Westminster Must Learn from Holyrood

It is clear that the "first past the post" electoral system used in the UK is unrepresentative in an age of party politics. No-one in their right mind can claim that it is a fair result when the Liberal Democrats win a 23% share of the vote and get about 50 parliamentary seats, whereas the Labour Party get a mere 6% more of the popular vote but 200 more seats than the Lib Dems.

Some would claim then that the answer to this gross disparity between popular vote and seats in Parliament is to introduce Proportional Representation, something I have posted about before. I am simply not convinced that simple PR is the way to go, for example, what threshold do set you set for parties to gain seats in Parliament? In the Czech Republic, if I remember rightly, a party needs 5% of the popular vote to get seats, if such a system were implemented in a British context then we would have only three parties in the House of Commons, representing 89% of the electorate based on the results of Thursday's election, and the nationalists of Wales and Scotland, as well as the Northern Irish would simply have no voice in Parliament.

Perhaps I greatest concern when it comes to PR is who chooses the MPs? Do we go to a system of party lists, where the same old faces keep cropping up no matter how unpopular a politician is? Such an approach surely centralises political influence within the national party and takes power away from local parties. Simple PR also changes the nature of the British MP, no longer is he the chosen representative of his constituency, but rather he is the lackey of the central party, taking democracy away from the local level and alienating the people yet further from the system.

What then is needed, in my thoroughly un-humble opinion, is a hybrid system where the House of Commons consists of MPs elected by constituency based, simple majority voting, and 100 MPs elected on the basis of a proportion of the electoral vote, without including those seats where a given party won. So, for example, in a given constituency the winner of the simple vote becomes the MP for that area, the number of votes for each of the other parties contesting that election are tallied with the number of other non-winning votes for each party around the country, and the extra 100 seats are divided according to the percentage of the non-winning share. This is of course similar to the Additional Member System as used in the Scottish Parliament, but without the option for each voter to choose a person and a party separately. Obviously the 100 MPs taking their seats as a result of this system would have to be chosen from a party list, which isn't ideal in my world, but I can't for the life of me think of a democratic alternative to party lists.

As I said to begin with, it is clear that the British electoral system is no longer representative of the British people and as such must be changed. What is not clear, is the fairest, most democratic way to ensure that the voice of every voter is heard, and that the electorate are engaged in the political process.

The Need for Continued Reform

It was 1517 when Martin Luther caused a rumpus that would lead to the end of the Holy Roman Empire, that saw the end of the Inquisition in northern Europe, that gave birth in many ways to the modern nation state, with the consciousness that shared language and traditions bring to a people, especially a people who can express their religious beliefs in their own language rather than in a long dead tongue. The Reformation can been seen as both a religious struggle but also a political one, one where the forces of progress prevailed over the forces of reactionary conservatism. One of the mottos, or slogans if you like, of the Reformation was that the church should always be reforming itself, or to use the Latin, ecclesia semper reformanda. Now, don't worry, this post isn't about religion, it is about politics and the failure of the right, across the globe, to continue the process of reformation, prefering instead to lament a mythical golden age and misunderstand that conservatism is not about keeping things as they have always been, but rather about holding on to what works in a society and reforming what does not.

In a way, the political world should take to heart the idea of ecclesia semper reformanda, simply because human beings are flawed and society needs to be in a constant process of improvement and development in order to create a world where, to Anglicise the French, equality, liberty and fraternity flourish. The problem for many on the reactionary right is that they are adverse to paying the costs of equality, liberty and fraternity, whether financial or otherwise, and of course they often seek to deny equality, liberty and fraternity to those whose opinions they disagree with. It is a continual shame to modern society that hypocrisy is the modus operandi of many in the political sphere. Too many ignore Voltaire, allegedly, when he said that "I may not agree with what you say, but I will fight to the death for your right to say it".

