European Trends

In the past month this blog has covered Human Rights, the role of states & the balancing acts of Liberty. Now seems as good as any to look at the political situation in Europe, where these are all issues of consequence:

It seems that the coalition's favourite line that says 'the cuts are necessary and whoever had to make them would suffer politically' is bearing weight in Europe. In Spain, President Zapatero's long standing Socialist Worker's Party (PSOE) government has engaged in cuts much like the Conservative-Liberal Democrat government in the UK. And much like in the UK, Mr Zapatero's government has suffered protests against it's economic policies (Tremlett, 2011) and a great increase in support for the opposition in the polls.

The question is whether this confirms the necessity but unpopularity of cuts regardless of party; or confirms that the unpopularity of the policy is due to an underlying unfairness. Is it sensible policy advised by financial experts; or symptomatic of a system with undue focus on favouring the finance industry, an issue common to Britain & Spain?

Supporters of a Federal Europe will be enheartened by a European Parliament special committee's report on the financial crisis (Beres, 2011). The report isn't binding but is certainly informing, particularly when we consider that the negotiations about the future of EU funding are still ongoing. The decision to accept the report passed the committee stage with a majority of 32 to 9 and it faces a vote by the whole parliament in July. The main recommendations of the report are that a major increase to the EU's budget and much closer economic & political union present the best solution to the weaknesses exposed by the financial crisis (Beres et al, 2011).

Pervenche Beres, French Socialist MEP and author of the report, expressed a belief that its recommendations represent a lesson learned but also the means to compete with the giant economic superpowers of the future (The Record Europe, 2011). It certainly appears to signify an increase in support for Europe's institutions and the work they carry out; the work of elected judges at the ECHR is a highly publicised example.

Germany has taken the decision to close all seventeen of its Nuclear plants by 2022 (BBC, 2011). The decision has promised to cause something of a rift; in Germany due to the Merkel Government's move to accede to popular protests against nuclear power and throughout Europe as nations seek to address the hole left in the energy market and position themselves politically in light of this move.

And finally in the UK, Deputy Prime Minister and Liberal Democrat leader Mr Nick Clegg has been working hard to get the message out that Liberal Democrats are living up to their mandate. It is most certainly a difficult sell to a public that has set its mind firmly against the party. Mr Clegg has been promoting the work the party is doing on reforming the House of Lords (Clegg, 17th May 2011) and in negotiating a better deal on NHS reform (Pack, 2011).

The Liberal Democrats, beginning even as the results rolled in on local election night in May, are seeking to regain the confidence of voters (Clegg, 6th May 2011). It is an aggressive publicity campaign aimed at showing the Liberal Democrats to be the reforming government they were elected to be and furthermore one that gets results (BBC, 2011).

That's all for now, but we will be back next week with a look in detail at the House of Lords reform proposals.

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References:
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+ Giles Tremlett's 'Spanish voters head to the polls, as city square protests continue'; May 2011;

+ Europarl.europa.eu's 'Invest more at EU level to counter crises, says Financial Crisis Committee'; May 2011;

+ Europarl.europa.eu's 'Pervenche Beres: "To get out of this crisis we need to work together"'; March 2011;

+ The Record Europe, 4th June 2011;

+ Pervanches Beres & Special Committee's 'Draft report on the financial, economic and social crisis: recommendations concerning the measures and initiatives to be taken'; March 2011;

+ BBC's 'Germany: Nuclear power plants to close by 2022'; May 2011;

+ Nick Clegg's 'Green government, reforming government: the liberal influence'; 17th May 2011;

+ Mark Pack's 'Tamed and reshaped – Clegg on the NHS White Paper'; June 2011;

+ Nick Clegg's email on the election results; 6th May 2011;

+ BBC's 'Conservative Lib Dem coalition agreement facing renewal?'; May 2011;

Educating Arthur

In 'The Once and Future King' we see the unfolding of the relationship between the Wizard Merlin and his pupil, the future King Arthur. This relationship, of teacher & student, has been ever-present in our pop culture from Gandalf & Aragorn to Ben & Luke; from Frank & Rita to Morpheus & Neo.

