Openings
Blair, "education, education, education". That was his promise of almost 10 years ago to focus on improving schooling and training in the UK. Yet it has taken him this long to realise some fundamental points everyone has been pointing out for years, A-Levels are too easy. A large proportion of the A-Levels offered over here are totally pointless, LSE has been publishing a list of these for years and this year other top universities finally followed their example. (LSE's list of non preferred A-Levels.) More students doing the IB is a good thing, shock, horror! You mean creating more well-rounded students is a good thing?! Of course the major problem with education in this country is the general attitude to it. Teachers are given little or no respect and subjects like media studies are considered as important as physics. Blair's aim for 50% of 18 yr olds to go to university is blatantly ridiculous, if they're doing serious courses then fine but seriously, golf course management as a degree? Wouldn't it be more sensible to push alternate qualifications and on job training?
Is it just me who is beginning to feel as if we're living an old Cold War spy book? It was bad enough when the former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned with the radioactive isotope polonium-210. Now, Yegor Gaidar (the former Russian prime minister), also seems to have been poisoned. This has been linked with the death of investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya, who was shot in Moscow in October. I'm sorry; this is beginning to get absurd. Assuming for a moment that is the Russians, and more specifically Putin, what do they think they're playing at? I know that under Russian law the president and the government are entitled to pursue and attack extremists all over the world (incidentally the law to define extremism can be interpreted to mean anyone against the government). This was passed quietly by the Russians to avoid attention. What are they playing at? Russia should be conducting itself as one of the political and economic leaders of the world, as a member of the G8 it has quite an important role to play. They are meant to be a free democracy but instead you have alleged assassinations and a press that isn't quite free. Is this a country we should be following?
Speak to you soon,
The Young Contrarian
Is it just me who is beginning to feel as if we're living an old Cold War spy book? It was bad enough when the former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned with the radioactive isotope polonium-210. Now, Yegor Gaidar (the former Russian prime minister), also seems to have been poisoned. This has been linked with the death of investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya, who was shot in Moscow in October. I'm sorry; this is beginning to get absurd. Assuming for a moment that is the Russians, and more specifically Putin, what do they think they're playing at? I know that under Russian law the president and the government are entitled to pursue and attack extremists all over the world (incidentally the law to define extremism can be interpreted to mean anyone against the government). This was passed quietly by the Russians to avoid attention. What are they playing at? Russia should be conducting itself as one of the political and economic leaders of the world, as a member of the G8 it has quite an important role to play. They are meant to be a free democracy but instead you have alleged assassinations and a press that isn't quite free. Is this a country we should be following?
Speak to you soon,
The Young Contrarian
posted by The Young Contrarian at 9:09 pm
3 Comments:
I was watching the news last night and the point was made that Russian spy activity in the UK is as high now as it was during the cold war.
I think Russia has suffered a serious bout of backsliding.
http://www.coxandforkum.com/archives/000990.html
I think you're expecting a little too much of Russia for a country which has barely had 2 decades of democracy. Even before the Communists there was no real relationship between government and people. So to expect it to behave in a civilised manner is really quite absurd.
Still, as a member of Amnesty International these things do disgust me, and i'd thoroughly recommend you read both Litvinenko's book "Blowing Up Russia: Terror from Within" and Politkovskaya's "Putin's Russia". They're essential reading and will change your attitude towards Russia.
Will B - I'm not sure I'd say Russia has "slid back" exactly, more that their progress has slowed.
Leo - I've read "Putin's Russia" and will get my hand on Litvinenko's (I tried already but due to the media reports about him there is a waiting list to borrow this).
I do not agree that I am expecting too much from a country with barely 20 years of democracy. Germany, The Czech Republic, Slovakia, all these are in the same boat in that sense and have considerably more freedom of expression.
Russia is an important world leader, it is a member of the G8, and we know how influential that is. If it cannot conduct itself, more specifically, if its government cannot conduct itself in a manner befitting this status then it should no longer be a country we admire.
I agree democracy takes time, but I believe they could be further on then they currently are.
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