One thing I would reform in every nation state across the globe is to bring an end to political careerism and a return to the idea that representing your peers in parliament is an act of service rather than an act of enrichment. At present, Members of Parliament in the United Kingdom earn a basic salary of £64,766 (approx. $93,000) per annum, rising to £197,689 (approx $300,000) for the Prime Minister, while the average salary of the Britons they represent is £22,202 (approx $33,000). In the US context, a Senator earns $174,000 per annum, and the President earns $193,400, and the people they represent earn a median of $27590 a year. It certainly makes you wonder who these politicians are representing when their incomes to so astronomically beyond the imagination of the average person. Of course, there used to be politicians who refused to take more than the average workers salary, but sadly they are in a minority these days, and thus we end up with a political class living in ivory towers, far removed from the concerns of the people they represent.

This brings me to my second reform for the political world, an end to having a "lifetime of service" by limiting the number of terms a person can serve in a given political office, one way of achieving this could be done by enforcing political retirement at 65, which would also have the added benefit of the political system becoming less dominated by old men, which is never a bad thing really.

Hmmm, this post has kind of wandered off track, so I will stop and smell the roses for a while.....

I Guess I Just Ain't Good Enough

Reading around this week, I came across a thing called the 9/12 Project, the brainchild of Fox News' Glenn Beck. Not being the kind of person to see something by a person whose politics I find abhorrent in the extreme and not want to interact at some level, I decided to look a little deeper at the 9 Principles and 12 Values that give the organisation its name. According to the project web site, if you agree with 7 of the principles then you have something in common with Beck and his ilk. Let's address these one by one.

• America is Good

Being something of a nit picker, my first thought is "good for who?", is America good for the Palestinians living in camps being radicalised by an American backed Israel? Is America good for the poor of its own nation who can't afford health insurance, while health insurance companies lobby openly to have its own customer base dwindled to only those with enough money to pay ridiculous premiums? Is America good for the manufacturing jobs that have been shipped overseas in order to maximise shareholder dividends? Countries are of course value neutral, there is no such thing as a bad country or a good country - unless of course racism is your thing and anyone brown and wearing a turban is bad by default. America is just a country, no more special and no more chosen than any other country. I guess then I fail to have something in common with Glenn Beck, because America is just America and not a moral proposition.

• I believe in God and He is the center of my life

Admittedly this is, already, starting to feel like an AA meeting, but we'll continue. Again I have to ask a question of this statement, whose God is Beck talking about? Is he talking about the Christian God, or the Mormon God? And let's face it, only the theologically illiterate would consider Mormonism's deity to be anything like the traditional monotheistic faiths, the differences have been shown quite clearly elsewhere. Until someone can tell me which God, unless of course this is a nebulous concept like in Freemasonary, then I guess I can't approve of this statement - not looking good is it?

• I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday

Sure, not a problem, striving to be a better person is something I agree with whole-heartedly.

• The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not government

Not sure quiet how this one works, given that God is the center of life for people who can sign up to this project. How can human beings be the ultimate authority when God is the center of life? That simply doesn't work.

• If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.

Absolutely agree, without justice society falls apart. But who enforces that justice? If it is the populace then mob rule becomes the norm, I guess when it comes to law and order, the government is the ultimate authority rather than myself and Mrs Velky Al?

• I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.

Yes of course, with the caveat that the right to life brings with it the responsibility to live well, to liberty the responsibility to champion freedom for others, to happiness the responsibility of gratitude for all that you have.

• I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.
  

Yes in theory, but I have no problems paying tax to help create a society where everyone has the same opportunity to better their lives. Taxation is not charity, it is social responsibility.

• It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.
  

I agree entirely, but the converse must also be true. It is un-American to force your opinion on other people, and to use your authority to ensure conformity with your opinion.

• The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.
  

Yes OK that sounds very nice, but if they work for me and I begrudge them pay, then the public is a very crappy employer.

The 12 values are listed as follows:

Honesty
Reverence
Hope
Thrift
Humility
Charity
Sincerity
Moderation
Hard Work
Courage
Personal Responsibility
Gratitude

I agree with every single one of them, because they are human values, sought in every culture around the world. There is nothing uniquely American, European, Christian, Muslim, atheist, socialist or conservative about such values, they are simply human values.

So I guess I am not eligible to join Beck's project, not that I am surprised.

