An elite educated bureaucracy makes places poorer...

Or so some research seems to show....

I use a natural experiment to show that the regions of China with over a thousand years of sustained exposure to state-building are significantly poorer today. The mechanism of persistence, I argue, was the introduction of a civil service exam based on knowledge of Confucian classics, which strengthened the social prestige of the civil service and weakened the prestige of commerce. A thousand years later, the regions of China where the Confucian bureaucracy was first introduced have a more educated population and more Confucian temples, but lower levels of wealth.

The crucial point here is about prestige - in a world where the high prestige professions are non-commercial, the endeavour of the brightest to secure that prestige undermines economic development.

Much might be said about the situation in Europe where, increasingly, high prestige jobs are to be found in non-commercial environments, what Deirdre McCloskey calls the "clerisy" - academia, medicine, think tanks, central bureaucracies and a host of grand jobs in what might be called the international third sector. Even within the world of commerce, the prestige lies either with performers or with the administrators of large business systems - we are encouraged to see the creators as the parasites not as the means to provide the goodies society wants.

Thus the debate around the rich and successful isn't, "wow, how can we get more people like that creating value for society" but rather, "why aren't they paying more tax so more of us in prestige jobs can have more power and money". We're more bother by the relatively unimportant question of whether entrepreneurial businesses are paying enough money to the state rather than how we can support them (and others) to deliver more social value through that enterprise, innovation and creativity.

The lesson from history - the Dutch republic, Britain in the 18th century, the USA after the civil war, and places like Hong Kong or Singapore today - is that when doing business is valued by society and those leading is have the highest prestige then economic benefit to everyone is greatest. Sadly, we're in a time where entrepreneurship is disparaged, doing business is characterised as exploitative and non-productive, non-commercial roles are seen as the most important, most privileged.

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Lower than vermin - a Tory muses on "Our NHS"

A while ago I celebrated 35 years of being Tory Scum, of knowing that the ease with which Labour tribalists and, indeed, the left in general reaches for insults demonstrates the complete absence of any rational arguments in support of their contentions.

Today the passing of the Health Bill through the House of Commons has brought out another version of that insult - a version introduced by the original bigoted Welsh windbag:

No amount of cajolery, and no attempts at ethical or social seduction, can eradicate from my heart a deep burning hatred for the Tory Party. So far as I am concerned they are lower than vermin.

Well down here with the rats, life is good. At long last we are seeing the great monoliths of British socialism - a sclerotic health system, a school system that fails the poor and a planning system that favours the rich - gradually moved aside in favour of the patient, the parent and the worker.

You see Nye Bevan was wrong. Comprehensively wrong about almost everything. But this did not matter as this man could wallow in ignorance and bigotry, could opt for the insult above the evidence and could paint his opponents as evil. And his Party loved him for it. Loved him for his insults, for his uncompromising hatred of not just the Conservative Party but of Conservatives.

Men like Bevan set the tone for the manner in which Socialists debate - not just the 'lower then vermin' gibe but the genesis for "Tory scum, here we come". All this ferocious insult mixed in with hyperbolic predictions of gloom and despondency - or what the layman might term "outright lies".

The Health Bill is taking a small step - putting the tiniest of tippy-toes into the waters of freedom. Moving us a small way - not enough but a start - towards a public health service that actually serves the public well. A service that isn't hung up on the financial interests of doctors, that doesn't prosecute a New Puritan 'nanny knows best' approach and which focuses on the basic care and medical support that the public want.

And, yes, that might mean some competition. It might mean that GPs no longer had a local monopoly but must compete a little with eachother. It might mean that some treatments, operations and interventions are provided by the private sector (as an aside it seems odd that the left are so supportive of private sector abortions while steadfastly opposing private sector hernia operations). And it might mean that the numbing, duplicating, obsessive and incompetent bureaucracy that is the dominant feature of "Our NHS" begins to go. Replaced, I hope, with some customer service and maybe, just maybe, a smile or two.

