The fifth of November has long been a memorable date for parliamentary democracies* and 2008 has added further interest to the historical ramifications of this day, through the confirmation of the election of Barack Obama as U.S. President. But when all the ballyhoo and hoo-hah dies down, the Trillion Dollar Bonfire is still burning brightly. I hope the appetite for radical change now extends beyond the political arena, into the world of business management. CAN WE DO IT? YES WE CAN!
*For centuries the United Kingdom has celebrated the fifth as Bonfire Night, in memory of the foiled Gunpowder Plot, where Guy Fawkes and his associates set out to cause catastrophic damage to the British parliament; an act of terrorism in any age that would have led to calamity.
But this fifth of November [2008] a bright new political star has risen to offer hope of a brighter future, and a break with the tired policies of the Bush-Blair-Brown years. Many will look to Obama and a future with increased hope.
History sure has a way of evening out events.
From now on I will celebrate the fifth of November as Trillion Dollar Bonfire Night, in commemoration of an act of genuine political opportunity that should encourage everyone to seek better ways of managing and organising their undertakings.
I can promise, though, that I will be lighting fireworks regularly throughout the year, not just tonight.
The effigy on top of the Trillion Dollar Bonfire is not Guy Fawkes but that of the redundant IT-centric paradigm. Can we really move forward? YES WE CAN.