It Takes Two To More than Tango

I am not a fan of tabloid newspapers, having read The Guardian and The Independent for much of the last decade. Whenever I would head back to the UK for my little visits I looked forward to getting the Saturday edition of the Guardian, and the Observer on Sunday, to then spend a week reading through them in preparation for the following Saturday and Sunday. Neither am I am fan of tabloid level news programmes on the television, the kind of thing which digs and delves into the private lives of the famous because it is apparently in the "public interest".

The cause of my ire this morning was watching Good Morning America, during which they started talking about Tiger Woods' press conference tomorrow and its implications for his career. If the rumours are true and Tiger has been in "sex therapy" then I am very, very confused. Is sex now something which is not a normal part of life? Is it something that you need therapy for when you see an opportunity for a little bit extra and you go for it? Is being unfaithful to your wife something that you need to see a counsellor about? Is there a self-help group called Adulterers Anonymous?

The media here seem to love banging on, pun not necessarily intended, about the affect Tiger's indiscretions have no doubt on his wife, and how could a married man be so bad, blah, blah, blah. This got me thinking about the women that Tiger is alleged to have bedded, and how the media is a scrum of hypocritical parasites. Did these women not know that Tiger Woods had a Mrs Tiger Woods and little cubs at home? Why is the media not going after these women and asking why they knowingly slept with a married man? Why are these women not being reviled as home wreckers?

Oh, I get it, these women are not rich, famous and influential, so I guess you can't expect anything better from them. So adultery is bad for the monied peoples of this world, the "role models" if you will, but not for the regular people who jump into the sack with the wealthy? A bit of balance is required, a little less moralising about Tiger Woods doing what many men would given the chance, and a little more about the women who had an affair with him whilst knowing he had a wife and kids at home.

There are two sides to every story, here it is simply a man who wanted some fun on the side and women who lacked the integrity to say no. A sad reflection on the state of society indeed.

Chrimble Songs

Christmas is one of the those times of the year when one's thoughts naturally head backwards. Back over the year just gone, and it has been a rather a good one to be honest. Back to the friends left behind as Mrs Velkyal and I moved to the US but also back to this time last year. Christmas 2008 will always be special because it was the first time that the entire clan had managed to get together for Christmas Day in something ridiculous like 20 years. This Christmas will be my first with Mrs Velkyal's family, and I will actually get to meet the last of the uncle's that I am yet to meet.

Christmas though always brings to mind the classic Christmas songs that I have always loved, and so here are a couple of them for you...





(Yes, I know that it is awfully cliched and cheesy - just my cup of tea!)

Care about Health?

I will be bluntly honest, health care in the US sometimes seems like the ultimate oxymoron - few people seem to actually care about the health of the nation, preferring to find as many ways to empty people's wallets as is humanly possible - and here I am not talking about tax increases but rather the voracious appetite of the market.

When it comes to health insurance I am as dyed in red wool as it is humanly possible to be, I believe that health care should be provided by the State and that it must be paid for from tax contributions. I have no problem whatsoever with a percentage of my salary being taken out at source to fund a health care system, unlike many it seems. I also prefer paying my insurance premium to the State rather than a corporation who primary concern is not my health but the health of their shareholders wealth.

What would I do to solve the problem of un-insured people in the US? Expand Medicaid, make the tax contribution 6% of each and every employed person's salary and open access to Medicaid to everybody living and working in the US. With an expanded Medicaid program, I would make it illegal for hospitals and other health care providers to refuse to accept this insurance. Sure, people can still have their private insurance, it is their perogative, but they can't opt out of paying their tax contributions.

Let me give you an example:

Mrs Velkyal had a thyroidectomy last year, which required 4 days in hospital. Having worked in the Czech Republic and paid her taxes the sum cost extra was the cost of board and lodging in the hospital - a grand total of 240CZK, at the time something like $15. The care was good, the staff were excellent. Sure the hospital is a bit old, but if you are worried about having a tv and a pretty building then I guess you just aren't sick enough.

This year, Mrs Velkyal broke her foot. She has health insurance with the school she works for. Total cost for a trip to ER, with x-ray, crutches and some strappy boot thing - $200. Seeing a podiatrist, $40 a time - 3 of those so far, and this is all on top of the ridiculous premium she pays.

