officially recognised crofters and established the right of tenure, protecting the crofters way of life.   In the 20th century the liberal principle of subsidiarity was demonstrated through the re-establishment of Scotland’s parliament.

As Scotland plots its route in the 21st century - the philosophically robust theory of liberalism needs to be clearly defined and articulated in today’s terms.

We hope to play a small part in that process.