Political Promises

In the first year of a five year political term, celebrating an election victory, rewarding candidates and key supporters with positions of influence; Ministerial Portfolios, Chair of Boards, Directorships and getting down to work. Learning about the true state of affairs from the permanent public officers, historical records, while seeking out corruption done in the last political term under the opposing party is common. Touring development works in progress, finding strategies to gain further political mileage, and identifying good people and companies from within, to do the necessary things that have to be done, while protecting the party image. Noting that, opposition and public criticism generally increases towards the end of the first year.

Selling State Assets

There is no need to dispose of state owed assets, new listings on the stock exchange can bring much needed cash into the treasury without losing the assets' future earnings capabilities, at the same time, forcing greater efficiencies by adding more regulations from the Securities Exchange Commission. Protecting employment, both Workers and Management jobs in line with performance, from threats associated with state funding and offering Investors peace of mind as to future annual returns.

We, the People

Society is form as groups of groups with multiple rooms of ideological walls, floors and ceilings, each with doors, inviting access and escape, and windows, allowing views and voices. Consider a ground floor housing the poor and uneducated, upper floors are for the middle classes and the penthouse is reserved for the wealthy. Opportunities through education and experience allow many to climb up, at lease to a certain level. Networking and risk-taking can elevate a few over many years to the higher floors. The very top are for those who understand, after a lifetime of climbing, it is not how much money one has or controls, anyone can win a large jackpot, it is about influence and power.

Less Tax More Jobs

Investment Opportunities only exist if it can produce returns on investment (ROI), after paying its legitimate obligations. It must offer Capital Gains – growing the investment value and Dividends Payouts – paying for the use of the investment funds, generating a competitive yield. Such Investment Opportunities create employment; salaries and wages along with its associated taxation, delivering on individual management contracts and collective worker union agreements, similarly spawn other opportunities and donate to the society. These Investment Opportunities call on individuals and corporations, who, after many years of work, have retained excess savings or wealth, to participate in building operations, promising safer and greater ROI.

Security Concerns

Natural Disasters whether or not caused by climate change, notwithstanding, the world is on an emotional edge and high alert, mainly against manmade intrusions from opposing lifestyles, wealth disparities, discrimination, gender imbalance, etc. general security breaches; which must now form the starting point in every strategic development plan. There are so many avenues for mass destruction on a global, regional, national, corporate and personal scale. These dangers and solutions must be publicly addressed and connected in order to sustain and improve standards of living.

Old Friends

 Childhood friends, Martin, Chris, Will and Tom, having gone separate ways, are reunited in their late sixties in a single dwelling complex, to reflect on their lives. Without spouse and children in their daily activities, they again became codependent, having been taxpaying workers, supervisors, managers, saved and invested through numerous financial instruments and pension plans, but never saw themselves as owners.

Nation Building

First World Nation status is ultimately measured by the level of financial sophistication of the nation’s population, as it pertains to national, corporate and individual – expenditure, revenue and (debt/equity) reserves. Money, similar to a bathroom scale or a kitchen thermometer, is only a measuring tool used to value tangible and intangible items and all must learn to use it. Investing in productive and administrative activities, to generate sales revenue and returns on investment, in order to repeat and grow other opportunities.

Data Driven Decisions

Drastic action is necessary, for nations to deliver improve living standards to its population, driven by Data from Births to beyond Deaths, to adequately and efficiently meet sustainable development requirements. A National Database, publicly accessible, with its backbone of registered births, which is linked to all aspects of life; Governance, Resource Preservation, Human Development, Infrastructure Management, Economic Drivers, Fiscal and Monetary Policy, to calculate the best use of resources.

Opposition Power

A political opposition is not and should not be about winning a debate; embarrassing the political party in power, measuring scandals, call for resignations, commission of inquiries or court cases, blocking or getting the proposed legislation withdrawn, but is all about strengthening and balancing the resulting nation’s laws. Remembering that, both the elected ruling and the opposition parties as members of parliament and lawmakers are jointly responsible for new laws and amendments enacted during their period of service.

Encouraging Employers

Twenty odd years ago, I spoke to and about the education system; its learning through rote, its certification via the regurgitation of facts, its lack of critical thinking and its punishment of innovation, resulting in the production of too many Employees and not enough Employers. A recent news report covered the launch of a post graduate programme, which is said to address such inadequacies, creating more employers, through links between academia and the manufacturing sector.