Having seen health care provision from both sides of the Pond now, I can honestly say that America could learn an awful lot about health care provision from the Europeans - of course taking on board the idea that someone does something better than you is the difficult part. But tables don't lie and of the 36 countries with better health care than the USA, 17 of them are in the EU, 10 of which are in the top 20.

Songs from Central Europe

Leaving a city you have lived in for 10 years is more difficult than it appears at times. Despite the fact that I knew it was time to leave Prague and start anew somewhere else, Mrs Velkyal and I made that decision almost 2 years ago now, so much of my adult life was spent in the Czech Republic that I almost think of it as home - certainly a place filled with lots of memories.

Unlike a lot of expats I came across in the city, I always made a conscious decision to learn the language, have Czech friends and live like a native - although I never wore socks with my sandals, had a mullet or went out without showering.

As a homage to my ten years in Prague, here are some of my favourite songs by Czech and Slovak bands and singers - the videos aren't necessarily official or original, but the songs are grand.

Spare An Acre?

Mrs Velkyal and I have a dream. That dream involves a plot of land somewhere, preferably of about 5 acres, where we could rear a few animals, grow fruit and vegetables and generally be as self-sufficient as possible. I am sure that there are many people my age who grew up watching re-runs of Felicity Kendall's bottom in The Good Life who have a similar dream. I am sure that they would also have sat and watched River Cottage and yearned to be able to leave the city and throw away all the junk that passes for civilisation these days.

I have been watching Beyond River Cottage lately, the one where Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall gets a 40 acre farm and sets up his catering business in some reclaimed cow sheds, and even more so would I love to ditch the world and wander off to Dorset, or France, or whether the equivalent American place would be, and settle into a interminably quieter life. The shift from Prague to Charlottesville has been dramatic in that sense, going from a 1 million inhabitant capital city, to a college town with about 50,000 people. Still far more than I grew up around in the Outer Hebrides, but certainly a welcome change from the bustle of the city.

Therefore I have made it my aim to see if I can find a landowner in these here parts with a couple of acres to spare and the willingness to rent them to me in order to plant veggies, perhaps an orchard, a clutch of chickens and maybe a sheep or pig or two.

To paraphrase Monty Python's Life of Brian:

"Spare an acre for a jaded urbanite?"

Afghanistan - Learn the Lessons of History

Today President Obama is to meet with all his head honchos and top generals to discuss the way forward in the seemingly endless campaign in Afghanistan. Being suggested is an Iraq style "surge" in the number of troops, in order to crack down on the "insurgency" once and for all. However, I would suggest that there are lessons from Afghan history which do not bode well for the NATO mission.

Simply put, Afghanistan has a track record for defeating world powers.

Three times in the 19th century, Britain attempted the conquest of this mountainous country, which borders what was the jewel in the crown of the British Empire, pre-partition India. Three times the Afghans repulsed the world's major super power of the time.

Coming closer to our own time, 1979 saw the Soviet invasion of the country, which then led to 10 years of war and destruction. Afghanistan had long been a target for Russian expansionism, both under the tsars and commissars, so it was expected that they would eventually make a move to bring the country under Soviet control. Ten years later the Soviets were driven out by the Mujahideen, bringing to an end a conflict which has been described as the Soviet Vietnam.

Now just 20 years later the American led NATO forces are bogged down in a conflict which shows no signs of ending any time soon.

The lesson of history would seem to be, invade Afghanistan at your peril, and expect to be stuck in a cycle of guerrilla warfare for years to come. How can the West break this cycle? I for one don't have any simple answers, but to defeat terrorism it is not enough to send young men and women to kill and be killed, it is necessary to address the grievances that terrorists claim as justification for their acts. If however the West continues in its belief that the "cold, hard steel of the bayonet" is the way to deal with violence, then violence will simply beget more violence and perhaps the entire region will be dragged into a spiral of war which will take generations to come to an end.

Insane silliness

Rob posted this little fun thing to do on a boring Friday afternoon on his blog, and I thought I would use a piece of text from Fuggled to demonstrate how computer translation software is usually useless.

1. Go to Babelfish.
2. Enter text up to 150 words.
3. Translate from English to Chinese (trad).
4. Copy and paste the resulting text, then translate back into English.

