Category Archives: Society

Britain, Government, Politics, Society, United States

The New Atlantic Charter

US-UK ALLIANCE

EARLIER this month, Britain and the United States agreed a new “Atlantic Charter”, committing both countries to building a renewed alliance to meet the challenges posed by China, Russia, and climate change.

In what was seen as a highly symbolic act, the Prime Minister and the US President revived the original charter signed by Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt in 1941, which is credited with laying the foundations for the post-war settlement.

President Biden said the world was at “an inflection point in history”, adding: “A moment where it falls to us to prove that democracies will not just endure – they will excel as we rise to seize the enormous opportunities of this new age.”

He said the charter would address the “key challenges of this century – cybersecurity, emerging technologies, global health and climate change”.

Following the symposium between the two leaders, the Prime Minister said: “I don’t think it is any exaggeration to say that the relationship between the UK and the US is – the relationship between North America and Europe – incarnated in that Atlantic Charter of 1941, which we’ve renewed, is of massive strategic importance for the prosperity, the security of the world, for all the things we believe in together – democracy, human rights, the rule of law – the US and the UK stick up for those things together. It’s incredibly important that we should affirm that.”

The eight-point charter commits the two nations to pursuing broad aims to defend and promote democracy around the world, while combating challenges such as climate change and the pandemic.

It was accompanied by a lengthy joint statement in which the two leaders pledged a range of actions to push back against the growing power of the world’s authoritarian regimes, including “practical efforts to support open societies and democracy across the globe.”

On defence, the two powers agreed to not only step up conventional military co-operation, but also on cybersecurity, an area where Russia and China are seen as major threats.

The agreement says the two countries should work together to tackle a range of new threats, including those associated with “cyberspace, foreign interference, harmful influence, illicit finance, violent conflict and extremism, and terrorism in all its forms”.

Mr Biden paid tribute to the UK’s military role in joint operations around the world over decades. Commenting on the two countries’ withdrawal from the 20-year war in Afghanistan, the President said: “The UK was with us from the start – they always are.”

The agreement also binds both nations to striking a “technology partnership”, including efforts to build up stronger capabilities in areas currently dominated by China, such as batteries.

Trade talks have taken a back seat since the departure of Donald Trump from the White House six months ago.

But No10 has said the two leaders had agreed to work towards a free trade deal “which would create jobs and bring new opportunities to both of our countries”.

The joint statement also commits both sides to strengthening trade ties, including settling a long running dispute over aerospace subsidies, which has led to tit-for-tat tariffs.

The new charter warned that climate change had reached a “critical point” and committed both countries to decarbonising their economies and helping others around the world do the same.

The declaration also included a lengthy section on tackling the Covid crisis and creating a “Global Pandemic Radar” early-warning system. The agreement will see increased co-operation on accelerating scientific research into vaccines capable of fighting dangerous variants.

The PM hopes to secure agreement among other leading nations to donate one billion doses to poorer countries in the hope of “vaccinating the world” by the end of next year.

The two men also agreed to create a “travel taskforce” aimed at restoring UK-US travel “as soon as possible”. Government sources said the unit, led in Britain by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, would “help accelerate” the resumption of flights between two of the world’s best-connected countries.

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

Hope For The Future, the title of the document released in updating the original 1941 Atlantic Charter, contains the following eight provisos:

. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Boris Johnson vowed to defend the institutions of open societies, including upholding the rule of law and an independent media.

. They will strengthen international bodies to tackle threats such as “the peril of emerging technologies” and to encourage trade.

. In an apparent rebuke to Russia, the US and UK declared nations must have a right to self-governance and should resolve disputes peacefully. They also stated their opposition to interference in elections.

. Technology will be used to improve security and deliver jobs, while investment will aid research into the biggest challenges facing the world.

. The importance of the NATO alliance in a nuclear world was highlighted. The two nations said they remained committed to countering terrorists and cyber threats.

. The leaders said they wanted the global economy to be “inclusive, fair, climate-friendly and sustainable”. They will fight corruption and seek high labour standards.

. On the climate, they warned the world has reached a “critical point” where urgent and ambitious action is needed.

. They recognised the “catastrophic impact of health crises” following Covid and the need for strong collective defences.

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Britain, Broadcasting, Government, Media, Society

On the BBC and its day of shame

THE BBC & THE BASHIR SCANDAL

IT would be remiss of Scotland Yard not to read Lord Dyson’s report before deciding if crimes had been committed.

If anyone in the BBC is suspected of any offences, they must be properly and thoroughly investigated.

Note, too, that rather than the debacle involving a single rogue reporter or department, the tentacles of impropriety stretched to the very top of the corporation. The deceit, lies and cover-ups have existed for decades.

Lord Dyson, who rightly left no stone unturned, finds Martin Bashir guilty of “deceit… and dishonesty”. He acted in serious breach of BBC ethical guidelines. Every bit as shameful is the corporation’s egregious attempt to cover up the entire scandal.

