Economics & Politics

The cost of the Olympics....

From Yahoo:

What is a gold medal really worth?

By Sarah Modlock

 

Even the most indifferent couch potato would be hard-pressed not to get excited about Britain's Olympic success in Beijing.

But behind the smiles and glittering prizes, there is another question: what is the price of this success? And will we be able to afford to emulate this performance when we play host to the games in four years time?

Gold Rush

At the time of writing, Britain has won 43 medals - including 18 gold - which makes this our most successful Olympics since London in 1908, when we topped the medals table for the first (and last) time with a haul of 56 golds. Contrast this with our 36th ranking in the medals table at in Atlanta in 1996 (one gold) and we certainly seem to be to on the up.

So what has enabled these dazzling performances? Well, obviously, there is the sheer devotion and skill of our athletes over many years. But money is also key: in this case, £190m of it. This works out at well over £10m per Team GB gold, and almost £5m per medal.

If Atlanta did one thing, it prompted a closer look at the financial support needed for our Olympians. With the public unlikely to stomach significant use of taxpayers' funds, it became clear that alternative funding could be the answer.

Yet when Sir John Major launched the National Lottery in 1994, even he could not have imagined the impact it would have.

"Most of the money the lottery raises goes on social services, church roofs, heritage sites and public football pitches - yet the UK's Olympic success shows you can literally buy gold medals," observed the Financial Times this week. "I have been up every morning at six watching, and I bet millions of others have," Sir John recently told Radio Four. "I have always taken the view that there are two things in life that for most of us are important: sport and arts. I don't think they should be available only to people who can pay."

From archery to wrestling - where does the cash go?

Judging from the funding table, below, he appears to be right. Government figures for lottery investment between 2006 and 2009, and the cost per medal - starting with the most efficient - show that the link between investment and return is particularly strong.

The impact of Lottery funding on Team GB

Sport	Total funding (£m)	Squad Size	Gold medals available	Medals Won (G/S/B)	Cost per medal (£m)	Cost per gold medal (£m)
Cycling	17.49	28	18	14 (8/4/2)	1.25	2.19
Sailing	17.19	18	11	6 (4/1/1)	2.86	4.30
Swimming	16.70	68	34	6 (2/2/2)	2.78	8.35
Rowing	20.05	49	14	6 (2/2/2)	5.01	10.25
Canoeing	10.79	28	16	2 (1/1/0)	5.40	10.79
Boxing	4.66	11	11	*2 (-/-/1)	3.23	?
M Pentathlon	4.66	4	2	1 (0/1/0)	4.66	-
Equestrian	9.62	15	6	2 (0/0/2)	4.81	-
Athletics	20.38	153	47	4 (1/2/1)	5.09	20.38
Gymnastics	7.25	19	18	1 (0/0/1)	7.25	-
Weightlifting	1.44	10	15	-	-	-
Synchronised Swimming	1.62	9	2	-	-	-
Wrestling	1.99	18	18	-	-	-
Table Tennis	2.22	14	4	-	-	-
Taekwondo	2.28	4	8	-	-	-
Archery	2.37	6	4	-	-	-
Fencing	2.72	18	10	-	-	-
Handball	2.99	30	2	-	-	-
Water Polo	3.13	26	2	-	-	-
Triathlon	3.90	6	2	-	-	-
Basketball	3.99	24	2	-	-	-
Volleyball	4.04	32	4	-	-	-
Diving	4.59	12	8	-	-	-
Shooting	4.82	31	15	-	-	-
Judo	5.48	14	14	-	-	-
Badminton	6.96	24	5	-	-	-
Hockey	8.57	32	2	-	-	-
TOTAL	191.89	703	294	43 (18/13/12)	4.57	10.67

 

* To be decided

Unsurprisingly, at just £1.25m per medal and little more than £2m per gold, cycling tops the list. Six sports come in at less than £5m per medal. Tellingly, all the sports that received at least £10m in lottery funding won at least one gold, while only two sports that received less than £5m - boxing and the modern pentathlon - won medals of any colour.

Is the future gold?

So with all this good feeling and success bubbling around us - and the obvious connection between money and gold - can we expect to ride a wave of sporting prowess into 2012?

