I haven't posted for a while and in that time there have been some incredible changes in the world, especially in the Middle East? Who would have predicted the sudden changes, effectively revolutions, which have resulted in the departure of entrenched leaders in Tunisia, then Egypt? It is amazing how events trigger big change. I believe it was economic pressures, which were the catalyst in Tunisia which sparked events in Egypt and other countries in the region. We are watching events unfold in Libya.
The immediate concern for the wider world community is humanitarian. Libya, especially, has a huge expatriate community and keeping these people safe is a logistical nightmare. While the workers from the developed world have been evacuated, the largest numbers are migrant workers from developing countries and their home governments do not have the resources to mount the operations which European and North American countries have been able to coordinate. Many of these workers were not lawfully employed, unregistered and working for small businesses which themselves do not have any resources to help their workforce. Unfortunately migrant workers from developing countries are under greater pressure to find opportunities abroad and are prepared to take greater risks. They therefore suffer the most when there is a crisis. It is also likely that they will be more reluctant to return home where they don't have prospects of employment or other support to replace the salaries they have remitted while working overseas.
What will the future bring in these countries? The history of revolutions is that they rarely result in an outcome which could be predicted. I would only anticipate an extended period of uncertainty while new leaders and systems establish themselves in the political vacuum which often exists in countries dominated for long periods by authoritarian rulers who do not tolerate oppositions.
The international community needs to support the creation of democratic institutions which can offer lasting stability but must also be careful how this support is given. Ultimately it is for the citizens of the countries effected to decide what they want and for us to hope they get it.
Friday, 4 March 2011
Saturday, 8 January 2011
England Won the Ashes
Well I can put away my St George Cross cuff links for a while. I wore them throughout the Ashes series and had to offer some explanations to French colleagues. They didn't recognise the flag - because the believe the Union Jack is the flag of "Angleterre" - the United Kingdom and its constituent nations leave them largely nonplussed.
Explanations led to discussions about cricket. This is another mystery outside of the Commonwealth nations. Recounting the history of the Ashes is even more parochial than the sport itself. I make no excuses and I see test matches as something of a metaphor for the British anyway. French people in the main do not get cricket. I must ask a recently-returned french colleague who spent many recent years living in England...
Winning the Ashes in Australia for the first time since the early eighties is a tremendously symbolic event. I take nothing away from the best England team to play for some time and I hope this will be the start of an extended period of English dominance. We are rated third in the world now.
I was surprised to learn that our great victory was over the country rated fifth. The test series against India this summer is the one that will really count; India is first in the world ratings. I have every confidence that the series will go well.
Explanations led to discussions about cricket. This is another mystery outside of the Commonwealth nations. Recounting the history of the Ashes is even more parochial than the sport itself. I make no excuses and I see test matches as something of a metaphor for the British anyway. French people in the main do not get cricket. I must ask a recently-returned french colleague who spent many recent years living in England...
Winning the Ashes in Australia for the first time since the early eighties is a tremendously symbolic event. I take nothing away from the best England team to play for some time and I hope this will be the start of an extended period of English dominance. We are rated third in the world now.
I was surprised to learn that our great victory was over the country rated fifth. The test series against India this summer is the one that will really count; India is first in the world ratings. I have every confidence that the series will go well.
Thursday, 6 January 2011
anomalies of health care in France
If you plan to take up a medical career in France, become a vet.
The French health system has been praised for its ability to deliver superb care. The truth I have learnt living here is that the system, whilst undoubtedly serving the French people well, does not deliver particularly better care than the NHS does in the UK and costs a fortune. Not only do most working people have to pay for a supplementary private insurance to recoup medical costs, the social security system is in major deficit.
At the same time doctors earn a fraction of the money their counterparts in Britain bring home.
When I have to see my GP here - a Secteur II doctor who charges more than the basic GP - she charges me €39 for a consultation and it is these fees which make up her income. The Social security refund me about €15 and the rest needs to come from my supplementary arrangements.
My dog has an eye problem and I took him to the vets this evening. The vet diagnosed canine conjunctivitis, administered an antibiotic, prescribed an eye bath and an ointment and relieved me of €132. His fee is €69. The rest was for the medicines - because a vet is also a pharmacist, so he gets a cut of that, too. Leaving aside the the fact that the social security do not cover dogs - I would not dream of suggesting the taxpayer should - the consultation is almost double the cost of the GP. There is no additional supplement to the GP's income. So if you are studying medicine in France, make sure you become a vet!
The French health system has been praised for its ability to deliver superb care. The truth I have learnt living here is that the system, whilst undoubtedly serving the French people well, does not deliver particularly better care than the NHS does in the UK and costs a fortune. Not only do most working people have to pay for a supplementary private insurance to recoup medical costs, the social security system is in major deficit.
