The UK Leadership Deficit

If you've lived in, are living in or have friends in the UK it's almost impossible that you would have missed that the elections just took place.  But like me, you probably didn't pay very much attention because it wasn't very interesting.

On Facebook, I wrote a status encouraging people to vote, I wasn't espousing any particular party, I just strongly believe that everyone should excercise their democratic right.  Democracy was a hard earned prize, (even harder earned for some of us than others!) and apathy or complacency is a poor thanks to that institution.  One friend wrote in reply to my status that the top UK Google search was "who should I vote for".  He then commented that this was an indication that democracy was in a very poor state indeed.  Which got me thinking...

What is it about this particular election that was so uninspiring?  Why did voters turn to google for answers that should have been annunciated through the rhetoric of the candidates?

Cameron and Milliband are two of the more flacid candidates to ever grace the British poltical stage. Shrunken and awkward they are the product of British factories of political candidates (aka Oxford and the London School of Economics).  The centre right and centre left parties have congealed together into a tolerant moderatism.  A taupe-beige melange that inspires nobody and is destroying the Westiminster democracy like a slow and irreversible cancer. And I just keep asking myself, is it even possible to be a "centred politician" have a backbone and be a passionate leader?

When you get leadership candidates like Milliband and Cameron - you also get candidates like Nigel Farage.  Plenty of passion and backbone, articulate and quick with the statistics - he just also happens to come across as a rascist bigot. Winston Peters cloned and twenty years younger.

Boris Johson, the rightful heir to the throne (not literally) was bought off and tucked away as mayor of London so that he was not tempted to pursue national leadership. Perhaps his return heralds a new and glorious age. Perhaps.

The surprise card in this election was the SNP otherwise known as the Kilted Coup.  They are led by the dark horse on the UK leadership stage - she's intelligent, she's articulate and she's Scottish. Not Scottish in the Gordon Brown - bore you to death kind of way. But Scottish in the Braveheart "You can take my life, but you can never take my  freedom" kind of way. The problem being that this dynamic country "beyond the wall" is making a clear and coherrant case to be a different country. Nicola Sturgeon belongs to Scotland. Not Britain.

I don't think the problem here is voter apathy.  The problem is politicians who are refrained from expressing themselves, fail to inspire and apply this floppy handshake manner to every issue that crosses their desk.  I'm not advocating a shift away from moderate policies, but I am calling for the next generation of UK leaders to please stand up.

The time has come for the next Thatcher, Blair or Churchill.  The future of your country is at stake.

Managing the Terror Tantrum

Most of you will recall that in December 2014 a lone gun man held hostages in the Lindt Cafe in Martin Place in Sydney. The police treated the incident as an act of terrorism because of the man's proclaimed allegiance with ISIL.  It turned out he was aggrieved over legal outcomes concerning a number of charges.  Two people as well as the gun man, Man Haron Monis were killed during the seige which was finally brought to an end by police.  

The Lindt cafe closed down and Martin Place became a shrine to peace as Sydneysidders tried hard not to succumb to racial and ethnic hatred towards their Muslim neighbors.  Campaigns like #illridewithyou where Sydney commuters pledged to ride with women wearing hijab or veils so that they would not be harassed by angry and ignorant members of the public.  Sadly, the incident has also sparked hate rallies and an even further backlash against asylum seekers, it made people feel scared and vulnerable - all the things terrorist attacks are meant to do.

The Lindt cafe has recently reopened.  

Thomas and I were walking past it one sunny afternoon and I commented how uncomfortable I would feel buying a drink in there.  There was no sign of the horror that took place - what you can see from the street are receptacles filled to the brim of shiny, brightly wrapped Lindt balls, a counter with row upon row of handmade chocolates on display and a dozen tables filled with happy customers devouring colourful macaroons or salted caramel slices.  To me it seemed a gaudy shrine to the fallen.  Thomas took another view, for him the cafe reopening and carrying on just as before was a way of conquering the situation.  Regardless, we kept walking, it was only a passing comment.

I walk pass that cafe everyday on my way to the bus.  Today I went inside.  In truth, I was actually a little apprehensive - I didn't know what it would feel like to be somewhere where such awful things had recently taken place.  Once I had picked up my order and began to walk out, I noticed two golden plaques to the left of the main entrance - one for each of the victims and none for the man that froze a city of 5 million people.  

A sense of defiance grew as I sipped on my purchase and walked into the cool autumn night. 

It occurred to me that this may be the only way to fight violent acts which are designed not for maximum physical damage but maximum psychological damage, which terrorist attacks generally are.  Not only to fight back with messages of tolerance and peace but, like you would with a tantrumming toddler, keep calm and carry on.

So keep drinking Lindt hot chocolates, reading Charlie Hebdo, catching flights or public transport and fight back by embracing and maintaining our way of life.