Dawn

Dawn

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

There are signs that the Spanish construction industry is finally rising - Lazarus-like - from its deathbed. At least on the site behind my house. The major indication? Our street is again clogged with cars from people (OK, men) working on the site. I’m guessing that some time next year title in these properties will finally pass to the people who foolishly committed to buying them ‘off plan’ five or six years ago, at prices they possibly now regret. And they will then be registered as 2011 sales and contribute to the uplift in mood. Even though they aren’t.

Can there be a better paradigm of Bureaucratic Britain than the UK National Health Service? This, I believe, is still the largest employer in Europe after the Red Army and it’s not altogether astonishing to read that last year the numbers of nurses, doctors and managers in the organisation rose 2, 6 and 12%, respectively. The Americans, of course, have a ridiculous view of “socialist medicine” but sometimes its easy to understand why.

What’s less hard to understand is the cynicism of politicians. This weekend in the UK we were asked to believe that, on the back of a single broadcast seen by less than 15% of the population, the leader of the Liberals – previously unknown – was the greatest British statesman since Winston Churchill. God help us. Or them, rather. As I write this, two women on Sky News are discussing the differences between ‘Brand Cameron’ and ‘Brand Conservative’. And there are still weeks of this claptrap to go. Does anyone know a convent where they make good wine?

As an example of how pathetic the debate on healthcare in the UK is, we now have on the TV the Labour spokesman saying we don’t want to take the service in the direction of the USA, when the appropriate model – totally ignored – is that of the judicious mix of public and private care observable in many European countries. It’s enough to make one emigrate. Oh, I already have.

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