When he was Chancellor, Gordon Brown pledged £500 million in his 2006 Budget for public sport investment in the run up to 2012. £300 million of that came from the lottery and another £200 million from the taxpayer. He expected this to be boosted by an extra £20 million annually from the private sector, but this is not coming thick and fast, although it has to be said that many athletes enjoy ongoing private sponsorship which is absolutely crucial to their training and success. Like many observers, Major warns that diverting lottery funds away from sports facilities will limit future Olympic success. He says that ministers are diverting a "good deal" of Lottery money into other expenditures, which does not bode well. "Those expenditures are worthwhile but they were not what the Lottery was intended for," he says. "Without the facilities at local level for young people, they're not going to be drawn into the sport. Money is the root of all progress and it needs to be continued."

Ultimately, Team GB could end up paying the price for its own success. But whatever happens, it looks as though the British public and the government will have to invest a little faith in something else, and the very thing that recent events seem to have proved: the old adages that nothing breeds success like success, and that it pays to win.

**

You may want to consider the opportunity cost of all this. Which is better - £ms on a sport where a few excel or those same £ms on improving facilities for everyone?

Many people will have got a buzz from the successes - but has the buzz diminished as the successes have mounted up?

The ways of measuring success. The table Can be measured in different ways with at least five alternatives 

What can the government do now?

From Saturday's Independent:

"Given the waves of dire economic news that have been breaking over us in recent months, the latest bulletin from the Office for National Statistics hardly comes a surprise. But there is nevertheless something sobering about the confirmation from the ONS that economic growth in Britain has now ground to a halt.

For the first time since 1992, our economy has ceased to expand. Some might argue that this is not such a disaster; that after such a prolonged period of expansion we can afford to slow down. But the flaw in this sanguine analysis is that we do not seem to be in for a soft landing. The speed at which growth has fallen away indicates that this journey is likely to end in recession. The economic implications are going to be significant. Businesses will go bankrupt. Many will lose their jobs. We will all feel poorer.

But just as significant will be the political implications. When he was chancellor, Gordon Brown made a great show at Budget time of pointing out that the economy had grown in every quarter in which he had been in the job. Having eagerly taken credit in the good times, Mr Brown cannot escape some of the blame now that conditions have turned nasty. Indeed, the worse things get, the more questionable his stewardship of the economy over the past decade begins to look.

The blame for the global credit crunch and the recent increases in commodity prices cannot reasonably be laid at the door of the Government. But the strategic economic decisions taken by ministers in recent years are beginning to look rather dubious now, in particular the encouragement of our national reliance on the earnings of the financial services and housing sectors. Not so long ago, Mr Brown and his successor as Chancellor, Alistair Darling, were arguing that Britain would weather the storms of the global financial crisis better than other countries. In fact, it turns out that our economy is actually more vulnerable than the economies of many of our neighbours thanks to our heavy national indebtedness."

What can the Government do now?

US oil prices rising

At the beginning of last year, Poland and the USA began negotiations. Despite fierce opposition from Moscow, the United States and Poland signed a long-stalled agreement on Wednesday to place an American missile defense base on Polish territory.

On wednesday, the Russian ministry of foreign affairs passed on a message that the Russian reaction concerning the development of the missile defence base in Europe, will not remain at the level of dyplomatic protests.

The day the agreement between the US and Poland was signed, one of the Russian Generals - General Anatolij Nogowicyn - officially said that Russian nuclear missiles WILL be aimed at Poland.



This conflict and the Russian invasion of Georgia both contributed to a great decrease in exports of Oil from around the Caspian Sea, and hence the prices of Oil in the US increased greatly this Thursday - as said by the american brokers.

The price per barrel on the New York NYMEX increased to a shocking $121 per barrel from $116 the other night.

If such conflicts are not resolved, and the shipping of Oil from the Caspian Sea is not ratained, we might suffer terrible Oil prices in the next period of time. 

Public Sector Borrowing

Economics teachers must be wondering what to revise for the examination (AQA Unit 6, question 1). They could do worse than to revise public borrowing.

Why?

There are several reasons - notleast because public sector borrowing has come up twice in recent examinations. That alone is sufficient reason as it provides material for discussion.

Then, of course, borrowing has appeared in the press recently (BBC, Guardian and others) and also during the last 2 years (BBC, FT etc)

That too means there is a host of material around.

Then there's rumour.

Rumour?

Well, not exactly. Suspicion based on behaviour.

Too vague?

Yes, deliberately so. Suffice to say that THIRTEEN threads about public borrowing on the TES forums (www.tes.co.uk) have all been deleted AND the poster (me) has been banned.

Obviously someone complained.

