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Don’t just stand there shouting, say something useful

Governance | Robert Ashton | 23 Jan 2012

Opposing the status quo is all well and good, says Robert Ashton, but much more effective if you can propose a proper alternative.

I’ve just spent a couple of days in Bucharest. I was there to speak to a group of students who are the first cohort to take an exciting new post-graduate course on entrepreneurship. I love the passion and enthusiasm these young people have for what until 23 years ago was unknown in Romania. These are first-generation entrepreneurs whose parents grew up under communist rule.

As I suspect in all Eastern European counties, the younger generation are eager to create competitive enterprises. Those I met were hungry for knowledge and asked very probing questions as we discussed how businesses start and grow in the UK.

I had some free time before my session with the students and so set off to do some research. This was my first visit to Romania so understanding the context was important to my credibility with the group.

Fortunately for me my visit coincided with a week-long public protest. The city’s University Square was occupied by several hundred people; all very unhappy with the government’s handling of the European economic crisis. Does that ring a bell with you? It did with me so I went along to find out more.

I have to admit that public demonstrations and marches are not my style. So it felt strange to walk past the riot police and into the noisy flag waving throng. They had hooters and were chanting too. It was for me a far from typical Thursday morning.

I found some fluent English speakers and asked what it was all about. “The government are doing nothing; corruption is endemic and we have a massive national debt,” I was told. Someone else shouted to me “We want change!” I have no idea how good their government is and frankly it’s none of my business. But I could check out the national debt.

When Ceauşescu was shot and communism thrown out in 1989 there was no national debt. I suspect plenty of other things were missing too, like a market-driven economy. Today, the debt is massive as over the past 23 years government has invested in improved infrastructure and more besides. Joining the EU has brought the promise of investment. “We need the kind of cash Portugal got,” someone told me. And that of course raises more questions and it’s you and I who will be providing that EU investment.

Income tax rates have risen recently, from 19 per cent to 24 per cent but people saw that as acceptable if the tax taken was going to be wisely spent. But here’s the rub. There seemed to be no alternative strategy the protesters wanted government to adopt. They just wanted something different to what they believed was simply not working.

The parallels with Britain are clear. People are protesting here. We have spiralling national debt. The concept of self-help and greater individual and community ownership that government calls ‘Big Society’ is hammered daily in the press.

I suspect that the answers won’t be found by listening to protesters on the street. All they call for is change. It’s up to you, me, our neighbours and colleagues to define our own solutions and then get on and make them happen. You see politicians and protesters have one thing in common; they can shout all they like, but change will only take place when people like you and me make it happen!

 

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Who's Who: Robert Ashton