They get letters

Write to Them (www.writetothem.com) is the followup to the hugely successful fax your MP website. Expanded to include councillors and European MPs it provides clear information that shockingly hasn't been consolidated by the government themselves at any level.

Bad news from the Amazon

There is certainly a valid debate to be had about how much deforestation can occur in the Amazon. Sadly, even were that debate to reach a conclusion crime and corruption are so endemic that implementing the results might prove impossible. Here's why

Today "74 year old American missionary Sister Dorothy Stang was assassinated on Saturday in the Amazon state of Para, Brazil. Sister Dorothy was travelling to a sustainable development project in Anapu with some colleagues when she was shot three times by two gunmen"

NY Times
Greenpeace coverage

Sister Stang was a long standing campaigner for land reform, peasants rights and sustainable development. Her death is a tragedy, but it's also a symbol of just how much damage crime and corruption causes in developing countries. I only found out who she was today.

Winning my vote

As the sensible party on immigration it's nice to see Charles Clark making good noises about civil liberties too. Sadly the five points (they're at the bottom) the Lib-dems are pushing on this make little sense to me, for no other reason than I have no idea how important these procedural adjustments would be.

On a related note I wonder if anyone's followed up on the impact of withdrawing the right to silence from people arrested in Britain. (your silence can be used against you if you later rely on in court something you failed to disclose earlier). Have we had more convictions? Were these convictions more likely to be overturned on appeal? Inquiring minds want to know...

Things to buy when I'm rich

Via Gaping Void I found my way to http://www.englishcut.com/ . Should I ever find myself in the market for a top class suit I now know where to go.

I'm pointing this site out because it's exactly the kind of marketing blogs are good at. Taking a complex subject and explaining it over a long period of time. Educating people about the product you want them to buy - turning your customers into devotees.

It's all what Douglas Holt calls viral marketing. In a better definition than this is usually given he describes it as any marketing technique based on getting customers to do the advocacy for you. This says Doug is not the way forward. He advocates iconic branding - but since I'm only up to chapter 2 of his book I can't tell you exactly what that is yet. But since he mentions my employer in the first paragraph I'm hoping to find out.

Sadly he's not in his office today, or I'd have been able to ask in person...

Blogging MPs

Tim of Bloggerheads has been running a long term effort to get more MPs blogging. His two pin up succeses so far are Boris Johnson (con) and Tom Watson (lab). Today he posted some interesting thoughts on their search results.

While achieving the kind of popular exposure Tim talks about is probably what drew the two MPs he's worked with into this in the first place I think the benefit to their constituents and democracy as an institution is much more important. Dialogue and openness are things which many people complain are missing from contemporary politics, blogging is one way to put them back.

Commenting on Tony's blog a few days back I noted that cynicism in American politics has now reached the level where seemingly innocuous statements are open to all kinds of interpretations. Blogs may be one way to cut through this kind of noise.

As the general election draws closer I'd like to see MPs from all sides take up their keyboard every now and then. Of course given the blogosphere's tendency toward conflict and vendetta you could argue this will just make what looks like it's going to be a nasty, personal election worse. If it does at least we can hope that those slinging the mud will be clearly visible...

I am an Immigrant

The current UK debate on Immigration is profoundly depressing. Since I'm watching it from Holland which is also in the throes of an anti-immigrant backlash it's particularly pertinent.

This Lib Dem policy paper (PDF, biggish download) makes a number of salient points about the economic benefits of migration. The subject is also a hobby horse for the Economist, which regularly points out that migrants are the best value citizens a nation has. Take me as an example, the Dutch government has paid nothing toward my education or upbringing, is unlikely to find itself looking after me in my old age and gets to levy taxes on me during the most productive period of my life.

Oddly enough you can make pretty much the same case for Polish labourers building walls, Fillipino nurses propping up the NHS or any other immigrant who takes a job - and most of them do.

Further, some parts of the country are actually shrinking. I've just been visiting my sister in Scotland, where the population of 5.5 million is in decline. Attracting economic migrants is something the Scots are understandably keen on.

So let's throw open the doors and invite in the world. I am an emigre, find an immigrant to take my place.

Lets try this again

It's been a while since I wrote anything, a long while. But I feel like I've probably got something to say again and if I can bring myself to uninstall Rome:Total War I'll even have the time to say it.

I also have a plan. Many blogs, including my own previous blogs contain their fair share of bitterness and bile. No more, at least for me anyway. I intend to avoid attacking people, be they bloggers or Bush. If I disagree with people I'll do my best to keep it civil and present clear alternatives that will hopefully achieve more than shouting from the sidelines.

This blog isn't about to become La La land, but I'm hoping it can start being a positive contribution. After all, the people who like this blog don't praise me for my rants and screeds, but for the good and useful stuff I said. Lets hope there's something in that.