But...if question 1, AQA Unit 6 IS public borrowing then I hope the reasons I will submit for mentioning borrowing will lead to public debate, sacking, change of procedures etc. It's bad enough with students on Foundation Courses (1 year, gets you into University) knowing what is in the exams without a select few doing A levels also knowing!

Whatever next? Poor people having the same access to facilities?

Shame!

I enclose a mock paper that teachers may wish to discuss with their pupils.

AQA?

Remember, they said standards haven't fallen - even though for EIGHTEEN YEARS I have been enabling students to pass A level Business Studies from scratch, in less than 4 weeks - sometimes just a  few hours.

Keep the myth; keep the income rolling in!

Any similarity to AQA Unit 6, question 1 is entirely coincidental.

Download economismock.doc

London will regret this

There is no doubt in my mind that London - and probably the rest of the UK - will regret this. This article says everything I would want to say and more. The guy's a clown - but a dangerous one. No managerial experience, born to a privileged background and an accomplished liar. (When asked about his affair he said it was 'an inverted pyramid of piffle'

He will be a disaster.

But his mates in entertainment will do well.

Londoners should have voted in Paddick - who has again shown good sense by refusing to work with Boris the buffoon.

Read the article I have linked to - and weep.........

Success!

It's nice when students succeed...in getting offers.

Let me introduce you to Sam Hang. Sam Hang is a full time student at Bellerby's, oxford. He is doing a one year Foundation course - and has received an offer at Warwick - a university that turns down many good A level candidates. (Foundation is nowhere near the standard of 3 A levels...)

So what tipped the balance?

My OPINION is that (as with Oxbridge applicants) Sam presented himself as an unusual student, a student with potential.

For example:

a. he was recommended as student of the month (I recommended him)
b. he wrote a long essay comparing investing in houses with investing in his college
c. he had glowing reports and perhaps most importantly he scored 90%+ in the exams BEFORE he filled in his UCAS i.e. he had results 'in the bag' on which Warwick could make a decision.
d. Sam writes the Bellerbys Blog
e. Sam takes an active role in debates

Sam may well have become in other activities too.

In short, Sam sold himself. He showed potential, industry and a high performance level (students can only excel at what they're given...)

An that's what the 'better' universities like- pro-active students who will 'go the extra mile' to win a place.

Sam wrote:

Long time no see.

Thank you for the teaching with passion. Honestly, if it has not been for your help, I would not get the offer from WARWICK.

    Warwick's offer:
    Pass Bellerbys Business Foundation with 80% overall

    including 80% in Maths and 75% in Economics. Pass an English

    test approved by this institution.


Thanks a lot again. Hope you have a nice time.

Sam

WELL DONE SAM!

Can teach, does teach - but shouldn't!

Let me tell you about 'student X'. I say 'student' but in reality 'X' is an ex-student as 'X' took her A levels last year. 'X' did quite well passing Mathematics, Psychology and Politics.

'X' is good with people.

'X' has confidence.

This Easter 'X' went along to a well-known and respected tutorial college in Oxford and offered to teach. 'X' said s/he was attending Brookes University, first year of a Politics degree.

'X' has never ever studied Economics or Business Studies.

Naturally, s/he started teaching...Economics. Then Business Studies and is now teaching 12 hours a week at £22 an hour.

How is it done?

'It's simple' s/he says, 'I just go to websites, copy and paste notes, leave gaps in them, hand them out, read them out and copy diagrams on to the bord. The people I teach now have been failed by their schools and at least they now learn something.'

'X' also prints out exam papers and goes through them.

Slowly, s/he is learning Economics and Business Studies.

Oh yes, 'X' has no work permit, no NI number...and is from Russia. Yes, s/he does speak English. S/he is 19 years old.

Wht does this tell us about the knowledge needed to be a teacher - this day when thousands are on strike?

There's been a lot of talk about Tibet lately. As the Beijing Olympics near, it seems that recent protests over the Chinese occupation (perhaps that word ought to be in quotes) of Tibet might prove to be a grave embarrassment for the Chinese government. This might be a good time to look at the history of the Tibetan struggle and whether there is a case for it.

