The Blog

I wanted to start a blog for some time but somehow the right time never seemed to come. What changed now? I have no idea but the time feels right. I have been writing my thoughts and ideas in notebooks for the past two years. I will have to dig some of the stuff out. I enjoy the world of ideas and I believe it’s a better way of navigating the world’s problems. 

The blog was influenced by events unfolding around the world. It seemed the world of politics had departed from the reasonable expectation of doing the right thing. Earth shattering events materialised and most people were shocked how such events could have happened. There was a financial crisis in 2008 which blew economies of the most powerful countries in the world. It was so serious that the big banking institutions had to be bailed out by the taxpayer and it resulted in austerity policies. 

When the world was recovering from the financial crisis, Brexit happened. Whether you are agree with Brexit or not, you cannot deny the impact it had on the EU and the world at large. It felt like there was a violent wind shaking the foundations of the world’s political systems. 

A similar pattern materialised in the United States with the election of Donald Trump. Again, conventional wisdom did not give him a chance but he was voted president. In his autobiography, Barack Obama said he did not expect someone who was that “diametrically opposed” to him to get elected after him. Again, no one can deny the impact of Trump’s presidency especially in a world that is intricately linked. 

If you look around the world, it feels like democracy is taking a hammering. You have the military government in Burma that refused to give up power after losing the elections. A student from Burma said “our country was learning to fly but the army clipped our wings.” There is Museveni in Uganda who killed his way to power with more than 60 dead. In Belarus, there is Alexander Lukashenko who created a “rogue regime at the heart of Europe.” In Zimbabwe, a military coup removed Robert Mugabe after 37 years in power. People rightly ask why such destabilising events are happening? It also raises questions about the leadership needed in this ever-complex world.  

As if that’s not enough, the world is currently going through a devastating Covid pandemic with more than 4 million people dead. It exposed the weaknesses of many political systems. There is certainly a cloud hanging over the world. 

Sometimes one watches the news and is left confused or worse, struggle to believe what is reported. This blog will say things the way they are, bring awareness and hopefully change minds for the better. We cannot afford to keep quiet about systems and events that impact our lives. As such, this blog will endeavour to highlight issues that people want to talk about. Issues that are often avoided by well established news organisations.

As much as I discuss these issues on social media, one felt the need to delve deeper and comprehensively analyse them. It is a process that is best done beyond twitter’s 280 characters. So this blog is essentially a platform to convey my analysis of what is happening in the world and hopefully engage with like-minded people. 

It’s clear from the above information, that I’ll be writing on a broad range of issues. From Democracy, The Rule of Law, Human Rights, International Development to Financial Regulation and Politics. I hope you will engage with this blog and feel free to let me know what you think.