Author Archives: knowsharebletch

Been watching the Olympic Games in Tokyo and can’t help but wonder why athletes or countries they represent, stack up the medals or consider victory as prowess. You only have to look at the mismatch in funding, training facilities and incentives across some of the participants and the whole thing becomes quite laughable. The RussiansContinue reading “Do we truly, honestly want equality?”

Past few days we’ve all been watching the Olympics in Tokyo. To hear and read about people saying winning or securing gold is what it’s all about is so puzzling. How pathetic are we going to get as a society before we all wake up and say enough is enough! Just getting to the OlympicsContinue reading “The world needs to get a grip! – devaluing silver & bronze…”

…those are the empty, hollow words set to dominate the rest of 2021… I am not sure what people are looking for? You cannot stop racist abuse by attempting to track & arrest all perpetrators. It won’t work. Racist abuse online or anywhere else should be dealt with in the same manner as any otherContinue reading ““disgusting”, “no place in sports, society” etc….”

Following on from my last article, just over 15 years ago, from my UK office, we were looking at a major engineering project in a South East Asian country that has a lot of its people in the UK – many are second generation Brits – and we thought it would be an excellent ideaContinue reading “We are trying to solve a problem with the wrong solution and from an awful starting point..”

Today I coincidentally read a CNN article on child-slavery on the major lake in Ghana. Some fisherman roam the country to find parents who are struggling to feed their children and offer them some money (typically as little as $250) to practically buy one of their children. Once bought, the children (some as young asContinue reading “Can’t expect others to love you if you don’t love yourself!”

I can’t honestly say I know what being “woke” means, but it has become very clear that attacking “woke” culture is the new way the exact same individuals with questionable disposition to bias (based on their feeling of superiority usually via class, race, privilege etc.) now seek to continue unchallenged. This week some university studentsContinue reading “Condemning “Woke” is now the acceptable way to promote prejudice…”

I do not follow French politics and personally neither for nor against the French President. But for a citizen to reach out and slap an individual who is the representation of your country just shows how self-destructive some of the young folks of today are. It is tantamount to fouling your own living room! ButContinue reading “Bravo President Macron!”

Stratification of society comes in several modes or formats. Some are manufactured e.g. we get an average joe on television and begin calling them “celebrities” and soon they have millions of followers and their jokes are funnier, their tweets more impactful etc. Nothing new and all that’s fine. It is what it is. But whenContinue reading “How do you solve a complex problem such as ‘affordable housing’?”

The late Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel once said, “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.”Wiesel said that to the indifferent person, “his or her neighbor are of no consequence… Their hidden or even visible anguish is of no interest. Indifference reduces the Other to an abstraction.” We can all do so much moreContinue reading “Indifference is the reason the world remains in such a sorry state!”

Just before we all heard of something called Covid-19, we were obsessing with what material straws (for our drinks) are made of? Paper straws started showing up – after all, we have to save our planet right? Now we hear that discarded Covid-19 PPE (largely made of plastic and certainly bigger than straws) are nowContinue reading “Threading a camel through a needle…?”

If a teacher works for an hour in Kenya, China, USA, England, India or anywhere else on earth and gets paid 20-globotokens (a currency that holds the same value across the globe) that has the exact same purchasing power anywhere on earth and if we standardise across all professions and all forms of work, weContinue reading “Single global currency at same value and standardisation of earnings…”

My short book entitled “Perfection in an imperfect world” now available as an e-book on kindle and also in paperback on amazon…….