The most recent example is the dynamic between River Song & The Doctor in BBC's 'Doctor Who'. The parallel to Merlin & Arthur is firmly highlighted by The Doctor's tendency to travel backwards along River's timeline; like to Merlin who was 'born at the wrong end of time'. There is a distinct contrast between the Merlin-Doctor and the Arthur-River characters.

The Doctor is a teacher, a person of thought who educates so as to see the world anew:

'Because I can't see it any more... That’s the problem, you make all of space and time your backyard and what do you have? A back yard.  But you, you can see it. And when you see it, I see it.'        - The Doctor in an unreleased Scene from Flesh and Stone and The Vampires of Venice ', BBC's 'Doctor Who'. [Youtube link]

Merlin seeks learning for learning's sake. In his world work is it's own reward. Truth is the purpose and result of both work and contemplation, with the belief that Truth is always the best thing:

'He was frightened of what he had done to the king, feeling as if he was trying to revive a drowned man with artificial respiration, who was nearly too far gone. But he was not ashamed. When you are a scientist you must press on without remorse, following the only thing of any importance, Truth.'       - Merlin in 'The Book of Merlyn', 'The Once and Future King'.

River is a student. She is a character of destiny; and her reward has time and again been the Doctor. Her studies and mastery have been for the achievement of her dreams and rewards. She gains wisdom and her mastery to produce affects:

'Not those times, not one line. Don't you dare!'.
- Dr River Song in 'Forest of the Dead', BBC's 'Doctor Who' in response to the Doctor's plea that time can be rewritten.

Arthur learns from his tutor in order to prepare for his future. The aim to meet his destiny, too gain at the end; working to get the reward, to complete the quest and reap the glory:

'Oh, sir... I have been on that quest you said for a tutor, and I have found him. Please, he is this gentleman here, and he is called Merlyn... He is a great magician, and can make things come out of the air.'      - Arthur in 'Sword in the Stone', 'The Once & Future King'.

This dynamic and the trials faced remind me of the alchemist's journey. In versions such as Paolo Coelho's 'The Alchemist' (1988) we see those who pursue destinies, the philosopher's stone or the elixir of life having to make a choice: will they pursue enlightenment or gold?

Education is struggling with this dynamic right now. Maybe because states are working so hard to be economically powerful, everyone feels under threat from this frantic drive toward economic supremacy. Maybe these fears are threatening our Liberty, as we throw our money behind the safety of one horse or the other. What was it Benjamin Franklin said about Liberty & Safety?

'They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.'

In any discussion of liberty this is an important matter to consider. To weigh the management of human productivity against human enlightenment. Yet the 'Vital Power' of John Stuart Mill (1859) speaks to both a humanity free to be enlightened and free to be productive.

We suspend liberty to grease the wheels of the machine, we limit the time and resources available to researchers, thinkers & teachers; all to speed up the process of churning out the research and the students. We limit the power of individual enterprise in order to make market places run more smoothly, more efficiently.

Yet studies into education, into motivation at work and even into the sheer potential options that our language offers us, suggest that these restraints only hold us back from our potential. The evidence suggests that rather than competing forces they are complementary; that a society which can provide space & time from distraction to pursue enlightenment and the freedom of enterprise can be more productive than either alone.

In 'Doctor Who' the TARDIS acts as this perfect social setting. It liberates the Doctor to teach and River Song to achieve astounding feats. It is the setting that allows the Doctor and his students to rise above the everyday issues that drag down other pairings, such as Merlin & Arthur. In doing so it demonstrates how we are at our best when we are free to think and free to act. Everything else is just a matter logistics.

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References:
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+ T.H. White's 'The Once & Future King'; Voyager, Reissue 1996.

+ Paolo Coelho's 'The Alchemist'; Thorsons, 1988.

+ Benjamin Franklin & William Temple Franklin's 'Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Benjamin Franklin'; 1818.

+ John Stuart Mill's 'On Liberty'; 1859.

The President's Address at Westminster Hall

Last week US President Barack Obama addressed a combined sitting of both houses of the UK parliament in Westminster Hall, an honour given to few visiting dignitaries.

President Obama was introduced by Speaker Bercow, who is once again working hard to improve parliament's image and reputation.

The President's speech touches strongly upon the importance of Human Rights and is well worth listening to.