At the same time doctors earn a fraction of the money their counterparts in Britain bring home.
When I have to see my GP here - a Secteur II doctor who charges more than the basic GP - she charges me €39 for a consultation and it is these fees which make up her income. The Social security refund me about €15 and the rest needs to come from my supplementary arrangements.
My dog has an eye problem and I took him to the vets this evening. The vet diagnosed canine conjunctivitis, administered an antibiotic, prescribed an eye bath and an ointment and relieved me of €132. His fee is €69. The rest was for the medicines - because a vet is also a pharmacist, so he gets a cut of that, too. Leaving aside the the fact that the social security do not cover dogs - I would not dream of suggesting the taxpayer should - the consultation is almost double the cost of the GP. There is no additional supplement to the GP's income. So if you are studying medicine in France, make sure you become a vet!
Sunday, 12 December 2010
grumpy Englishman in Paris
I would like to know what the city of Paris was thinking when the decision was taken to put pedestrian crossings at practically every corner, as well as other places. The cost of white paint must have been tremendous and they are regularly maintained. But what is the point? Cars don't stop for pedestrians at them. The function you would expect them to serve does not explain the paint used, the labour employed.
I understand that a motorist stopping because there is a hopeful pedestrian at the kerb is technically classed as obstructing the highway. Hitting a pedestrian on a crossing is a serious thing, however. Parking actually on one will get you a higher fine than the €11 normally applied to parking offences in Paris. So perhaps that's it. It's just about extracting a higher parking fine. Unlike in the UK, you can legally park right up to the crossing, thereby making any pedestrian thinking of crossing the road invisible to motorists. I have also heard that cars only need miss the pedestrian brave enough to cross the road by a metre. Unnerving if used to those countries where a pedestrian actually has priority on the zebra stripes.
Beware also of crossings controlled by lights. At a junction in the UK the green light for a pedestrian means no car can get close without actually going through a red. In France the pedestrian lights are synchronised with the traffic lights. That means whenever there is a red light for a car, the pedestrian light is green. It also means any car turning has a green signal. The turning car is supposed to give way to the pedestrians - if he can see them squeezing between the parked cars!
Every time I cross the road I get nostalgic about Great Britain. It's not just the respect for pedestrians, it's actually a respect for all road users. The crossings are not on the corners because that is inherently dangerous. "Zebra" crossings are lit, parking is prohibited around them so cars can see the would-be road crossers. In consequence crossings are respected.
Funny, though. Road crossing hazards are not enough to make me want to leave France...
I understand that a motorist stopping because there is a hopeful pedestrian at the kerb is technically classed as obstructing the highway. Hitting a pedestrian on a crossing is a serious thing, however. Parking actually on one will get you a higher fine than the €11 normally applied to parking offences in Paris. So perhaps that's it. It's just about extracting a higher parking fine. Unlike in the UK, you can legally park right up to the crossing, thereby making any pedestrian thinking of crossing the road invisible to motorists. I have also heard that cars only need miss the pedestrian brave enough to cross the road by a metre. Unnerving if used to those countries where a pedestrian actually has priority on the zebra stripes.
Beware also of crossings controlled by lights. At a junction in the UK the green light for a pedestrian means no car can get close without actually going through a red. In France the pedestrian lights are synchronised with the traffic lights. That means whenever there is a red light for a car, the pedestrian light is green. It also means any car turning has a green signal. The turning car is supposed to give way to the pedestrians - if he can see them squeezing between the parked cars!
Every time I cross the road I get nostalgic about Great Britain. It's not just the respect for pedestrians, it's actually a respect for all road users. The crossings are not on the corners because that is inherently dangerous. "Zebra" crossings are lit, parking is prohibited around them so cars can see the would-be road crossers. In consequence crossings are respected.
Funny, though. Road crossing hazards are not enough to make me want to leave France...
Sunday, 7 November 2010
Gibraltar
Gibraltar was a disappointment. During our break in Malaga we had an excursion there and I did not find it inspiring. My expectations were high. I anticipated something quite slick and modern, yet maintaining the charm of its fascinating history. Instead I found a rather clichéd sample of British nostalgia, in a town that looked like a flashback to high streets of the past. Sure you can get cheap cigarettes if you smoke (I don't). The petrol is cheaper than Spain, too. The border is usually congested, so it would take rather a lot of time to go across to fill the tank if that was the only reason to go there.
I guess British expats in Southern Spain would be attracted to the Morrison's supermarket. If you are starved or Marmite or Wensleydale cheese, then a shopping trip to Gibraltar might be the answer. There is no doubt that if wanted a cup of coffee, I would rather find myself on the Spanish side of the border. You can get fish and chips, a breakfast fry up or several other tired staples which you might not pick as your first choice in the UK when dining out.