I decided to take this one step further and take the resulting text and "translate" it into Russian and back, then German and back and finally Greek and back, here are the results:

Original text:

Simple really, a pub where I like the surroundings, and they serve beers from one of my favourite brewers in the Czech Republic - and they even have the right shaped glasses for serving British style ales in! Importantly they seem to have worked out how to pour an ale so it doesn't take 10 minutes, and you don't have to order your second when you are a third of the way down your first, although out of habit I generally do so anyway.

From Chinese and back:

, I like truly periphery simply the inn and they for the food from beer my Czechoslovakia's affection brewer -, and they even have serve the British style ale the correct shape glass! How have they as if formulated importantly but actually the ale, therefore does not need ten minutes, and you cannot order your second, when you are when you first way 1/3, although stemming from habit I that in any event usual

From Russian and back:

, I love truly the periphery simply hotel and they for the food from the beer my Czechoslovakia' the viniculturist of attachment s -, and they even have a supply British ale of the type of correctly glass- form! As have them if formulated importantly but actually ale; therefore are not necessary 10 minutes, and you cannot order your second, when you when you are first way of 1/3, although from the habit i which in any event usual.

From German and back:

, Love I really the hotel and it the periphery simply for the food of the beer my Czechoslovakia' viniculturist from accessories s - and they have you even a British Ale of the supply material of the kind that correctly glass form! Like it, if it is formulated importantly however real, Ale has; therefore are not necessary 10 minutes, and you cannot order your second, if them, if you are first way of 1/3, although of the habit I those in any case usually.

And finally from Greek and back:

Love I really the hotel and region simply for the foods of beer Czechoslovakia'? my viniculturist from the elements s - and you they have even a British English beer of material supply of type that correct form of glass! As, if he is formulated considerably nevertheless real, the English beer has consequently is not essentially 10 thinly, and you cannot order your second, if these, if you are first way the 1/3, even if habit I those in any event usually.

I am starting to see how some technical writers put together their user guides!

First Ince, Now Adams

Robbie Keane was signed by Liverpool, to great fanfare - the ideal partner for Fernando Torres they said (whilst ignoring the fact that Rafa only plays 1 up front). 28 games and 7 goals later he rejoins former club Tottenham Hotspur. The press bleat on about how he wasn't given a fair crack of the whip, the player claims he could have been a success "with a different manager", and this got me thinking about Tony Adams.

Tony Adams was, until this morning, manager of Portsmouth, having previously been assistant manager to Harry Redknapp. That was before Redknapp left a promising project in progress to become the manager of Tottenham Hotspur.

Tony Adams managed the club for 16 games, of which he won only 2, and had to deal with losing Diarra and Defoe to Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur respectively.

Why aren't the press up in arms about him not being given a fair crack of the whip? Perhaps he could have succeeded with different players, or a different chairman, but still the fact remains that he hasn't been given the opportunity to stamp his mark on the club and the team, much as Paul Ince wasn't given that opportunity at Blackburn Rovers.

The management merry-go-round spins on merrily, and when Fabio Cappello leaves the job of England manager there will no doubt be a hue and cry about the lack of top level English managers. Blame the Premiership chairmen for that, because they aren't giving managers a chance.

A Difficult Choice

At the tender age of 26, the Brazilian football superstar Kaka is the subject of an approach by Manchester City.

Kaka currently plays for AC Milan, one of the most illustrious footballing names on the planet. Milan sit third in Serie A, with Champions League qualification a likelihood again next season. Among Kaka's team mates are Ronaldinho, Alexandre Pato, David Beckham and other assorted greats of football, many of whom won the Champions League in 2007.

Manchester City, the world's richest club, have apparently offered €100 million to AC Milan to buy his registration, and a salary of about €500,000 per week to get their man.

At Manchester City, Kaka would find himself 15th in the Premiership, unlikely to be in Europe at all next season and playing with the likes of Robinho, Stephen Ireland and Micah Richards. The last thing Manchester City won? Champions of the second level of English football, currently known as the Championship.

For a player about to enter his prime, what possible attraction could there be for trading AC Milan for Manchester City? Dare I be cynical, but I am not sure I could refuse €500,000 a week.