Capturing humankind’s history and recording events as they occur is essential and as such, we continue to document our history. However, if lessons can be learnt from history, the world today, would not be as messed-up as it is, would it? We conveniently choose which history is relevant and what is to be taught TracingContinue reading “Recording history is imperative and essential but teaching history or pretending to learn from history is farcical”

For decades, many have ducked behind the principle of ‘freedom of speech’ to profit from hate and peddle hate, be it for profit (usually is; directly or indirectly) or other more sinister reasons. Now there are organisations out there, actively digging up past tweets and statements, it never surprises me when you look at certainContinue reading “Freedom of speech – YES. But that is not the same as ‘freedom from consequences of speech’”

Just think about this for a minute: we have a judicial system that utilises jurors that are expected to be as impartial as possible right? But when that system was created, nobody thought there would be social media and the current speed at which unregulated opinion can be cast out there into the public domain.Continue reading “The world & humanity as a whole need an urgent RESET but we do not know where to reset to???”

I think some urgent perspective is needed regarding the Harry & Meghan saga and last weekend’s Oprah Winfrey interview While race remains a very complex subject, we cannot go back in time to undo Roman or Greek conquest of half the world or the Moors (who we’re largely black by the way) conquest of largeContinue reading “Meghan & Harry v British Monarchy..”

Last week a co-worker said to me: “why are we (human beings) like this???”. I wish I could answer her question but I don’t have the foggiest idea how or why we are the way we are? Possibly tied to greed… As the Covid-19 vaccination programme rolled forward in the UK, with politicians trying toContinue reading “Here we go again!!!!! – the idiotic debate about ‘working-from-home’”

We create them, we place them on a pedestal, we make them feel superior, we line their pockets and then we expect them to behave like the rest of us…. Woke up this morning to read about yet another so-called celebrity in the UK – Amanda Holden – another manufactured darling of reality TV bingers,Continue reading “Continued breaking of Covid-19 rules by so-called celebrities”

Although Britain left the UK for the wrong reasons, it will soon become very clear that exiting the EU was never a bad idea, for the right reasons. Either way, exiting the EU is indeed the only sensible thing to do You have a bunch of European officials, many with a chequered past in theirContinue reading “European Union (EU) on the cusp!”

Google ‘sheku kanneh-mason’ and you will discover a talented cellist that few can match. Simone Biles blew gymnastics out of the water! Lewis Hamilton…. Tiger Woods….. Neil deGrasse Tyson…. These folks are myth-busters….(they’ve gone where their kind isn’t supposed to go…; how dare they?!). Michael Jordan, LeBron James… ah, that’s okay… basketball, football, … sure,Continue reading “Insecurity plays a huge part in bias”

It is now abundantly clear that focusing all effort on defeating Covid-19 is foolhardy. Latest predictions now assume circa 2024 before we witness significant demise of this virus and its variants. So, it is time for thinkers out there to begin popping out suggestions around how society can coexist with this and future pandemics, withoutContinue reading “Covid-19, new variants and other pandemics here to stay – governments need measures to co-exist with pandemics”

We’ve spent the past couple of weeks watching numerous officials place their hand on a bible and swear oaths in America. The new House of Representatives just did it (even as over a hundred of those members continue to contest the 2020 election) and various members of the new administration have been shown with theirContinue reading “Is swearing an oath of office worth anything these days?”

Just watched the Joe Biden inauguration. The entire world heaves a massive sigh of relief! No matter how much we all try to pretend, most of us know (deep down) what is decent and what is indecent. The minute someone begins to make excuses such as ‘America First’, to lock helpless children up in cages,Continue reading “Decency isn’t that difficult to recognise (same for indecency)! Welcome back America! Glad to see ya!!”

This morning I shared an excellent article from the Guardian Newspaper in which John La Carre and George Orwell’s quotes were use to make some difficult to dispute points The poor and poorly educated seek to show disdain towards the elite, but when the opportunity arises for them to act on that disdain, they areContinue reading “Is there any truth to society’s supposed loathing of elitism?”