The most recognisable face of Tibet worldwide is of the course the Dalai Lama, who we're given to regarding as a sort of modern Jesus figure, preaching non-violence, turning the other cheek and so on. The story of his life makes very interesting reading indeed. Born the fifth of sixteen children, Tenzin Gyatso was proclaimed to be a reincarnation of the thirteenth Dalai Lama at the age of two. This involved a search party scouring Tibet for a house that resembled the one in vision the Regent of Tibet had had, and presenting the young Tenzin with a number of relics of toys, some of which had belonged to the previous Dalai Lama. Apparently, Tenzin identified them all correctly, saying 'That's mine!' at all the right relics. The book (and film) Seven Years in Tibet by the Austrian mountanieer Heinrich Harrer capture some of the atmosphere of his early children. Enthroned Tibet's ruler at the age of fifteen, he lived through the traumatic years when Communist China took Tibet over. The Dalai Lama has spent much of his adult life in exile in India, travelling the world making the case for Tibetan freedom. He (and the large but so far unsuccessful group of his international supporters) have argued that China's interest in Tibet was first ideological but is now blatant colonialism for Tibet's resources. Moreover, China has instituted a system of indoctrination in education and put serious curbs on religious freedoms that people in most countries take for granted. Of course, there's another side to the story, the Chinese side, which argues that Tibet has always been part of China and what some people call the 'Occupation' was really a liberation of Tibetan serfs from the rule of the theocracy of monks that had ruled it before. One can accept those claims and still be alarmed at the kind of crackdown on protesting monks we have been seeing in the last few weeks. Perhaps a call to boycott the Beijing Olympics is too drastic a measure, but given how little information the Chinese information is allowing to escape to the international media, one might be justified in wondering what it is they are trying to hide.

Russian Tax Miracle

Most of the Russian people do not remember  speeches made by a president every year on 31 of December… it might be due to the amount of Russian vodka that is consumed during the New Year party or due to the fact that every year a president promises to get people a better life and improve economic performance of the country etc etc. However, I may say that the speech made by former president Yeltsin on 31 December 1999 is well remembered. For Russian people it was shocking to go to the New Year with a new president. However, promises given by Putin could seem a fairy tale. For example, he promised to double GDP in 10 years. Social reform and tax reform that were suggested were quite radical but inspiring. He promised lots of things and he still implements lots of policies that suppose to take post-socialist Russia to the whole new level.

The tax reform carried by Putin’s office from 2001 to present time is classical liberal at its heart.(The details of Russian Tax system can be seen here) It assumes that the lower taxes will increase the tax revenues. This reform is designed, in principle, to ease the tax burden on individuals and companies and to simplify the classes of payments for national insurance.We can say that lower taxation is associated with Reagan but Reagan could not dream of getting the 13% flat income tax reform through Congress. Putin succeeded in it. And it is possible to argue that it is the most remarkable taxation policy change in the recent years in the whole world.   

Putin’s tax reform is seen as important and outstanding but it is difficult to be studied as Russia has experienced a lot of changes in every life sphere including economical, social, and political. However, some numbers talk for themselves. In dollar terms, Russian GDP has increased fivefold from 2000 to 2006. After the reform was implemented, real revenue from the personal income tax actually increased by about 26 %. The increase in tax compliance following the reform, with the evidence pointing to an increase of around 16 percentage points in the proportion of their income declared by those affected by the reform, can arise the psychological assumption behind the economical improvement The atmosphere in the country was getting more and more stable and people started to trust the government more and became willing to pay their taxes and seek government support.

Ethno-Religious Identities and Islamic Political Radicalism in the UK: A Case Study

This blog is written in response to this  Download jmma_2007.pdf

The Case Study is based on Moazzam Begg

1. It is appreciated that this article is for a learned journal. Nonetheless if “a clarion call is made to British academics, activists and policymakers to ask discerning questions and determine nuanced solutions to quite complex problems.“

This call is less likely to be heeded if such a call is made in over complex sentences:

“It is argued that the issues, debates and policy concerns impacting on the question of Islamic political radicalism in Britain, namely inequality, integration, multiculturalism, foreign policy, the influence of Islamism and the ways in which the historical, cultural, economic and political societal context that young Muslims find themselves in today, all affect the experience of conflicting multicultural identity politics and Islamic revivalism, with one informing the other.“

2. "The items they [the police] took had nothing to do with al-Qa'eda or anybody. They were entirely innocent. If I have night-vision goggles does that make me a suspected member of al-Qaeda?"

When asked about the flak jacket that was seized, Mr Begg said that his son was merely indulging a "hobby" - which included collecting weapons. "He liked to collect things like that since his childhood. Once upon a time I had a cellar and he had a lot of arms and things like that." Mr Begg confirmed that his son knew Shahid Butt, although he was not "a close friend".

