Category Archives: Philosophy

IT’S POLITICS: The Madness of Brexit – Retrospective- 2026/01/25

07 Saturday Feb 2026

Posted by in Brexit, Condiser this, Culture, Economics, Europe, European Union, Inform, educate and entertain., Philosophy, Politics, Social, Trade

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MADMartyn Jones

Carmarthen, Wales – 31st July 2017 

Many Brexiteers take a simplistic, restricted and shallow view of how the UK will leave the European Union.

It’s to be expected.

Some people are both wilfully ignorant and certain of their beliefs, even though their beliefs are no better than reactionary and rationalised prejudice, socialised absurdity and tidy-minded incongruence.

It’s to be expected. Continue reading →

MADMartyn Jones

Carmarthen, Wales – 31st July 2017 

Many Brexiteers take a simplistic, restricted and shallow view of how the UK will leave the European Union.

It’s to be expected.

Some people are both wilfully ignorant and certain of their beliefs, even though their beliefs are no better than reactionary and rationalised prejudice, socialised absurdity and tidy-minded incongruence.

It’s to be expected. Continue reading →

Fixing racism in Labour and in England

12 Friday Jul 2019

Posted by in anthropology, bad strategy, Economics, Philosophy, political science, Politics, Strategy

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Racism (and anti-Semitism) in the UK

Martyn Richard Jones

Brussels, 12th July 2019

To begin at the beginning

Britain’s Labour Party has been besieged by a continuous barrage of accusations alleging that the party is anti-Semitic; that it is institutionally racist and that its leader is somehow turning a blind eye to it.

This is a very serious and weighty allegation, with potentially devastating implications.

So, what does this deluge of accusations of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party tell us about racism in Britain and in British politics?

Continue reading →

IT’S POLITICS: Why Labour Must Reject Brexit: Six Key Electoral Demographics

27 Monday May 2019

Posted by in anthropology, Brexit, Economics, Europe, European Union, leadership, Philosophy, Politics, UK

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003Martyn Martyn Richard Jones

Bruxelles 27th May 2019

My post-EU election advice to the UK Labour Party leadership

As I commented to Keir Starmer today “Labour are making a fundamental mistake and it ain’t working, Keir”.

Labour’s approach to Brexit is completely the wrong strategy and it’s doing nobody (apart from Nigel Farage) any favours. No Brexit will benefit the immense majority of the country, we know that, and we know that the EU is not going to cut a better deal for anyone, regardless of their political flavour, because that’s just the way it is.

Like it or loath it, but, Theresa May probably struck the best Brexit deal that the UK can aspire to, and it was roundly rejected, for various reasons, by Westminster. No, the best Brexit deal is no Brexit at all.

Continue reading →

Consider this: Huawei, Google and the USA

20 Monday May 2019

Posted by in anthropology, Economics, Inform, educate and entertain., Philosophy, political science, Politics

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Huawei2Martyn Richard Jones

Bruxelles 20th May 2019

Listen up!

I have just read Simon Jenkin’s article, published in The Guardian, on the current barney between the USA and China – “Google’s Huawei ban is good news: tech giants shouldn’t always get their way“.

This is one of those rare occasions when I don’t agree entirely with what Simon has to say, but, the piece still carries a lot of good sense and finely tuned criticism.

For me, this quarrel isn’t fundamentally about security or reining in big-tech. This is essentially about trade wars, base protection, maintaining power and imposing influence. In short, it’s about hubris, intimidation and violence on the global political stage.

But, at the bottom of all of this is the Trump administration’s Homeric ignorance and epic ability to simply fanny-around.

Continue reading →

Consider this: Clueless in IT! Can‘t listen. Aren‘t learning. Won‘t win.

19 Sunday May 2019

Posted by in Inform, educate and entertain., IT Circus, IT fraud, IT strategy, IT World, listening, Philosophy, Polemic, Politics

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Aranjuez, Spain

Martyn Richard Jones

Bruxelles 19th May 2019

Listen well

I am a big fan of listening well and in continually improving listening skills. Yes, there are times when we can over-listen but this is also linked with skills of diplomacy and politics. How we listen should inform us a lot about what we and others really are.