Pity for Paul Ince

Football is going crazy. Take the case of Paul Ince, sacked yesterday by Blackburn Rovers for having the temerity to be near the foot of the table after slightly less than half the season, and having won only 3 league games of the 17 he managed.

Paul Ince, if we forgive his abberation whilst playing for "Manchester" United (look at the maps people) was a great footballer and his work with Macclesfield Town and MK Dons seemed to point to a decent manager in the making. Then one of the Premier League big boys came knocking.

Blackburn Rovers sought, and got, special dispensation from the Premier League for Paul Ince to manage them because he didn't have all the necessary qualifications to manage in the top flight. Is it then any surprise that he has struggled in what is regarded as one of the toughest leagues in the world? Having sought, and got, said dispensation, Blackburn Rovers should have given him more time to turn things around. Put together a decent run, just four or five matches and suddenly things are looking up.

However, what is the point in having minimum qualifications for Premier League managers and then handing out special dispensation to various managers? Avram Grant at Chelsea also lacked the necessary badges.

For Paul Ince though, I hope that he finds a job soon back down in the lower leagues and that he can kick start afresh his once promising career as a football manager.

Union Stupidity

Generally speaking I am a fan of trade unions, and believe that they have performed a valuable service to the working classes in raising living standards and protecting the rights of workers.

However, with the news that the Auto Workers Union have basically scuppered the bail out plan for the big three American car manufacturers, the question needs to be asked - whose backs are you protecting?

Refusing to accept pay cuts in order to guarantee the continued viability of the car manufacturers is simple short-sightedness. The union leaders, those tasked by their members to look after their best interests, have in effect stabbed their members in the back.

Given the choice between a pay cut and no job, I am fairly sure that in the current financial climate the members of the AWU when balloted would vote for the former.

European Union Anti-Democratic?

Euroscepticism is on the rise, and is really any surprise when the EU insist that Ireland re-run a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty?

Of course the Irish government claim that in no way have they been bullied by the bigger countries that treat the EU as their own little cabal, in particular France and Germany.

According to current EU rules all 27 member states must ratify the Lisbon Treaty in order for it to become a reality, therefore according to EU rules, the Lisbon Treaty is dead, as was the constitution before it.

For the Irish government to run a second referendum, when the Irish electorate have already given their verdict on the question placed before them is arrogant in the extreme.

If this goes ahead, and the EU disregards its own procedures and rules, then one can only hope that the Irish again vote down the Lisbon Treaty - and that the leaders of the various nations in the EU learn to listen to the people. It is called democracy.

Take a moment please

I think I have mentioned before that I am an Army brat - meaning that my father was a soldier in the British Army and I grew up moving from pillar to post every couple of years. In my family the military connection goes beyond my father who was in REME for more than 20 years; my elder brother was a commando who saw service in the Gulf War; my great-uncle was also in REME; my great-grandfather was an Old Contemptible who survived the First World War as well as the Second; the military connection goes back as far as the 18th Century and the first member of my father's family to live in the UK, who was a member of the King's German Legion. Even I joined up when I was 17, but was medically discharged because I am asthmatic - despite the fact I had told the doctor in the recruitment process, but my military record is 60 days glorious service!

Today though is Armistice Day, the day when the guns fell silent over France and Belgium at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. While in Britain it was Remembrance Day on Sunday, there is something special about marking that moment when the world woke up from its collective insanity to try and bring peace again to Europe. Unfortunately the old wounds and scores to be settled ensured that Ferdinand Foch was right to decry Versailles as a "20 year armistice".

So today, take a couple of minutes to remember the fallen.

They shall not grow old as we who are left grow old.

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Technical Writing done proper

Simple, concise and does the job.

The company I work for would no doubt have wanted a product description telling you exactly what type of cement was used to make the block, how to configure the break up of the block and technical details on standardised throwing methods.

The Velky World Guide to Economics

1. Don't spend what you haven't got.
2. Don't borrow what you can't pay back.
3. Don't gamble with tomorrow for the sake of today.
4. Don't trust marketing or advertising.
5. If unsure, see 1.

And who said economics was difficult?