Since its inception nearly a century ago, the BBC has haughtily assumed the moral high ground. Richly funded by a torrent of public money, it appears to look down its nose at what it considers its grubbier rivals in TV, radio and newspapers. Yet, behind the sermonising, the broadcaster has been exposed as nothing more than a pious hypocrite.

Lies. Deception. Manipulation. Forgery. Fraud. These were the tactics used by the BBC – and then covered up.

My view is one of disgraceful obfuscation and denial.

The panjandrums implicated have, so far, escaped untouched, enjoying gold-plated pensions and sinecures. The corporation’s former director-general, Lord Hall, sits pretty as chairman of the National Gallery. The Culture Secretary, for one, who appointed him to the prestigious post, should consider removing him as his integrity is now called into serious question following Lord Dyson’s damning and excoriating report.

These issues with the BBC are not going to go away until they are fully addressed both by the Government and the Corporation itself.

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Government, Health, Japan, Society

Tokyo Olympics: Can the Games still go ahead?

OLYMPIC GAMES

IN ten weeks, the rescheduled Olympic Games are set to get underway. Yet, as the days count down, the opposition grows. A state of emergency in Japan’s capital city has been extended until the end of the month, with citizens there increasingly angry and hostile towards staging what they believe will be a “superspreader” event.

The plans of the organisers appear foolhardy rather than foolproof, with the playbooks of coronavirus protocols raising more questions than answers – the greatest of them being: Can the Olympics really go ahead?

Many residents in Tokyo have expressed disquiet and feel their views have been neglected by organisers. They have said it is a “recipe for disaster” if the Games go ahead and feel scared for their fellow citizens as the virus remains virulent and extremely dangerous.

While comprehensive playbooks have been published for athletes, officials and media, volunteers have received just a two-page pamphlet encouraging them to wear masks, use hand sanitiser and stay socially distanced.

Volunteers and residents are not expected to be subjected to the same level of coronavirus testing as other participants and will not be deemed as being in the “bubble”, so will be able to use public transport and visit restaurants and bars.

There is a firm belief that there is a significant risk for volunteers who have contact with people in the Olympic bubble, then go home to their families on public transport, who could very well be the ones who are contributing to this superspreader event.

From a moral standpoint, it is inconceivable that the Games should be held during a global pandemic, wasting money when so many people in the world are still dying.

What is really worrying the Japanese public is that little more than two per cent of the population have received the vaccine so far. Alarm bells are ringing that the Olympics are taking a priority over the vaccination programme.

A recent opinion poll showed 72 per cent of Japanese citizens want the Games to be cancelled or postponed again. Meanwhile, an online petition headlined, “Stop Tokyo Olympics”, has garnered more than 300,000 signatures since it launched last week.

Expert opinion

Professor Kentaro Iwata, who heads the division of infectious diseases at Kobe University Hospital, said: “This is not the right time and place to hold the Olympic Games. Some nations such as India are completely out of control. Many lives of people are at stake. Putting it altogether, this is not the right time to celebrate a huge human sport activity.”

Professor Iwata shot to prominence at the start of the pandemic when he boarded the coronavirus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship and posted a YouTube video highlighting the poor infection control measures. Now he is similarly critical of the measures in place for Tokyo 2020.

“The measures are fairly sufficient to protect the athletes but the security of the surrounding people – such as coaches, drivers, media – are not really guaranteed under these measures,” says Iwata, who believes all spectators should be banned from the Games, not just those from overseas.

It recently emerged that Tokyo 2020 organisers had asked for 500 extra nurses to leave their hospitals and volunteer at the Games, with 10,000 medical professionals needed at the event overall.

Professor Iwata added: “They are trying to hold the Games and not minding the health of people because of the financial incentives.”

Holding the Games could set back the global fight against Covid-19. A risk of new variants of concern emerging and of infections being taken back to other countries should be of real concern, and particularly what happens after the Olympics.

Team GB athletes

Team GB’s top talent seemingly have no such concerns about how secure their bubble might be.

Olympic champion swimmer Adam Peaty says, “You are only as safe as your own behaviour… I don’t think it’s any different from being here. It’s about trusting the organisers but really it comes down to your own behaviour and making sure you are doing everything possible to not get Covid-19.”

Athletes will not have to quarantine when they arrive in Tokyo, but they will have daily coronavirus tests. They must wear masks except when eating, drinking, sleeping, training, or competing, and their movement will be restricted to their accommodation, training and competition venues.

Team GB have asked the Government if their athletes can receive both doses of the vaccine before they go to Japan, but they also have the option of using Pfizer jabs donated to the International Olympic Committee.

Team GB insists they are a very conditioned team in terms of Covid mitigation and have said they have every confidence that all 370 Team GB athletes will be on the start line fit and well and 100 per cent ready to compete.

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