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/07/06/wguan06.xml

And yet Begg says:

He tells me they were not goggles, merely glasses, a flat jacket not a bullet-proof vest and the extremist literature was indeed the Qur’an. – case study.

 Clearly the author thinks this important so let us dwell a little:

 “An interview with former Guantanamo Bay inmate Moazzam Begg is featured declaring that the US has begun a war on Islam. During a raid on the premises in 2000, Begg - who worked in the bookshop and is understood to have been its co-owner - was arrested under anti-terrorism laws. He was later released without charge.”[1]

 

 The raids followed a six-month investigation of a plot to kidnap a British Muslim soldier and decapitate him. One place which was raided was the Maktabah Al Ansaar bookshop, based at 384 Stratford Road in Sparkhill. This bookshop had long been known as a purveyor of extremist literature.

 It not only sold extremist books, but also published them. In 1999, Maktabah Al Ansaar commissioned and produced a book called "The Army of Madinah in Kashmir

." This book glorified decapitation of an Indian soldier as a "victory" and stated: "terror works and that is why the believers are commanded to enforce it by Allah... Jihad has many great spheres and it would be a misconception to confine it simply to the mountain-tops of foreign countries, as we are so prone to do. Instead we are forced to ask the question, do we put the fear of Allah into the enemies of al Islam?" The named author of the book is "Esa al-Hindi." He is, in fact, the terrorist Dhiren Barot, who plotted bomb attacks in the U.S .and the UK, including a radioactive dirty bomb. Barot was given life imprisonment in

London on November 7, 2006. The full text of his book can be downloaded (pdf format) here.

 The Maktabah bookshop had been raided before, on February 29, 2000. Officers from West Midlands Police and the Secret Service (MI5) arrested one individual. The books on sale at the store then included titles such as The Virtues of Jihad by Mohammad Masood Azhar, Declaration of War, and Dissent of the Muslim Lands. One man was arrested in the 2000 raid – convicted petty criminal Moazzam Begg, who worked there”

 

 Source: http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/terrorism.php?id=1260062

 “It was here among the steaming kebab restaurants, the shops brimming with rainbows of silks or semi-fluorescent sticky sweets and kulfi ice- creams, that Moazzam Begg ran a bookstore selling extremist Islamic literature”[2]

 3. “Solitary confinement, where he was routinely dehumanized and psychologically and emotionally tormented in the process, although he does not claim to have been physically tortured.“ – case study

“During several interviews, particularly - though unexclusively - in Afghanistan, I was subjected to pernicious threats of torture, actual vindictive torture and death threats - amongst other coercively employed interrogation techniques. Neither was the presence of legal counsel ever produced, or made available.”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3706428.stm

“Begg, in his book, provides graphic descriptions of how, while he was detained at Guantanamo, he was held for nearly two years in solitary confinement, during which time he was kicked and beaten, suffocated with a bag over his head, stripped naked, chained by his hands to the top of a door and left hanging, and led to believe that he was about to be executed.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/03/09/nbegg09.xml

4. Suicide. Moazzam “He argues that today he is a Salafi’

The term Salafi is derived from the Arabic salaf, which means "to precede" and refers to the companions of the Prophet Muhammed. Because the salaf learned about Islam directly from the messenger of God, their example is an important illustration of piety and unadulterated religious practice. Salafis argue that centuries of syncretic cultural and popular religious rituals and interpretations distorted the purity of the message of God and that only by returning to the example of the prophet and his companions can Muslims achieve salvation. The label "Salafi" is thus used to connote "proper" religious adherence and moral legitimacy, implying that alternative understandings are corrupt deviations from the straight path of Islam.[3]

While Salafis all agree about the importance of the prophetic model and the paradigm of the companions, there are important interpretive differences that have engendered schisms within the movement, particularly over the proper method to create an Islamic society and protect the umma (Muslim community). Differences in interpretation tend to emphasize one of the following four basic methods for promoting Islam:

1) Propagation (dawa). Salafis who focus on this method emphasize personal piety, cleansing the corpus of hadiths (reported sayings and traditions of the Prophet Muhammed), and spreading proper Islam. For this group, the priority is for individuals to practice a pure understanding of Islam. This entails not only propagation and individual piety, but a program to eliminate any weak or false hadiths so that Muslims ensure they are truly following the prophetic model.

