Share Sounds from Thought for the Week

As Liz Truss takes the hot seat in British politics, we explain why political leaders must embrace disintermediation and servant leadership as the way forward to a better world. Arrogance is so often the Achilles heel of leaders, and genuine humility is hard to detect. So, as the new Prime Minister takes the reins in 10 Downing St, we call for a proper understanding of servant leadership and explain why disintermediation is critical to effective delivery, the ability for all to share both wealth and opportunity, and a legacy of continuing progress for the future. Background music: 'When All of This is Over' by The Westerlies

Hardly a day goes by without yet more evidence of our approach to empowering the next generation being wholly dysfunctional; the gap between Baby Boomer and Millenial wealth is reaching record proprtions. Meanwhile, as President Biden made his bold move last week to cancel student debt, it provoked an explosive eruption of criticism from Wall Street Journal readers. Here in the UK, another initiative to help the young, the Child Trust Fund, has over £1 billion waiting to be claimed by young adults, almost all from low-income backgrounds, due to a lack of focus from Government. It's hard to avoid the conclusion that we are a selfish and short-sighted generation of ‘Baby Boomers’ — we need to stand back and take stock of our failure to empower coming generations. Background music: 'Future Glider' by Brian Bolger Please visit Webpage for charts and links: https://www.shareradio.co.uk/thinkingaloud/newsletters/comment-wc-2022-08-30/

The ONS reports the sharpest fall in real wages since the financial crash, but is the pain of soaring inflation shared by all? The contrast between stock market reaction so far this year and that which followed the oil price shock in the 1970s suggests that there is little comparison with those days: and yet the massive increase in fossil fuel and food prices driven by Putin's war in Ukraine is every bit as severe as then. So why, notwithstanding the fact that economic recession is expected, are stock markets so sanguine about the conditions facing us today? It has all to do with the very different impact felt by different segments of society as a result of chronic polarisation of wealth, and it explains why we need to move to a more egalitarian form of capitalism. Background music: 'Sarabande' by Joel Cummins

Janice Turner's strikingly clear article in Saturday's Times (13/8/22) sets out why young people from low income households have such a struggle finding stability and economic security, after years of student debt, soaring house prices, and a much higher risk of split parents. In 2010 David Willetts' book 'The Pinch' was published, setting out the huge generational divide at that time: but over the past 12 years, the position has deteriorated significantly. Will Liz Truss call for change? Background music: 'Land of My Fathers' by The 126ers Links via https://www.shareradio.co.uk/thinkingaloud/newsletters/comment-wc-2022-08-15/

Opening the Lambeth Conference last week, Archbishop Justin drew his colleagues' attention to the ‘lions’ threatening humanity with attack, hostility, danger and uncertainty, summarising them as climate change, religious extremism, war and government oppression, economic injustice and poverty, and culture wars. His comments on science and technology were more circumspect, accepting their capacity to deliver solutions as well as to present challenges. It is, however, important to recognise how long-term and short-term motivations to tackle these challenges are so often in conflict. In a world where our actions today influence the long-term more acutely than at any time in history, we must re-balance our search for solutions in order to avoid the long-term being continually eclipsed by, and often sacrificed to, the short-term. Background music: Brass Chorale and Motet by Sir Cubworth Links via: https://www.shareradio.co.uk/thinkingaloud/newsletters/comment-wc-2022-08-08/

The dilemma between whether to engage or detach has challenged humanity for millennia. In all walks of life, from international tensions to faith, and from living in a civilized society to personal relationships, it challenges us — whether to work hard at finding solutions, or to stand aloof. As we've seen in Ukraine, with international relationships detachment leads ultimately to conflict. It's an outcome which our ancestors have had to suffer throughout history but, since the mass deployment of nuclear weapons, it is now an existential threat every bit on a par with the other great issue of our time: climate change. In both respects, engagement is now not only the preferred way forward — it's the only way which makes it possible to see a long-term future. Background music: 'Resolution' by Wayne Jones

Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak are both understandably focused on the UK economy, challenged by massive public debt and soaring inflation, but who will tackle the 'elephant in the room' of the gargantuan health and social care budget, which has resulted from seventy years addiction to socialist universality? We update our proposal first made in June 2018, since when the cost per adult of health and social care has doubled. Background music: 'Addicted' by VYEN

Publication of the Austin Report by HM Treasury should herald a new era for a vibrant UK stock market and much greater profile for personal investors. However there needs to be significant improvements for the latter, including strengthened rights to share owner communication and voting for those whose holdings are in nominees, normalising the threshold levels for partaking in circularisations and resolutions, and the ability for personal investors to take part in the 'rump' sell-off of nil-paid rights so that personal investors as a genre are not diluted. It's a time for change .. Background Music: Hopeful Freedom by Asher Fulero

People come in all shapes and sizes, and there are many people who have that strange combination of seemingly boundless energy and inherent unpredictability which are found in Mr Johnson. People who are more measured and reliable find them intensely frustrating, but there should still be a place for unconventional people, albeit not as prime minister. In this episode we find other examples in history of unconventional individuals who were also not accepted by many of the people with whom they worked, and we look not so much at weighing their offences but counting their merits in asking how the undoubtable strengths of someone like Boris can work for the benefit of all. Background music: 'Enable the Tiger' by JAde Wii

Are rich people who come from poverty more likely to be sympathetic to others in poverty because they understand their lives? Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba, clearly isn't: here he is speaking in 2014 'You are poor because you have no ambition'. And a new study confirms that those who make the journey from rags to riches are more likely to pull the ladder up behind them. It goes to show that, if we want a fair and just society where young people have not only the life skills but also some resources to achieve their potential as an adult, we must build the strategy into the structure of our economic governance: much as public health and addressing climate change are accepted by an all-party consensus. Background Music: Waterfall by Aakash Ghandi