I must start by admitting to knowing very little about politics (I have never been political) and perhaps even less about the EU. However, when you listen to the thoughts of the impressive German leader, Angela Merkel about her motivation and expectations of Europe, with free movement within EU member states at its core, itContinue reading “Unpacking the mess that is THE EUROPEAN UNION”

I was an early supporters of the clearly essential Covid-19 lockdown and the need for much sooner introduction of lockdown globally, to curtail the spread of the virus. Such early sacrifice would have proved critically worthwhile in limiting the spread and lessening the overall duration of this unfortunate pandemic. Now, if history has taught usContinue reading “Will western governments get carried-away with new-found Covid-19 powers?”

A friend shared a very interesting thought in an email and I find it very difficult to disagree with it, even though she does often go a bit hard on tradition The FATHER walking the bride down the aisle during weddings for instance. Laughable isn’t it? Given how much mothers have to put up with.Continue reading “We want progress but find it impossible to let go of ill-conceived traditions!”

There is no period in human existence that is worthy of revisiting in its entirety. But there are some basic principles that we should collectively fight darn hard to re-establish: Basic truth – this has become an impossibility. As a global community we need to reset and demand honesty and demonstrable fact, not just anyContinue reading “WE NEED TO GO BACK TO BASICS!!!!”

As time finally runs out on the protracted charade that is Brexit and we have to pretend we are surprised by the no-deal ending, history tells us ALL WILL BE WELL! We are a tiny, tiny island that went on to rule a quarter of the world and have a financial system that props upContinue reading “Brexit: history tells us Brits are crucial to europe”

I was watching the supposedly award-winning series depicting the nuclear incident in the former Soviet town of Chernobyl, with the roles played by British actors with no attempt whatsoever at authenticity. It also reminded me of various productions over the years where British actors play the role of detectives in series set in France (e.g.Continue reading “Illiteracy is the worst disease that has gone untreated for decades!”

Jeremy Corbyn. Probably the most honest, decent MP (Member of UK Parliament) that will ever be, and even more importantly, probably one of the most decent, caring human beings left on earth. But he failed woefully in his bid to become UK Prime Minister. Why? We all know exactly why. The office of Prime MinisterContinue reading “Why Jeremy Corbyn was unelectable”

I usually avoid reading the monthly crime-watch correspondence as it makes for worrying reading at the best of times as the number and frequency of crime locally continue to rise. But this week I had a flick-through and the rate of reoffending was shocking. A murder was committed in the neighbourhood next to mine andContinue reading “An urgent need to overhaul our criminal justice system!”

Over several decades and it has gotten worse in recent years, with 2019 being the worst in the past decade, football (soccer) authorities have stood by, done very little to combat racist abuse of players by some sections of fans at matches. With every new incident there were ready-made excuses and the usual ineffectual attemptsContinue reading “Covid-19 teaching the world how to behave?”

The global economy How “global” is it? For decades we industrialised on the back of a number of highly questionable means: from forced labour to excessive use of fossil fuels (for which we now condemn countries like China) and a lopsided monetary system that has condemned many countries to unending debt and dependence We continueContinue reading “Will the world ever play by the same rules?”

Self deprecation is one of the strongest weapons we have as Brits. As a child, attending football matches in north London was a Saturday morning excitement and we witnessed a fair measure of abuse hurled at players of all variety: Irish, red-heads, blacks etc. The unfortunate aspect of it all is that we assume othersContinue reading “Racism will never end if we continue to see it as a ‘white versus others’ problem”

We live in a ‘Not In My Back Yard’ (NIMBY) world, where we all want great public transportation but nobody wants trains passing through their back garden, we don’t want the bus stop outside the front of our homes and we don’t want the airport flight path directly over our homes It is the sameContinue reading “We live in a NIMBY world! Integration should be beneficial”

We have seen the outcome of elections in the UK, Brazil and the 2016 shocker in the US. But for some dumb reason, progressives and free-thinkers like myself still sometimes believe these are irregular occurrences and there will soon be a return of civility. Well, wake up folks! It wasn’t some fringe minority or aContinue reading “We keep on making the exact same mistake over and over again: those with differing views are not all idiots or illiterate”

I am not a huge fan of politics and less so when it comes to modern day politics of fanatical base over policy. I had a Canadian friend on the phone today who was ranting and raving about their Prime Minister and I reminded him of the last time I saw him in 2013 andContinue reading “Justin Trudeau – messiah to pariah in haste?”

