Woolworths

Last week there were reports of customers harassing Woolworths workers because the closing down sales bargains were “not cheap enough”. It is difficult not to feel for the workers, who, in addition to the imminent loss of their livelihoods, have to face such attitude from customers.

We all like a good bargain and feel we have conquered something when we get something ridiculously cheap. I can understand, however, why things are not being just given away at next to nothing by Woolworths. The duty of the administrators is to maximise the amount left in the coffers when the doors finally shut. This cannot be achieved by selling items at a massive loss, because then the loss becomes even bigger, as you are still paying staff, rent and other expenses.

If people expect things for next to nothing, then it may as well have been cheaper for Woolworths to put everything outside, with a ‘help yourself’ notice and shut its doors to minimise costs.

Beat the credit crunch!

Capitalism is great at exploiting the mood of the moment. Walk around any shopping centre and see how posters beckon you to 'beat the credit crunch'. In other words capitalism is happy to exploit its own misery. Such is its creative destruction.

Pakistan and cyberspace...

What is behind Pakistan’s drive to criminalise cyberspace by introducing draconian measures based on vague and indeterminate infractions? I can hazard a guess. Pakistan is currently led by criminals and liars; the president is the most corrupt in its history. He does not even have a façade to show how he became a billionaire. Lest you think corruption cases against him were fabricated, remember that they were taking place not just in Pakistan but in Europe as well, where the judiciary is more robust. The leadership wants to keep people ignorant about this. Hence the clampdown on cyberspace.

The honourable Prime Minister (or not so?) has his own reasons for cyber-bitterness. To find out, type Prime Minister of Pakistan and Sherry Rehman in YouTube and watch the esteemed PMs hands carefully! The fate of the nation lies in the selfsame hands! He protests and yet he protests not, if you know what I mean.

(Alternatively, just click here)

Welfare reform...missed opportunities

The Queen's speech on Thursday is likely to contain proposals for significant changes to the way unemployment benefits are paid, with a greater emphasis on using the stick, such as withdrawing benefits from those who refuse to cooperate with efforts to get them back to work. This is always a delicate issue, with on the one hand a populist desire to get 'scroungers' off benefits and the need to ensure people are not punished and left to suffer. One target is likely to be single parents.

Yet I find it strange that these measures are being considered during a recession, when the recently unemployed will be competing with the long-term and hard core jobless. I think the opportunity to make permanent structural changes to welfare have been missed. We have just come out of a very long boom, which included an abundance of jobs. That was the time to encourage the hardcore jobless back to work. Instead what happened was that most of the extra jobs were filled by those coming from abroad, which in turn helped to inflate the housing boom, thereby making it even more difficult for the jobless to join the property ladder and entrenching poverty and dependence further.

Now that we are in a recession, many of the (more scrupulous) private companies who are bidding for contracts to help people find work are beggining to have second thoughts about the contractual targets. Unless there is a quick, miraculous change of economic conditions, we could have another fiasco similar to the Individual Learning Accounts one.

Bare below the elbows...

The NHS' “Bare Below the Elbows” policy requires that to prevent the spread of infections, health workers should not wear watches, rings (other than wedding rings) and should be bare below the elbows. This is based on research showing that bacteria can survive on sleeves and from there spread to patients on contact. Some Muslim female health workers, and 'community' leaders, have raised concerns about this policy.

A number of options are being discussed, including sleeves that can be easily rolled up on patient contact. My own view is that Islam is sufficiently flexible to take account of necessity. If there is scientific evidence for the survival of bacteria on sleeves, and transmission from there to patients, then out of necessity, there should be no obstacle to women health workers being bare below the arms.

Dependency culture...?

I enjoy studying the welfare state. It is a fascinating topic. This is because, although the details are boring and technical, underlying the welfare state are principles of compassion and humanity. Another reason for my interest is that, as so frequently happens, there is a conflict between the stated, noble, intentions and operation in reality.

Every area of the welfare state has examples of this dichotomy between reality and intention. Take child protection. We condemn the welfare state as a meddling nanny when happy families are broken; we condemn it for not doing enough when tragedies, such as the case of Baby P, happen. Yet we accept the principle that the state should have a role in helping vulnerable children.

There is, in other aspects of the welfare state, a conflict between the wish to help and the need to prevent making people dependent on state help. Take the case of financial help given to the unemployed. A perpetual challenge has been how to help those who need it, without, especially for those lacking skills, making people think hard and fast before accepting jobs that would make them only marginally better off ( or not better off at all, or, taking everything into account, worse off).

If the state is contributing significantly towards your mortgage payments, and you are not a skilled professional, you will think hard before accepting a job that could make you worse off. It is natural to make such calculations; it is totally unreasonable for there to be an expectation not to think in this way. Similarly, there is a huge disincentive to taking on short term contract work.

I am not sure what the solution is to these problems. Means testing, or targeting help to those who need it most, sounds great in principle, but for it to work, we all need to be saints.