Soul-less soccer

Yesterday was the final day of the summer football transfer window - the month long period that clubs have to buy and sell their players. Liverpool bought in three players, one of whom had been on loan last season and has now signed a permanent deal. Probably the biggest sotry of the day though was Manchester City being bought by the investment arm of the Abu Dhabi royal family. As if that wasn't enough, Manchester City go out and immediately splash over $60 million on the Real Madrid forward Robinho. Robinho had been courted by Chelsea for much of the summer, and had even told journalists that he wanted to leave Madrid for the London club as late as Saturday.

This summer has seen once again football transfer fees spiralling out of control, with utterly obscene figures being quoted for various players. apparently Kaka of AC Milan was wanted by Chelsea, who were willing to pay in excess of $150 million, even Liverpool splashed $40 million on Robbie Keane. In order to pay for these exorbitant fees and the salaries which players receive, ticket prices continue to rise, the cost of a replica shirt goes up and more and more ordinary working fans are being squeezed out of the game.

It is getting to the point where you juts have to accept that football has lost its soul, gone are the days when a club like Celtic could win the European Cup with the majority of players coming from with 5 miles of Parkhead. Clubs as famous as Nottingham Forest, who themselves has won the European Cup, have faced bankruptcy in the face and plummeted through the divisions. Today there are teams such as Oxford United who I remember watching on TV as a top flight club playing in the Conference.

It is getting to the point where I often wonder why I bother going along to the pub twice a week to watch a game to watch a group of millionaires flounce around the pitch. Perhaps I am getting to the point where football has outlived its usefulness, no longer is it a conduit for my bad days, no longer doesn't Liverpool beating Manchester United leave me buzzing for days.

But then at the same time the romantic in me can still enjoy the wonders of football. I must admit to having something of an affair with another club, Charleston Battery. Mrs Velkyal and I went to see a match when we were in South Carolina last year, the Battery versus Houston Dynamo. Since then I have kept an eye out for their results, doing very nicely in the USL1 - the American equivalent of the Championship - and tomorrow they will play in the Lamar Open Cup Final against D.C. United of the MSL. This is the American equivalent of the F.A. Cup and I am hoping that Battery will take another scalp and be the first USL side to win the Cup in many a year.

The death of shame

In several recent posts on here I have mentioned the fact that the doorway to our building is being used by drug addicts as a nice place to shoot up the crap that they seem intent to destroy their lives with. Mrs Velkyal and I went to watch the football last night, and en route from our traditional pre-match drinks in Jama to the pub we watch the games in, Zlata Hvezda, we noticed the same vials and syringes in a passage through a building as we see most mornings when we go to work.

Mrs Velkyal remarked that perhaps it is not an increase in drug abuse in the city, but rather the fact that we are more aware of it - in the same way that when a woman is pregnant, all her acquiantances seem to get knocked up as well. While I can see the validity of her argument, hoping of course it is not some rather unsubtle hint that she wants to start a family already, I am not convinced.

When I arrived in the Czech Republic in 1999 it was still ok to smoke pot in public, indeed many pubs and clubs had an almost permanent funk in the air which has thankfully gone in these less permissive days. But it is only recently that I have seen people shooting up with any regularity, in broad daylight and with no sense of shame. Even this morning on my way to the metro station to come to work there were a couple of girls sitting on a bench in the park around the railway station quite openly prepared to take a hit.

I think what shocks me most about the junkies in our area is not the fact that they leave their rubbish lying around in the street, but rather that they have no sense of shame - indeed they almost flaunt their anti-social behaviour in the full knowledge that few people will comment or do anything. It was Dietrich Bonhoffer I believe who commented that the reason bad people win is because good people do nothing, and still that rings true today. While I wouldn't want to label the junkies as "bad" people per se, I do feel that in rejecting the norms of society they have forfeited their right to the protection and benefits of the state.

Our society has become so "rights" obsessed that we have forgotten the responsibilities inherent in the nature of society. In our well meaning attempts to create a safety net for the disfortunate in the welfare state, we have created a hammock for the lazy, the unscrupulous and the downright corrupt. Our culture is now one of abrogated responsibility and the enfeeblement of civil society, where good, ordinary people look the other way and expect the powers that be to solve their problems for them.