It is quickly becoming obvious that the world lacks the capacity to learn! The supposed “new normal” is starting to resemble the old normal. Commercial property owners in cities want governments to “encourage” workers to return to offices and no thought has been given to how they get there? In a few weeks’ time weContinue reading “Have we learnt anything from the Covid-19 outbreak?”

Many in the UK would have slapped you if you suggested not visiting the hairdressers in 5 months or not travelling abroad on holiday. Well, that has now been the reality for the majority over recent months, thanks to Covid-19. Many are now beginning to realise they can actually survive and exist without fortnightly tripsContinue reading “Back to the VANITY OF LIFE…”

If you are too young to have seen the film Spartacus, you may at least have seen the more recent gladiator movie starring Russel Crowe and aptly named Gladiator? That concept of a ruling elite satisfying the baying and restless mob (i.e. society) with blood sports that utilise unfortunate commoners like themselves (albeit in theContinue reading “We are in an insatiably gladiatorial world!”

You read about the “Power 100” list or “Most powerful 40 under 40s” and numerous other power lists. Humankind is obsessed with power… Power should come with responsibilities and the need to wield power responsibly. But we find ourselves in a reckless era, where people fail to see the end-point. You see many leaders endingContinue reading “Moronic thirst for POWER”

Since time immemorial people kneel in front of a monarch to be knighted or pardoned or as a show of respect right? So, how come the same action is suddenly said to be disrespectful? Imagine being furious with someone who has wronged you and whom you really wish to disrespect and you march up toContinue reading “Has kneeling ever been a sign of disrespect?”

Couple of years back, the then head of IMF, Christine Lagarde, provided some statistics demonstrating how daft it is, for an economy to lose a huge workforce (women) due to discrimination. There are at least as many women on earth as there are men. We don’t have to like that fact, but the reality isContinue reading “This is NOT an existential matter; the whole world gains! It’s a WIN-WIN”

What has unfolded last week and is ongoing, lay bare the meaning of bias, privilege and lack of understanding or even the willingness to try to understand I do not personally know anyone who is a direct descendant of slaves or a direct descendant of the holocaust to ask how they feel. The world expectContinue reading “Few words on this week’s hot topic of: statues, relics, emblems and perceptions”

Years back when we looked around as our High Streets in London began to change from what we were used to seeing when growing up as kids, I used to say that immigrants should follow the age-old “when you’re in Rome, act like the Romans” but over the years we have seen immigrants who haveContinue reading “Integration or Multiculturalism? Damned if they do, Damned if they don’t!”

This was a sign that was hung outside many rental properties in the UK in the 50s and early 60s. Many returned from the Korean War and couldn’t find a place to rent in London The fact that we are still talking about racism in 2020 is a global embarrassment but a friend presented meContinue reading ““No dogs, no blacks, no Irish””

Human beings are supposed to be intelligent creatures but if you speak to marketing or advertising experts, they will explain the vulnerability of humans to you. We are easily manipulated. That is why you see your neighbour’s car and you suddenly want one or you look at fashion trends set by celebrities, even when theyContinue reading “Superforecasting? here, let’s create a convenient narrative!!”

The era of hunting around for natural resources such as mineral resources, fossil fuels and gems such as diamond & gold need to be conscripted in history Sustainable self-sufficiency is not so improbable if organisations such as the UN, IMF and others can get their acts together for once. Solar power, wind farms and otherContinue reading “A moral obligation to sustainably industrialise the world”

It is hard to imagine what society want as an outcome? Can we all agree that no unarmed person of any colour should meet their death with their face to the pavement and a knee on their neck? Great! If we are all agreed on just that single point, we can move forward. The restContinue reading “The search for an “ism-free” world?”