BNP member list

This week saw considerable controversey about the release of the personal details of BNP members. Some people could hardly contain their glee, arguing that members of other parties do not hide themselves. Others argued that BNP members have rights too. Although Labour or Tory members do not need to hide, there would be an outcry if their personal details were published online. I agree with the latter view.

The list itself, easily available, contains 12801 entries. I am sure there must be social scientists somewhere analysing the data, though there isn't much to go on, apart from personal details. I suppose it does help in identifying the national distribution of members.

Of the 12801 entries, roughly 2400 are female (18.7%). 40 have the title of Dr before their names; 5 are reverends. There are even afew lords, ladies and knights, though I do not know if these titles are geniune. My own city, Birmingham, has around 220 members, including some who are from predominantly Pakistani/ Asian areas. Most of the members are from what could be called deprived areas, though there are several from more affluent areas.

Film news.....from Mirpur

Those who watch satellite channels of the DM Digital, KBC and Aapna TV sort, will know of a new genre of film and drama coming from Pakistan. I am referring, of course, to Potahari/ Pahari entertainment. The Potahar region of Pakistan is in fact a cultural entity that includes the Mirpur district of Azad Kashmir.

Now I hear that a new Pahari amateur film has as its leading actors at least 4 people from my own village, Chattroh. The film, Mara Sajan Pola (My naïve lover), is currently making the rounds in England. As a first amateur attempt, it’s actually an extraordinarily good film, well shot, the story moves quickly and there is a good dose of unique comedy.

Potahari/ Pahari films and dramas, helped by the rise of niche satellite channels, are increasingly becoming popular. Given the resemblance of Urdu and Hindi, Lollywood’s Urdu outputs do not stand a chance next to Bollywood. And Lollywood’s punjabi films are ridiculous, with every sentence delivered in earth shattering tones. The gap thus left is filled by Potohari films, which are in general more realistic and touch relevant themes, including the Pakistan/ England link.

The 'government' of 'Azad'Kashmir should take note and offer a cultural policy. It is clear young people want this; note how popular Bollywood movies, despite being banned, are in AK. I doubt, however, if anything will change. Culture does not go beyond recital of the quami-tarana and afew poems by Iqbal. The private sector is taking the initiative.

Good times on credit

It has become something of a statement of the obvious to say that over the past decade or so the material standard of life has increased by leaps and bounds. For example, ownership of material possessions, such as mobile phones, ipods, etc, has increased tremendously. That much cannot be denied.

But looking at it now, after the credit crunch, it seems all this prosperity has been achieved not by high paying, quality jobs, but on credit. Unprecendented levels of consumer credit, which have become clear since the crunch, are evidence of this.

With quality jobs shifting to low wage economies and being replaced by McJobs, it seems permanently low interest rates have been one way for the Western governments to ensure living standards do not fall for their citizens.

Holy Punches!

Those who saw the news last night would have seen images of Greek Orthodox and Armenian monks trading punches at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Old Jerusalem. The scenes brought to mind an incident, in which two mullahs exchanged slaps, I witnessed in the late 80s.

The point at issue was the vexed question of whether fasting should start the next day or not. As many people know, this is a difficult issue because it depends on the sighting of the new, thin crescent moon. The fact that the date of the new moon can now be scientifically calculated seems irrelevant, as does the fact that the new moon may have been sighted in other countries.

Anyway, this brawl that I remember started when one of the clerics rather naively suggested that the mosque just follow the decision of the majority. The other cleric was having none of this pragmatism. And so slaps ensued.

I am unable to empathise with those who take part in these petty disputes. What drives them? I just cannot get into their mind to see what is behind it. Take the issue of the sighting of the moon. Clerics in the UK are willing to say their prayers at precise times, such as 5:33 or 7:47. Where does this precision come from? It does so from the Met Office. Yet why not rely on the Met Office for the sighting of the new moon? What, in principle, is the difference between the two?

The former Pakistani Prime Minister, Z A Bhutto, talking about the mullahs once said “I have no time for those who argue as to which nostril to clean first”. That is one statement with which, in this day and age, one can easily empathise.

False hope....

Medical experts, backed by the charity Sense About Science, have expressed concern about the safety and efficacy of many web based remedies being offered to people who are unwell and suffering. In most cases, they just offer false hope at great cost.

I am similarly concerned about some of the adverts I have seen in the free Urdu newspapers, which offer, not just medical advice, but a solution to all of life’s problems. One spiritual healer claims to solve any problem, from impotency to recalcitrant children. Another promises that your stubborn sweetheart will fall at your feet after a (costly) visit.

These can be dismissed as entertainment, but some make more serious claims, such as to cure chronic conditions, such as diabetes, or even life threatening diseases such as cancer. Recent years have seen a proliferation of these free newspapers, which contain little original news (just poor quality re-wording of news from more established sources), and many adverts. The problem is that these newspapers are read by the most vulnerable - older Asian men who have little understanding of other sources of information to confirm or disconfirm what they read.

Marriage.......

The marriage arrangements of British Mirpuris are changing drastically and quite rapidly. Young people - boys and girls- are demanding a greater say in the choice of partner. In many cases, parents merely rubber stamp the decision taken by their son or daughter. This is, in general, a positive development. It is only right that those who will have to spend their lives together should be able to choose who they will do so with.

