Diaries
Everything
Who's Online?
FAQ / Help

Print Story A diary
Diary
By Herring (Mon Mar 01, 2004 at 08:14:47 PM EST) (all tags)
Stuff about governments and things and normal random bollocks.

Re. the poll. Long term decisions and government seem to be a difficult problem. For instance, for a while, people have been talking about "the demographic timebomb". The problem being, in the UK, that state pensions and other benefits are paid out of taxation as it comes in. Technically, the state pension isn't "funded" in the same way as a private DC scheme. As the population ages, this is going to become a real problem with either declining state pensions or an increasing tax burden on those who will be earning. From the perspective of those collecting their pensions, they may well have paid into the taxation pool all of their life and quite rightly, feel that they ought to be entitled to a proper pension. The obvious way to make this fair would be to move the state pension to being a properly funded scheme but then you would have at least one generation who would be paying twice - for current bills and into their own pot. However you do it, it's going to be unpopular even if it will be better in the long term.

Other examples of short-termism include the move of electricity generation to gas. This is fine as long as North Sea gas lasts. It wont be very long, however, before the UK will be dependent upon gas imports from some of the less stable parts of the world. We did have 300 years of coal left but now that the mines have been closed, it is prohibitively difficult to re-open them now that they've been flooded. Yes, some work on burning coal in a more environmentally friendly fashion would've helped as well.

Ah fuck. Why did I agree to project manage this disaster? This morning I have to persuade a load of very busy people that my project is the most important and can they just fucking do it like now. In the meantime, I shall start preparing a defence by deflecting blame onto others. Project management is not my job.

Did go to the gym yesterday lunchtime after seeing the LHuSi beers photo. Burnt off 650 calories according to the machine. Include in the beer I didn't have at lunchtime and that puts me losing over 1000 calories compared with a normal day. If I keep this up, I shall stay the same wieght and eat more.

< happiness | BBC White season: 'Rivers of Blood' >
Login
Make a new account
Username:
Password:
Share this entry
Share on Facebook
Post to Twitter
Poll
What form of government is best able to make long term decisions?
- A standard Western democracy 0%
- A military dictatorship 0%
- An appointed meritocracy (i.e. the most intelligent govern whether they like it or not) 7%
- A monarchy 15%
- A theocracy 0%
- Fascism 15%
- A democracy but with much longer terms 7%
- Anarchy 15%
- Clupeocracy 0%
- I don't fucking know 30%
- Other 7%

Votes: 13
Results | Other Polls
Related Links
- husi
- Herring's Diary
Comment Controls
View: Display: Sort:
A diary | 13 comments (13 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback
Can I change my vote? by Rogerborg (4.00 / 2) #1 Mon Mar 01, 2004 at 08:27:59 PM EST
I voted for monarchy (because of the inherent stability of, er, inheritance), but really it's the theocracy, because that's predicated on nothing changing, ever, until the end of time.  Well, maybe one tiny thing per generation, but, you know, someone's going to have to get burned or tortured to death to pay for it.

Yes, pensions, we're all doooomed.  Actually, we're dooomed because we have a population and economy based cheap oil (yes, and gas), and no credible plan for addressing that, unless we stop being such pussies about nukular.  Hark at me banging my special interest drum.

You agreed to project manage the disaster because you like getting paid.  Or were you looking for a more complex answer that would somehow absolve you?  In the end, we're all the whores of Babylon.

-
Metus amatores matrum compescit, non clementia.


IAWTP by hulver (5.00 / 3) #4 Mon Mar 01, 2004 at 08:39:13 PM EST
We're all dooooomed.

New-clear energy would be a much better bet. I've heard it will be too cheep to meter!
--
Cheese is not a hat. - clock
[ Parent ]

But Fusion energy is only 20 years away by Herring (4.50 / 2) #5 Mon Mar 01, 2004 at 08:45:21 PM EST
And has been for some time. And will continue to be for some time.

[ Parent ]

I blame the French by Rogerborg (4.00 / 2) #7 Mon Mar 01, 2004 at 08:52:14 PM EST
I mean, just on general principles, but for actual reasons this time as well.

-
Metus amatores matrum compescit, non clementia.
[ Parent ]

heh by martingale (4.50 / 2) #10 Mon Mar 01, 2004 at 09:04:32 PM EST
So with Fusion power, we'll get Godzilla, obviously. The question you've got to ask yourself, then, is this: does Japan have the necessary expertise to fight Godzilla? A cursory glance at several documentaries suggests not. Cities flattened, people killed. Japan is simply not very qualified. Now, the French have experience fighting Godzilla. Didn't they save America recently? One small French DST team is all it took to get rid of little Godzilla eggs before they could do major damage.