2) Advice. A large number of influential Salafis and their followers believe that it is the responsibility of the ulama (religious scholars) to advise leaders about Islamic legislation and regulations. In general, however, they believe this advice should be given in private.

3) Non-violent action. Some Salafis believe that it is the duty of Muslims (particularly the ulama) to openly speak out against un-Islamic actions, decisions and public policy. This can include the use of the khutba (Friday sermon), open letters, public speeches, demonstrations and rallies.

4) Violent action. A small, radical fringe in the Salafi community argues that it is an Islamic duty to use violence to remove leaders who do not properly follow or enforce Islam. Known as jihadis, these Salafis do not reject the other methods, but they do emphasize the necessity of violence. Al-Qaeda is part of this group.

Which type of Salafi is Begg?

He denies the fourth category (above)and the theme of the case study suggests he falls into category 3. But this does not ring true as: “He was very much of the view that suicide bombing is not the issue but it is more of what is actually under attack:

The targeting of innocent individuals is wrong and it shouldn’t happen . . . this does not conform to the Islamic concept of rajula (manhood) . . . The overriding factor of the occupation in Iraq  and Afghanistan was enough to spur them onto to do what they did. I don’t think it means a great deal of change in what they felt was the ideology. What it needed for them was this idea that it is all one and the same: the struggle in Afghanistan and  Iraq and even Britain; that it’s all connected.”

 

The interview does not record his criticism of suicide bombing – one can infer he had none. And yet this pious individual surely is aware that suicide bombing is totally against Islam – or does he follow the Al-Q thinking that suicide bombing IS acceptable in certain circumstances.

He roundly condemns the targeting of ‘innocents’ and yet neither he nor the interviewer pause to let us know that the definition of ‘innocents’ varies widely in Islam. So Begg could be heavily criticising actions that did NOT take place (i.e. it was not ‘innocents’ that died) and thus shows the uneducated West he’s ‘peaceful’ when in fact he may well not be.

This was neither mentioned nor explored in the case study.

5. Interesting that the errors over the bullet-proof vest – which were clearly shown in the mainstream media of the day and yet no mention of the statement given to the FBI [4] where he comprehensively admitted – in some detail – that he trained with al-Qa'eda' – in fact the  USA considers Begg a threat to this day. So the picking up of an omission in SOME parts of the press makes the case study – but not far more important details.

6. A pious deeply religious Muslim would not be expected to lie so Begg should be believed. But then again in Islam there are certain circumstances when you CAN lie – and being interviewed for this case study would be one of them.

7. In the abstract it says: “the experiences of Moazzam Begg as a lens through which to view a wider phenomenon.” – is such a lens atypical though?

 Begg's known and suspected associations with terrorists Wikipedia

I suppose the overall problem I have with this Case Study is that the interview, apart from:

“However, the idea that he was actually involved in terror plots or took up arms in the pursuit of a Jihadi cause is vehemently denied. One cannot be sure whether he was involved in activities or not, and if one took it at face value he publicly denies the accusation. Certainly, it is argued that there are certain omissions in his book which could have informed on the matter and clarified all remaining doubts.“

seems to take Begg’s side for just about everything. He chose to dwell on the raid where three items – allegedly – were seized:

•  night goggles
• extremist literature
• flak jacket (reported in some media as a bullet-proof vest)

Begg says there was no ‘extremist literature’ and no night-goggles.

That was accepted without question.

What if his confession to the FBI was genuine? What if he had trained with Al-Q? What if he is part of the violent Salafi wing? What if he takes their definition of ‘innocents’.

If the answer is ‘yes’ to all those then the lens which we are looking through, has suddenly grown dark.

Begg denies that he ever supported terrorism, knowingly associated with Qaeda members or took up arms against the United States. Rather, he offers himself as evidence that the wide American net had trapped many Muslims who never threatened its interests.

Others may claim he is simply continuing the fight against those he sees as ‘attacking Islam’ – just using different weapons.

So where does this leave the thrust of the Case Study?

If there is such a requirement to suspend disbelief then whatever conclusions made must at best be treated with suspicion.

“However, the possibility of misunderstanding, error or bias in every interview situation, the likelihood of this increasing when additional factors such as culture, ethnicity, religion or gender are included, can also emerge.“ – Case Study

 Maybe Begg is innocent, maybe not. But the fact that there is at least a case made for circumstantial evidence means that Begg is not atypical and therefore no conclusions can be drawn from this Case Study. Equally an awful lot more questions could have been asked.

Integration or Colonising?