Another way in which marriage is changing among Mirpuris is that young people are increasingly less likely to stick around in loveless marriages, as witnessed by rising rates of divorce and marital disharmony. In a sense, Mirpuris are becoming mainstream, where rates of divorce are already high (though they have fallen recently).

Is it a positive development that many Mirpuri youngsters, unlike their parents and definitely grandparents, are no longer willing to stick around in loveless marriages? That is a difficult question; in general if children are involved, my view is that people should make an extra effort to stick. In other cases it is more difficult. Whatever the answer, utmost care and attention is required in selecting marriage partners.

Line of Control...

The Line of Control that separates Indian and Pakistani Kashmir was opened to traders this week. News reports showed the 'Prime Minister' of Pakistani Kashmir releasing a bird in the direction of Indian Kashmir, which promptly flew back. Whether it was meant to be a symbol of peace, or freedom on this side in contrast to the Indian side, or both, I do not know.

If Kashmiris from the two halves start visiting each other more, they will start to compare. It is natural to compare. What will Kashmiris from one side make of the other?

Those from the Indian side visiting Pakistani Kashmir may, initially, be struck by the large palatial buildings, particularly in the Mirpur district. The more perceptive will soon realise that these are most definitely not the symbol of prosperity overseen by Pakistan. They will realise that most of these impressive buildings are empty and their owners living in cramped terraces in the UK.

Beneath this superficial veneer, they will see a decrepit infrastructure, roads in a state of disrepair, poor quality healthcare, a state education system that has collapsed (note the popularity of private education) and bickering over relatively minor things.

Indian Kashmiri visitors may well also note the bickering over the short Dhangali Bridge, which, in the greater scheme of things, should be relatively easy for Pakistan to construct. They may well contrast this, unfavourably, with the recent launch of the rail link between Delhi and the Indian Kashmir. While we bicker over a puny bridge, they have a rail service!

Back to blogging....

I have been away for many months from blogsphere as there is no point writing when the words will not out. To write effectively requires inspiration and passion; else there is no point, unless you write for a living, where it is deemed fine to concoct artificial sentences.

Anyway, I hope to write a blog regularly now, at least one per week to begin with.

To kick off, a word about two issues. First the banking crisis. I began blogging in 2004 partly in response to the financial bubble, particularly as it affects housing. Now the chickens have come home to roost. The impact of what we are witnessing should not be underestimated. A massive paradigm change is taking place. RIP neoliberal economics; interventionism is back in. If the banks can be rescued, many other industries will be wondering why not them.

The second important change since I last blogged is the fact that Zardari is now the president of Pakistan. That the most corrupt person in the history of Pakistan, and someone who would no doubt get a front seat in an international contest of corrupt politicians, should become president is a tragedy and does not bode well for the future of the country. This man combines corruption and incompetence. Faced with court cases, he claimed to suffer from several mental ailments. Either he lied or he didn't. Either way, he is not fit to be president. Alas the sycophants who tail him do not realise this, or refuse to accept it.

Education

To roughly translate and apply a Mirpuri proverb, these days if you pick up a stone the chances are that there will be a degree lying under it. The widening participation agenda has done more than widen access to higher education. In the process, the content has been dumbed down. So much I was able to glean from the pages of the Times Higher while I was working at a leading University. There was scarcely an issue that didn’t contain academic moans about declining standards.

Given this, the arrogance displayed by some Mirpuri parents when talking about their graduate children is totally misplaced. Of course, there are some very high achievers, both academically and in careers. For these, actions speak louder than words: their self evident position makes unnecessary any overt arrogance. In general, however, going to a University (normally a post-92 one; i.e. an ex-Poly) is no big deal. You don’t even need decent A, level grades to do so. No wonder academics complain about students who can’t spell or construct a half decent paragraph.

Benazir and Pakistan

Pakistanis are still in a state of shock less than a week since the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto (BB). The assassination, on 27 December, came at the end of bad year for Pakistan. Even the arguably good news, like the growth rate and economy, has a negative driver: the dollars coming in as part of the US war against terrorism package.

There's no shortage of material to read about the assassination and its aftermath, on the net and elsewhere. So here's some brief points to add to the mix.

First, the government, as on other matters, is suffering from a massive credibility gap. Its version of how BB died, and who may have killed her, is believed by very few. Political murders are rarely solved in Pakistan. We still don't know why the first Prime Minister of Pakistan, Liaqat Ali Khan- after whom the park where BB died was named- was killed. Neither do we know much about why Zia was killed. There's plenty of speculation. We will probably never know who killed BB.

Second, the People's Party has harmed its democratic credentials by keeping the reins of power in the party within the Bhutto family. There are plenty of able people in the party (e.g. Aitzaz Hassan, the lawyer who caused much headache for the government in 2007).

Third, the current 'caretaker' government has been wrong to postpone the general election. This is clearly a political decision taken in view of Musharaff's declining popularity. It is also to minimise the chances of the People's Party capitlising on the sympathy vote.