http://blogs.independent.co.uk| Blogs from the Independent newspaper - news, views and features from the world's most free-thinking newspaper| Thu, 23 May 2013 18:28:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2| en hourly 1 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/06/20/the-doctors-strike-putting-the-medical-profession-in-the-firing-line/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/06/20/the-doctors-strike-putting-the-medical-profession-in-the-firing-line/#comments Wed, 20 Jun 2012 01:00:41 +0000 Dr Russell Razzaque http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=25453 There are nearly twenty million people unemployed across Europe today; that’s over 10% of the entire working population. Against this backdrop, for doctors to go on strike for the first time in a generation in protest of pension arrangements that will still leave us with a retirement income in excess of £50,000 a year, looks callous from any perspective.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/06/20/the-doctors-strike-putting-the-medical-profession-in-the-firing-line/feed/ 13 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/08/25/a-victory-for-patience/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/08/25/a-victory-for-patience/#comments Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:24:29 +0000 Dr Russell Razzaque http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=15502 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.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/08/25/a-victory-for-patience/feed/ 4 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/04/05/on-lansley-and-the-nhs-absolute-camateurs/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/04/05/on-lansley-and-the-nhs-absolute-camateurs/#comments Tue, 05 Apr 2011 15:08:44 +0000 Dr Russell Razzaque http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=10866 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. ]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/04/05/on-lansley-and-the-nhs-absolute-camateurs/feed/ 4 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/01/20/shock-therapy-for-the-nhs/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/01/20/shock-therapy-for-the-nhs/#comments Thu, 20 Jan 2011 18:18:43 +0000 Dr Russell Razzaque http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=7959 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.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/01/20/shock-therapy-for-the-nhs/feed/ 20 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2010/12/30/a-to-zen-of-2010/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2010/12/30/a-to-zen-of-2010/#comments Thu, 30 Dec 2010 15:37:15 +0000 Dr Russell Razzaque http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=7382 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.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2010/12/30/a-to-zen-of-2010/feed/ 0 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2010/11/09/the-audacity-of-fear/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2010/11/09/the-audacity-of-fear/#comments Tue, 09 Nov 2010 10:46:45 +0000 Dr Russell Razzaque http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=5986 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.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2010/11/09/the-audacity-of-fear/feed/ 5 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2010/09/29/he-out-blaired-blair/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2010/09/29/he-out-blaired-blair/#comments Wed, 29 Sep 2010 12:57:08 +0000 Dr Russell Razzaque http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=4766 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.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2010/09/29/he-out-blaired-blair/feed/ 11 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2010/08/27/the-manhattan-tolerance-test/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2010/08/27/the-manhattan-tolerance-test/#comments Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:09:21 +0000 Dr Russell Razzaque http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=3826 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 [...]]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2010/08/27/the-manhattan-tolerance-test/feed/ 5 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2010/08/16/britains-arranged-marriage-on-the-rocks/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2010/08/16/britains-arranged-marriage-on-the-rocks/#comments Mon, 16 Aug 2010 12:17:27 +0000 Dr Russell Razzaque http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=3491 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 [...]]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2010/08/16/britains-arranged-marriage-on-the-rocks/feed/ 7 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2010/07/22/iraq-a-forewarned-fiasco/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2010/07/22/iraq-a-forewarned-fiasco/#comments Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:05:05 +0000 Dr Russell Razzaque http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=2944 “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 [...]]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2010/07/22/iraq-a-forewarned-fiasco/feed/ 6