TED Community » Gavin Ritchie

More About Me

I'm passionate about

Philosophy and joy.

An idea worth spreading

If everyone in the world could recognise greed for all it is, we would have a more tolerant global society.

Talk to me about

Love, joy, tolerance, peace, strength in humanity.

People don't know that I'm good at

...writing short stories.

Comments

• TEDCred score: +0.40 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

• +1

  A reply on Conversation: Scottish Independence: confidence, courage and ambition

  Mar 11 2013: Those arguing against Independence have the media in their pockets. The 'battle', then is as unfair as it was 700 years ago.
• +1

  A comment on Conversation: Scottish Independence: confidence, courage and ambition

  Mar 11 2013: I believe the time is ripe for a new politics, one disengaged from the capitalist bond to finance. It has been the crooked and unregulated finance dealings that have brought disaster to millions in the world. Iceland has recovered, albiet partially, by regulating its finance industry, so Scotland can do the same. What it needs is a radical new politics based on frugality and strong principles. In Plato's Republic it is argued that the proportion of wages at the higher end of income to the lower should be six to one. Scotland could adopt such a principle. We could tax purchases rather than earnings and we could give artists and health care professionals salaries rather than have them hooked to pleasing sales figures and meeting budget constraints.
  
  Before we can do anything radical (and I believe we must, otherwise there's no point to Independence) we need to unshackle our economic and political systems from London.
  
  Unfortunately, the 'Yes' campaign for Independence is a cross-party campaign and therefore not based on any policy or manifesto, making the job of convincing the nation a difficult one.
  
  There has to be a way to live fairly, however; Scottish politics has always been about fairness.
  
  That the Scottish nation has always leaned 'left' while those who govern her lean 'right' is the loudest argument for independence. There is also an argument to be made for all of the UK to vote. Indeed, some in the north of England might also want to split from London.
  
  
  
  Be that as it may, the national politics in Scotland is opposite from the politics which govern her from London. Independence would rectify that. Whether or not Scotland makes a success of self-governance, however, is a question for the crystal ball.
• +2

  A comment on Talk: Juan Enriquez: Will our kids be a different species?

  Jun 21 2012: There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy...Horatio.