So, whilst I am a big advocate of listening well I see that the world of business, and especially the sub-world of IT, is plagued with vain, impulsive and badly informed vote-takers who stubbornly resist the need to listen well and who will attempt to deftly fill the whole of the available time bashing their gums in communicating what are to all intents and purposes vacuous inanities and long litanies of meaningless clichés, full of terms that they either abuse or misunderstand; or even a bit of both.

And, as anyone who has worked with IT will know, I am not making this up. We used to call this charlatanry now we simply call it consulting. It still isn’t turning a pig’s ear into a silk purse, no matter how much people insist. But, there it is, in all its magnificent mediocrity.

Some people tell me it’s because IT attracts people with autism and Asperger’s syndrome; whatever that is.

I tend to put this refusal to listen down to other things; my money is firmly on arrogance and ignorance.

But, they just don’t get it, do they? Continue reading →

IT’S POLITICS: Brexit: Lose Control, Get Handed Your Arse

06 Sunday Aug 2017

Posted by in Ask Martyn, Brexit, Economics, Europe, European Union, Good Strategy, Inform, educate and entertain., Martyn Jones, Martyn Richard Jones, Northern Ireland, Philosophy, Politics, Scotland, Strategy, Trade, UK, Wales

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Picture1Martyn Jones

Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany – 6th August 2017

They told us that by voting for Brexit we would take back control.

They told us that Brexit would mean control over sovereignty and immigration. Which would mean total control over the economy, culture, society, law making, international relationships and trade.

They told us that voting for Brexit was the only patriotic option on offer.

This is what the backers of Brexit, through media, political and celebrity bullshitting agents, and a plethora of Brexit’s useful idiots, were telling us we would get once we were out of the EU. Continue reading →

IT’S POLITICS: The Madness of Brexit

01 Tuesday Aug 2017

Posted by in Brexit, Economics, Europe, European Union, Inform, educate and entertain., Philosophy, Politics, Social, Trade

≈ 7 Comments

MADMartyn Jones

Carmarthen, Wales – 31st July 2017 

Many Brexiteers take a simplistic, restricted and shallow view of how the UK will leave the European Union.

It’s to be expected.

Some people are both wilfully ignorant and certain of their beliefs, even though their beliefs are no better than reactionary and rationalised prejudice, socialised absurdity and tidy-minded incongruence.

It’s to be expected. Continue reading →

IT’S POLITICS: Brexit is Bullshit

26 Wednesday Jul 2017

Posted by in Brexit, Economics, European Union, Good Strategy, Good Strategy Radio, Inform, educate and entertain., Philosophy, Politics, Strategy

≈ 9 Comments

Peppa-Pig-eOneMartyn Jones

Carmarthen, Wales 20th July 2017

Let’s face it.

Brexit is bullshit.

Maybe it’s worse than bullshit.

Either way, one thing is for sure. Brexit is the most revealing, significant and catastrophic episode of irrational, self-harming and bloody-minded lunacy in the entire history of the British Isles.

But, why did it turn out that way?

What drove so many people to vote for far greater risk, uncertainty about the future and the rejection of the stability, presence and influence that we have within the EU?

Continue reading →

Can Ruth save the Tories?

23 Sunday Jul 2017

Posted by in Conservative Party, Economics, governance, Inform, educate and entertain., Philosophy, Politics, Ruth Davidson, Scotland, Social, UK

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Ruth2

Martyn Richard Jones

Carmarthen, Wales 23rd July 2017

The UK government is in a mess. Theresa May’s team lacks coherence, cohesiveness and credibility. It’s driven by instinct and its instincts are not clever. It’s a team that has taken on far more than it can adequately manage. It has bluffed and blustered its way to the forefront of the political beauty stakes only to be confronted with significant political, economic and social challenges for which it has no rational or reasonable strategies, policies or plans.

The Tory cabinet is about as effective, credible and desirable as an unruly gang of drunken revellers on an extended stag-do in Benidorm.

Continue reading →