The place is so crowded. Every square inch is developed - part of the fascinating history is the engineering which went into hollowing out the Rock to expand the territory and in recent years land reclamation has been the only way of increasing the acreage. It is as densely populated as an urban area, but without any countryside within its borders to offset. For open spaces, Gibraltarians have to go out of their country to Spain.
My visit was brief. The good point was buying a UK newspaper for a reasonable price and hearing the commentary from the guide. I get the impression I missed something. Gibraltar is a tax haven for financial services and online gaming businesses. This I think is what brings the wealth to the territory. As it's in the EU, and can access the Single Market, this must be attractive. The shopping advantages are limited because it seems to be treated as a duty free zone by the Spanish who limit purchases of goods and cigarettes brought across from Gibraltar. Apparently there is no VAT, duty and income tax is very low. There is no longer any road tax on the cars there, either. In short, good for business, but I wouldn't want to live there.
I guess British expats in Southern Spain would be attracted to the Morrison's supermarket. If you are starved or Marmite or Wensleydale cheese, then a shopping trip to Gibraltar might be the answer. There is no doubt that if wanted a cup of coffee, I would rather find myself on the Spanish side of the border. You can get fish and chips, a breakfast fry up or several other tired staples which you might not pick as your first choice in the UK when dining out.
The place is so crowded. Every square inch is developed - part of the fascinating history is the engineering which went into hollowing out the Rock to expand the territory and in recent years land reclamation has been the only way of increasing the acreage. It is as densely populated as an urban area, but without any countryside within its borders to offset. For open spaces, Gibraltarians have to go out of their country to Spain.
My visit was brief. The good point was buying a UK newspaper for a reasonable price and hearing the commentary from the guide. I get the impression I missed something. Gibraltar is a tax haven for financial services and online gaming businesses. This I think is what brings the wealth to the territory. As it's in the EU, and can access the Single Market, this must be attractive. The shopping advantages are limited because it seems to be treated as a duty free zone by the Spanish who limit purchases of goods and cigarettes brought across from Gibraltar. Apparently there is no VAT, duty and income tax is very low. There is no longer any road tax on the cars there, either. In short, good for business, but I wouldn't want to live there.
Wednesday, 27 October 2010
Malaga - and French pensions
My kids are on their half term break, so we decided to take advantage of a great deal we found and are staying in Mijas, near Malaga in Spain. While the weather is autumnal in France and the UK, here it is warm and sunny. If it's this warm at the tail end of October, I'm not sure I'd be happy here in the summer! The skies are clear blue, the temperatures in the mid twenties. It's true that this it won't be like the tropics, but I notice that there's no air conditioning in our apartment. It could get very hot in the summer without that. The resort warns us that electricity is expensive here - and is going to be an additional cost when we check out.
We drove here. This made the trip more interesting - because we could see France and Spain as we proceeded south. I arranged this a while ago before the industrial action hit France. Pension reform has caused considerable tension. The French had - and will still have - one of the best deals nationally certainly in Europe, and I suspect in the world. Pension rights start at the moment around age sixty. This is going to rise to 62 over the next few years. I think it'll finally kick in by 2018. By then I think UK state pension rights won't be available to people under 68. A UK state pension is a minimal income, whereas the French state pension is income related, indexed and based on contributing for 37.5 years (this will rise to 40, then a lot later to 42 years). Only people working in very senior positions add a private fund to the state provision because it is enough to live well on. The state system is unfunded, that means it's paid from the general tax revenue. As the French live longer, like everyone else, there are gradually more and more people drawing pensions and fewer and fewer contributing. Add to this medical benefits etc which retirees enjoy and it becomes clear that the system is unsustainable. In the UK the state provides a minimal pension and the best course (although optional) is to either join an employers scheme or a private scheme to build a fund. Only UK government employees have state funded schemes that provide a decent living in the UK. The government has made it clear they are not sustainable, and they only cover a percentage of the working population. The French scheme involves everyone. This means it costs more, but also changes will effect everyone. Hence the industrial action. The public reaction to pension reform in the UK has been: why should our taxes pay for their pensions? welcome to the real world, etc. If the public sector unions in the UK take action, the results will be mixed. The effect limited. France is a very different situation.
It's been curious to watch: demonstrations in the streets, involving school children as well as the unions, blockades at refineries and fuel depots. Filling stations have run out of product, especially around Paris. In the mean time, the laws extending the working life of everyone have made their way through Parliament. I'm not sure I would be happy about my children demonstrating like this. While the unions have emphasised the role of "students", minor children have had no school while their teachers were on strike and it's hard to believe they really understand or appreciate the issues. I wouldn't have done at fifteen. The government have deplored the exploitation of children and my instinct is to agree with that. Of course civil direct action has played a greater role in French politics than in the UK, so perhaps they need to start before they get to university.