I sat in a meeting at which the health reforms were discussed. Not one person there mentioned how to improve the patient experience - instead it was the same old discussion about who was chair of this and chief executive of that, how to manage and organise the process so as to sustain the same old faces round the same old tables. I came away profoundly depressed - this is the NHS that the Labour Party (and the truly awful Dr Evan Harris) want to "save". A place of favours and fixes, of discussions in closed rooms and of make-believe boards with no real power that discuss matters of no real moment.

If I'm 'lower than vermin' for wanting a public health service that responds quickly to patient needs, that presents choice where choice is right, that is accessible and flexible and that stretches the value from that inevitably limited public purse as far as it will go, then so be it. I'll get down with the rats and make sure ordinary people stand a fighting chance of getting an accountable, efficient and effective NHS.

The changes that might be coming - there's a while to go yet before they're law - aren't enough. But they are a welcome start. And I hope we will start now calling for it really to be "Our NHS" not an NHS owned and controlled by the bureaucrats and the medical mafia (including their big pals in the drugs industry).

Lower than vermin I might be. But it's good down here where real people live real lives and want a decent health service from the government they pay so richly from their meagre earnings.

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Who was it said the NHS was wonderful?

***

My son - who is off to New Zealand in a few days - wanted to register temporarily with the local GP so he could obtain a repeat prescription. Pretty straightforward I would have thought?

However, on ringing the local GP some jobsworth informs him that to register he has to turn up in person to sign on. Bit of a pain but nevertheless my son dutifully wanders to the surgery and completes all the unnecessary, intrusive and largely pointless form filling needed to register.

With this procedure complete he asks for an appointment to see a GP. Sorry- can't do that!

Tomorrow, my son has to ring up the surgery at 8.00am (the line will be engaged - it always is at that time) which is the only time when appointments are dished out.

Utterly, maddeningly, stupidly, uselessly crap and incompetent.

And they call it a national health SERVICE! Who do they think they're kidding?

....

The Red Mist descends....

…but it will pass. Have put on lots of twingly prog rock to calm me down. But in the meantime:

Universal average speed cameras on motorways – to “save carbon”

The happy fools who signed up for ID Cards can now get one

Labour MPs – plus Spanish commies – want to tell me my hours of work

We’re to be fined £1000 if we don’t fill in the census form

MPs are calling for the word "regular" to be banned

…and that’s just today.

Dear fascist bureaucrats, pseudo-liberals, greeny fascists, interfering so-called progressives and anyone else who thinks they can run our lives – please just leave us alone. We’re big, ugly and grown-up. And we can get along just fine without your help or guidance. GO AWAY.

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Why I won't be going to Bradford Hospitals "AGM and Open Event 2009"

Not so long ago I wrote how Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust spent over £2 million of your and my money on "corporate services" - some of it justifiable, some rather questionable - and over £800,000 on a couple of boards (a real and very expensive one and a playtime board called the "Foundation").

Today I was kindly sent an invitation - in full colour with a freepost response (money to burn these guys) - to the Trust's Annual General Meeting and Open Event. This show involves the AGM itself (no agenda so I don't know what's involved - bet we don't get to vote in the real board as would be the case with a private business) followed by an open event full of demonstrations, tours, presentations and showcases. In fact, everything but the bouncy castle!

Now I think these events are a really good idea - they may cost a few pounds to put on (why don't they get their very rich suppliers to sponsor or is that frowned upon these days?) but it provides a chance to let the public see behind the scenes a little.

Or does it? Look a little closer - the event runs from 1.00pm to 6.00pm on a Wednesday. Hardly accessible to the public! Shouldn't it run when people who have a full time job (like me) can attend? Such as an evening or better still a Saturday! As a result the event will not see any ordinary folk attending - just the usual collection of the great and good (plus hangers on and aspirant masters of the Bradford universe).

So Mr Richardson, with your £50 grand salary for a couple of days a week, I'm afraid I can't come to your shindig because you're holding it at a time when half of the people who might like to come can't make it. Try to get it right next year, please!