A victory for patience
When we are forced to choose between a series of difficult options, it is often tempting to rationalize and pretend that there is less uncertainty out there than, in fact, there is. For the sake of our own comfort levels we fool ourselves into believing that a situation is less complicated than the reality. Deluding our way out of caution in order to make a decision easier and feed the impatience to “just do something” often makes the situation worse in the long run. This has frequently been the case in international conflicts in the past, particularly where Western involvement is concerned, where urgent good intentions quickly become mired in the quicksand of reality.
By Russell Razzaque | Eagle Eye - Breaking views from commentators - | Thursday, 25 August 2011 at 5:24 pm
On Lansley and the NHS: Absolute Camateurs
Contrary to the Tory caricature of a creaking public service, the NHS is, in fact, a relatively dynamic organization. The government’s recent proposals caused a flurry of activity and a series of adaptive changes have taken place already.
By Russell Razzaque | Eagle Eye - Breaking views from commentators - | Tuesday, 5 April 2011 at 4:08 pm
Shock therapy for the NHS
It’s called “the shock doctrine” and it originated in the University of Chicago over fifty years ago. It was designed by a group of economists headed by right wing ideologue Milton Friedman. They possessed an almost religious belief in an unregulated, laissez faire, free market utopia and their idea was simple; the best way to introduce whole system privatization and an unfettered free market in any arena is through chaos.
By Russell Razzaque | Eagle Eye - Breaking views from commentators - | Thursday, 20 January 2011 at 6:18 pm
A to Zen of 2010
If you dwell on it long enough, the political landscape of this time last year starts to feel like an era from a bygone age; not a year ago, but more like several decades ago.
By Russell Razzaque | Eagle Eye - Breaking views from commentators - | Thursday, 30 December 2010 at 3:37 pm
The audacity of fear
Fear is the most natural of reactions. It is a mechanism without which we could never have evolved. It is an instant response to an instant threat to our being. And it leads us to react immediately and viscerally too – fight or flight.
By Russell Razzaque | Eagle Eye - Breaking views from commentators - | Tuesday, 9 November 2010 at 10:46 am
He out-Blaired Blair
It was a speech that hit Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Mandelson and the entire New Labour hierarchy – including his own brother David – over the head with their own playbook. Ed Miliband showed in one powerful punch that he got the first lesson of New Labour, namely; start by challenging your own party’s orthodoxies.
By Russell Razzaque | Eagle Eye - Breaking views from commentators - | Wednesday, 29 September 2010 at 1:57 pm
The Manhattan tolerance test
This has to be one of the most talked about planning applications ever. The “ground zero mosque” application in lower Manhattan seems to have whipped up an almighty controversy in the US and is now swimming its way across the Atlantic and around the world.
The first two problems with the ground zero mosque controversy is [...]
By Russell Razzaque | Notebook - A selection of Independent views - | Friday, 27 August 2010 at 11:09 am
Britain’s arranged marriage on the rocks
Being born and brought up a Muslim means that I have had the opportunity to see arranged marriages from close quarters. A friend who had an arranged marriage once told me that the difference with a “love marriage”, as the alternative tends to be known, is that all the getting to know each other, falling [...]
By Russell Razzaque | Eagle Eye - Breaking views from commentators - | Monday, 16 August 2010 at 1:17 pm
Iraq: A forewarned fiasco
“They showed us videos about Iraq and how Muslims were being killed there.” This was one of the most common reports of the radicalization process described to the authorities and Police by young men in the UK charged with and convicted of terrorism related offences. That the Iraq war was the most profoundly effective recruiting [...]
By Russell Razzaque | Eagle Eye - Breaking views from commentators - | Thursday, 22 July 2010 at 2:05 pm
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