Today (27th Oct) there is a crucial final vote in the French parliament. The reports I read from Spain indicate the steam has run out of the protests, because most people acknowledge that reform is essential, even if they don't like the route the government has chosen. A form of Nimbyism, perhaps.
I know pension reform has been a factor in Spain as well, since Spain has had to take drastic action to sort our public finances. There were protests, but they did not go on as long as in France.
Anyway, I'll get on with my holiday away from the stress and hope there'll be diesel in the service stations when I get to France! Maybe I'll write a little more about our travels when I get back, too!
We drove here. This made the trip more interesting - because we could see France and Spain as we proceeded south. I arranged this a while ago before the industrial action hit France. Pension reform has caused considerable tension. The French had - and will still have - one of the best deals nationally certainly in Europe, and I suspect in the world. Pension rights start at the moment around age sixty. This is going to rise to 62 over the next few years. I think it'll finally kick in by 2018. By then I think UK state pension rights won't be available to people under 68. A UK state pension is a minimal income, whereas the French state pension is income related, indexed and based on contributing for 37.5 years (this will rise to 40, then a lot later to 42 years). Only people working in very senior positions add a private fund to the state provision because it is enough to live well on. The state system is unfunded, that means it's paid from the general tax revenue. As the French live longer, like everyone else, there are gradually more and more people drawing pensions and fewer and fewer contributing. Add to this medical benefits etc which retirees enjoy and it becomes clear that the system is unsustainable. In the UK the state provides a minimal pension and the best course (although optional) is to either join an employers scheme or a private scheme to build a fund. Only UK government employees have state funded schemes that provide a decent living in the UK. The government has made it clear they are not sustainable, and they only cover a percentage of the working population. The French scheme involves everyone. This means it costs more, but also changes will effect everyone. Hence the industrial action. The public reaction to pension reform in the UK has been: why should our taxes pay for their pensions? welcome to the real world, etc. If the public sector unions in the UK take action, the results will be mixed. The effect limited. France is a very different situation.
It's been curious to watch: demonstrations in the streets, involving school children as well as the unions, blockades at refineries and fuel depots. Filling stations have run out of product, especially around Paris. In the mean time, the laws extending the working life of everyone have made their way through Parliament. I'm not sure I would be happy about my children demonstrating like this. While the unions have emphasised the role of "students", minor children have had no school while their teachers were on strike and it's hard to believe they really understand or appreciate the issues. I wouldn't have done at fifteen. The government have deplored the exploitation of children and my instinct is to agree with that. Of course civil direct action has played a greater role in French politics than in the UK, so perhaps they need to start before they get to university.
Today (27th Oct) there is a crucial final vote in the French parliament. The reports I read from Spain indicate the steam has run out of the protests, because most people acknowledge that reform is essential, even if they don't like the route the government has chosen. A form of Nimbyism, perhaps.
I know pension reform has been a factor in Spain as well, since Spain has had to take drastic action to sort our public finances. There were protests, but they did not go on as long as in France.
Anyway, I'll get on with my holiday away from the stress and hope there'll be diesel in the service stations when I get to France! Maybe I'll write a little more about our travels when I get back, too!
Wednesday, 20 October 2010
I did it!
I haven't posted for a couple of days because I was shocked on Monday to find I really had reached target. In fact I was just under target, which I considered better. I moved onto the next stage of the diet. Now I can start to add more elements, including the starchy foods which I effectively cut out during my weightloss period. The plan now is to go through a lengthy period where I won't be losing weight, but I'll be seeking to convince my metabolism that the slimmer me is the right one, that I'm not in need of fattening up.
Eating cheese and fruit again after so long is a real pleasure. It is also a little daunting. I have grown used to the skewed diet I've been living on, even though it was skewed, was for a purpose and limited in time. I am somewhat apprehensive about eating more because, of course I don't want to undo what I've achieved. Ironically over the two days since I started this new phase, my weight has dropped a little more. So I should accept that this plan appears to be working. I'll give it a week, because it is divided into weekly phases, then I'll know whether this is working or not and I'll reveal all.
I have an early start and a long trip tomorrow, so I'll stop now.
I don't think I have any readers yet. When I do, I'll be very pleased to get comments or feedback.
Eating cheese and fruit again after so long is a real pleasure. It is also a little daunting. I have grown used to the skewed diet I've been living on, even though it was skewed, was for a purpose and limited in time. I am somewhat apprehensive about eating more because, of course I don't want to undo what I've achieved. Ironically over the two days since I started this new phase, my weight has dropped a little more. So I should accept that this plan appears to be working. I'll give it a week, because it is divided into weekly phases, then I'll know whether this is working or not and I'll reveal all.
I have an early start and a long trip tomorrow, so I'll stop now.
I don't think I have any readers yet. When I do, I'll be very pleased to get comments or feedback.
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