Share Sounds from Thought for the Week

The climax of the Easter story, for those of a Christian persuasion, is resurrection: something which should concern us all, because we're all going to die one day — and this is about life after death. Drawing on reason and logic, and referencing great intellectual thinkers throughout history, Revd. Canon Rosie Harper contributes her thoughts to help you make sense of it all. Background music: 'Erev Shel Shoshanim' by E's Jammy Jams Image source: BBC Share Radio webpage for links & text https://www.shareradio.co.uk/thinkingaloud/newsletters/comment-wc-2023-04-03/

At first sight the challenges facing TikTok and John Lewis appear very different. For the former, it's the risk of being denied access to much of the free world as regulators clamp down over concerns of it becoming a major security threat. For the latter, John Lewis's need to raise investment is threatening the partnership which staff and customers hold in such high regard. These very different problems could, however, both be solved by applying customer stock ownership — in TikTok's case, in return for the immense wealth creation made possible by data harvesting; in John Lewis's case, in return for that £2 billion which they urgently need to update their business model. In each case, disintermediation leading towards a more egalitarian form of capitalism. Background music: 'On Hold' by Silent Partner

The big ticket item this week is the House of Commons Privileges Committee, which is holding a televised evidence hearing with Boris Johnson on Wednesday 22nd March. Select Committees do an important job holding Government to account, and the most powerful is the Public Accounts Committee which oversees the delivery efficiency and effectiveness of Government programmes. They're able to draw on objective analysis provided by the National Audit Office whose latest investigation, published last week, is into the huge Child Trust Fund programme. Background music: 'People Watching' by Sir Cubworth

For the past 250 years, starting with Adam Smith, there have been valiant attempts to set out principles for taxation: but they have been principally domestic, and with no attempt to address inter-generational rebalancing. Without specific provisions requiring hypothecation of inheritance levies it's hard to see how disadvantaged young people can be empowered with resources and life skills so that all may share in future wealth creation. Don't expect change in this week's Budget, but the Treasury Select Committee should look again at the principles they established over ten years ago. Background music: 'Dark Alley Deals' by Aaron Kenny

“Give your grace abundantly to our European Union Leaders, that they may lead with wisdom and insight”, prayed Archbishop John Sentamu in early 2019. But it only became possible to knock sense into Brexit negotiations with the EU once Boris, armed with his very direct slogan ‘Get Brexit Done’ and with his impressive parliamentary majority following the December 2019 general election, took the EU bull by the horns. We all knew then it couldn't be the end of the story and, sure enough, we now have the Windsor Framework: but let's give credit where credit's due. Background music: 'When Johnny Comes Marching Home' - Cooper Cannell

Putin's two-hour monologue in Moscow last week sought to justify his assault on Ukraine with a raft of dogma, including a presumption of divine male headship — hardly the basis for economic and social justice for all. Elitist theories, whether based on gender, race or nationality, have no place in an egalitarian, peaceful world: it is men, not women, who start wars and fill the prisons. Likewise, Churches should not allow themselves to be drawn into defending masculinity in the nature of God. Background music: 'A Fool's Theme' by Brian Bolger Also: view https://www.shareradio.co.uk/media/8106/love-and-the-individual.pdf

Just as Nicola Sturgeon steps out of Scottish politics and Rishi Sunak struggles with the Brexit Protocol for Northern Ireland, my attention was drawn to some world-leading legislation passed by the Welsh Government in 2015: 'The Well-being of Future Generations Act'. Recognising the degree to which modern society impacts the future so much more than any of the generations which have preceded us, this Act is of constitutional significance — requiring public bodies to think about the long-term impact of their decisions, to work better with people, communities and each other, and to prevent persistent problems such as poverty, health inequalities and climate change. No wonder that it is attracting interest from countries across the world, offering a huge opportunity to make a long-lasting, positive change for future generations. Background music: Celtic Impulse by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The earthquake disaster in Turkey shows yet again how little we learn from the past, and the limited attention we give to planning for the future. Constitutional principles could do much to help - but are we making best use of them? Meanwhile insurers tend to refer to natural disasters as 'Acts of God', but such a description doesn't align with with the Christian understanding that the nature of God is love. In March 2020 we recorded 'Love at the Cutting Edge' seeking to provide an answer, and it's included as the second part of this commentary. Background music: 'Elegy' by Wayne Jones; and to accompany 'Love at the Cutting Edge', Gorecki's Symphony No. 3, first movement as performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 1995.

The huge take-up of ChatGPT over recent weeks has brought the challenge of Artificial Intelligence into sharp relief. As the Chief Executive of its creator, OpenAI, said in one of his blogs, 'Artificial Intelligence will bring unimaginable wealth but, unless something changes, most of us will get none of it. We need a radical solution'. Conventional wisdom sees Universal Basic Income as the way through this dilemma, but this will only bring us more state intermediation and human subservience. We can put forward a better solution, by enabling all to share in the wealth that technology brings and to play their part in its future governance. Background music: 'Digital Solitude' by Silent Partner

If you’re currently aged between 43 and 59, start watching the news carefully: the chances are that the Government has you firmly in its sights. Of course there's much talk of getting you back to work, if you're one of the 'economically inactive' following the pandemic — but they also have it in mind to make you wait a couple of years longer before your pension can start. For every downside there is, of course, an upside: but that flows 100% to the Government, since HM Treasury would see a windfall of c. £10 billion pa. Be prepared to roll your sleeves up, unless you can master new technologies! Background music: 'Officer of the Day March' by the United States Marine Band