I think the record speaks for itself.
--
$E(X_t|F_s) = X_s,\quad t > s$
[ Parent ]

I've done my bit! by Cloaked User (4.00 / 2) #11 Mon Mar 01, 2004 at 09:07:32 PM EST
By dropping out of my PhD rather than scraping through and ending up as an RA at some theoretical plasma/fusion group somewhere, hating it and so doing a mediocre job at best, I've advanced the cause by years!


--
This is not a psychotic episode. It is a cleansing moment of clarity.
[ Parent ]

The difficulty with long term... by Metatone (5.00 / 1) #2 Mon Mar 01, 2004 at 08:33:40 PM EST
government is that few systems are actually all that stable. Most dictators live with an eye out to potential coup leaders and thus spend their time bolstering their power base in the short term.

I guess in theory longer terms of democracy might be a good idea from this point of view, since winning the election is the politicians prime motive. Being popular now and losing then probably would go out of fashion pretty quickly. Tony Blair's Labour party is an exquisite demonstration of how even a huge majority does not necessarily impart enough confidence to undertake some long term actions.

The issue of course is that as we've seen with both major parties in the UK the longer they are in govt, the more they seem to decay. Corruption seems to increase, intellectual energy seems to decrease. And of course, if they are making a complete mess of things, the option to eject them is suddenly quite attractive...

I thought LHuSi beers photo was obviously the product of bad lens and angle selection... but it did make you look like a serial killer...



Photo by Herring (3.00 / 0) #3 Mon Mar 01, 2004 at 08:39:02 PM EST
Sure you're not mistaking me for nobbjump the ladder?

There was talk on the radio this morning about council tax capping. It could be that next year, running up to a general election, the government may cap quite heavily since the deterioration in council services wouldn't be noticed until after the election.

Actually, come to think of it, last year's rise (for us) mainly went on the police. This is Surrey for fuck's sake! Aside from speeding BMWs, there can't be that much crime.

[ Parent ]

Can't be bothered to find the exact reference by Evil Cloaked User (5.00 / 1) #8 Mon Mar 01, 2004 at 08:54:22 PM EST
But I believe such a comment was passed regarding his photo before alright.


--
Still, I think most of the problem is just a mental hurdle to overcome, - Cloaked User
[ Parent ]

would that be by martingale (5.00 / 1) #12 Mon Mar 01, 2004 at 09:08:42 PM EST
...the jump the ladder who disappeared in a puff of smoke in December? That would be rather sneaky of him. Enquiring minds want to know.
--
$E(X_t|F_s) = X_s,\quad t > s$
[ Parent ]

Write-in by BadDoggie (5.00 / 1) #6 Mon Mar 01, 2004 at 08:51:10 PM EST
Benevolent dictatorship (with a proportionally representative political body and general public votes on referenda). This is much better than a military dictatorship, especially when it comes time for succession.

Gas is cheap and there are many ways to get it. It's so cheap now that most offshore wells burn it off since it's not economically viable to store and transport. At some point, we'll probably see grazing cows not only with ear tags but some sort of methane trap at the other end solving two problems at once.

woof.

"Non videri sed esse." — Tycho Brahe
"Not to be seen but to be."


planned economies by martingale (4.00 / 2) #9 Mon Mar 01, 2004 at 08:55:14 PM EST
I don't think planned economies work any better than unplanned (the "hand" and all that) ones. We've got lots of examples, and even if we discount them due to political and ideological corruption, the Soviets and Chinese bureaucrats still tried honestly, and failed. So no, there isn't much hope for all knowing, all seeing, singing and dancing supergovs.

Personally, can't stand the monarchies/dictatorships. We beheaded ours, and I think it's for the better. But I'm slowly starting to think that I don't like party political systems either. What, when you come right down and smell the shit up close, what is the difference between a big political party with a strong and powerful leader and a time limited monarchy?

Pollies make a deal with their party - give their vote away and receive funding and advertising. What I'd much prefer is conscience votes on every single issue, all the time. It may not be better, but it can't be worse. Ban party affiliation! No backroom deals! Free beer for all!

Oh yeah, it's all right to count the skipped lunch as lost potential calories, but when you think about it, sooner or later you'll have to eat, and it'll be a standard meal. Think of the future meals calories you could save if you outsource your body to India. By replacing yourself completely by some skinny Indian programmer, you could REALLY lose weight by eating only half sized meals for the rest of your life.
--
$E(X_t|F_s) = X_s,\quad t > s$


Depends upon your definition of lunch by Herring (3.00 / 1) #13 Mon Mar 01, 2004 at 10:18:56 PM EST
I still had something to eat (I can't do the gym without getting some food down a couple of hours beforehand) but I skipped the three pints of Stella which I would've had at the pub altogether.

[ Parent ]

A diary | 13 comments (13 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback

Powered by Scoop Blue Room Hosting logo  
 
All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective companies. Comments and Stories are owned by the Poster and Licensed to "Hulver's site". See our Copyright page for more information.
faq | help | accounts