Wednesday, March 10, 2021

All change and corruption

I have taken Maria into school this morning for the first time since early December and it has immediately opened up new opportunities in terms of no longer having to be at home when Alison goes down to see her mum and so on. It has been lovely having her home and we have enjoyed home school. Indeed, Maria would prefer to be at home still but it does mean some lifting of restrictions.

It meant I was able to get out for a 3.5 mile run in the rain and wind but compared to the weather in the Hebrides, it was lovely! It never felt like I was under attack whereas the Isle of Lewis makes it feel like nature is fully in control of what is happening and you better not forget it. We are tolerated at best.

I have enjoyed being out and about a lot over the past few days, collecting cut logs in the woods to make some garden objects from for presents, running a 10km on Monday and riding down to Moors Valley and back yesterday with a 2 mile run in between. The sunshine has been a real bonus, despite a chill breeze.

The corruption aspect in the title refers to the audiobook I have been listening to about Putin's People by Catherine Belton which has been a bit of a slog in some ways because of the complexities of the issues being dealt with, the vast cast of characters and the massive range of content. However, I have persevered and found it rewarding to listen to. The way in which Putin and his favourites have divided power, wealth and influence between themselves is astonishing and has been excused to some extent as Russia reverting to a powerful leader and an elite enjoying lavish lifestyles against the backdrop of a population who don't care as long as they are left in peace and are able to enjoy some greater economic wellbeing, even if there are fewer freedoms. They are presented as having reasserted Russian pride and influence. The author doesn't buy those arguments seeing them as an acceptance of great wrongs, lazily allowing Putin to grow in might with all the dangers that presents e.g. destabalising and corrupting Western societies e.g. backing of Brexit, Trump and so on.

It's one thing to hear that set out so well and then make conenctions to the way in which Henry VIII and Cromwell and the rest of the powerful divided up the ealth and power of the Catholic Church during the dissolution of the monastries. That's just one episode in what appears to have been centuries of the privileged using their positions to further enhance their standing and wealth with no real concern for the population as a whole. It is mere coincidence that what they argue is good for the populace just happens to be of benefit to themselves. 

From there I was then making connections between all of this history and the plight of modern Russia when I am reading about the contracts handed out to family and chums during the pandemic, including Test and Trace contracts worth billions and widely reported to have been almost pointless in impact. How different are we to the rulers of Russia? In fact, London is awash with the dirty money of corrupt Russian oligarchs, deliberately ignoring any suggestion of wrongdoing, and the same elite reaps the benefits of opportunities presented during a pandemic, boosting their wealth whilst the world grapples with this awful virus. 

It is very difficult to avoid the conclusion that we are being robbed.

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