Alpesh Patel's Monthly Digest

Build communities, build dialogues, build bridges - well done to all those that do. Labour assured me my taxes are going up. (private school fees and in private equity). It's okay - you gotta build, build, build!

Dear Oxford University Admissions Committee,In a few years, you might receive an application from a bright young lad eager to study politics. When you read about his early involvement in political events, please believe every word.

Exhibit A: Here's my son, age six, energetically jumping at a political hustings I was hosting yesterday. He clearly couldn't contain his excitement about the democratic process. Consider this a sneak peek into his passion for politics. Who knew hosting political events could double as family fun?

Yours sincerely,

Alpesh B Patel(Father of Reyaan Patel)

Ps. His mother is rolling her eyes.

Pps. He may skip university altogether as he is launching his own line of software.

The year of the election. Thinking about thinking, just stay off social media.

We use data not narrative in stock selection to avoid biases. What are biases? Look at politics and see the problem up close. (That's also a bias, what I wrote)

1. Calls:

?? “Thank you for reaching out, but I’m currently unable to schedule new calls. Let’s keep in touch via email.”

?? “I appreciate your interest, but my calendar is fully booked. Perhaps we can revisit this in a few months.”

?2. Coffees:

?? “I’m grateful for the invitation, but my schedule doesn’t allow for coffee meetings at the moment.”

?? “Thank you for the offer, but I’m prioritising my time differently right now. Let’s connect virtually instead.”

?3. Dinners:

?? “I appreciate the dinner invitation, but I’m focusing on work/family commitments in the evenings.”

?? “Thank you for thinking of me, but I have prior commitments that prevent me from accepting dinner invitations.”

?4. Talks:

?? “I’m honoured by the request, but I have to decline due to other engagements.”

?? “Thank you for considering me for this talk, but my current workload doesn’t allow me to take on additional speaking roles.”

?5. Podcasts:

?? “I appreciate the opportunity, but I must respectfully decline due to time constraints.”

?? “Thank you for the invitation, but I am not able to participate in podcasts at the moment.”

?6. General Requests:

?? “I’m honoured by your request, but I must focus on my current responsibilities.”

?? “Thank you for thinking of me, but I need to decline to maintain my work-life balance.”

?7. Networking Events:

?? “I appreciate the invitation, but my current schedule doesn’t allow for additional networking events.”

?? “Thank you for considering me, but I need to prioritize other commitments at this time.”

?8. Collaborations:

?? “I value the offer, but I’m unable to commit to new collaborations right now.”

?? “Thank you for the opportunity, but I need to focus on existing projects.”

?9. Advisory Roles:

?? “I appreciate your trust, but I must decline due to other professional obligations.”

?? “Thank you for the offer, but I am not able to take on additional advisory roles at this time.”

?10. Social Events:

?? “I’m grateful for the invitation, but I must respectfully decline due to personal reasons.”

?? “Thank you for inviting me, but I have other commitments that prevent me from attending.”

Employees are frequently forced to cut their work hours or forgo work entirely because of the high cost or lack of availability of good child care.

Nearly three out of every five small businesses are in the process of hiring employees, either part-time or full-time – but 80% of them are having trouble recruiting qualified candidates for these jobs.?

Option 1: Govt policy discouraging the having of children so we can boost GDP cos childcare wont be needed soon. (Works for one generation only).

Option 2: Immigration - (that won't work in Europe or US presently)

Option 3: Few people who want to work in jobs, GDP and tax take down, cut social services and the budget?

Option 4: Tax the rich - always popular - if only there were more of them you could get your hands on. Especially if you could tax non-nationals, earning their money abroad, keeping it abroad, but tax it here.?

Option 5: Confiscate assets. Call it something nice like "one off windfall tax'?

Option 6: Remove retirement age - work till 100. (hmmmm)

Option 7: Relax childcare rules eg 1 adult to 100 children, no safety checks. (Nope!).?

Option 8: Borrow money to start schooling from age 1. (Debt to GDP at 100% - won't fly)?

Option 9: Companies (bigger ones) provide it. Not enough big companies.

Congratulations Anoushka - British-Indian-American - on your Honourary Degree from Oxford University today. Hard work + Shri Ravi Shankar's genes.

Buy in July and Don't Go Awry :-)

And laughter is the best medicine.

Oh there were shots fired. They were fired over and over and over again at Jallianwala Bagh to name but one place. They were fired and fired until only a few children could be heard sobbing over the corpses of their mothers, and the well the others lept into was filled with bodies. They were fired and fired until the ammunition was finished. But they were fired on the orders of the British against his ideals. The bodies fell, the values rang across the world. His achievement was not to click his fingers and unleash hell. Not to become that which he fought. "Generations to come will scarcely believe that one such as this, of flesh and blood, ever walked this earth" said Einstein of him - the greatest mind of Western civilization looked upon Gandhi, the greatest of my civilization in awe and wonderment. And finally, the final shot was fired at his chest by a fanatic, angered that a man would sacrifice so much for peace, including land. He died as that shot still echoed, with the words every Hindu would wish to die with on their lips - the name of God - "Hai Ram".

At least three million people died of hunger. That's more than six times the British Empire's casualties in World War Two.?

One of the policies executed by the British during World War Two was known as "denial", where boats and rice – the staple food – were confiscated or destroyed in thousands of Indian villages. It was done because of the fear of a Japanese invasion and the aim was to deny the enemy local resources to fuel their advance into India.?

As it was the battle of Kohima in India put an end to that when the Japanese Imperial Army suffered the largest defeat in its history to that point. Where a small plaque commemorates the Indian Army “When you go home Tell them of us and say, For your tomorrow, We gave our today."?

If numbers are a measure of sacrifice - more Indians sacrificed for British Independence in World War 2 than any other group. But that is not an appropriate measure. They all counted of all nationalities. And British sacrificed and fought when appeasement was easier. But you can see the fire and fury in the current Indian Foreign Secretary’s eyes when asked about the current war in Europe when he replies “why is Europe’s problems always the world’s problems, but the world’s problems not Europe’s problem”.?

So when Nigel says of them “thank you for your service”. No. Stand up when you speak of them - those Indian soldiers in World War 2. Speak with solemnity. And say it with gravity, authenticity. Not just as a passing remark.?

When you go home Tell them of us and say, For your tomorrow, We gave our today."

I wish to visit Kohima one day and gather a small amount of soil. There is an old Indian song of Patriotism which translated reads “mark your brow with this earth, it is the land of sacrifice”?

https://www.cwgc.org/visit-us/find-cemeteries-memorials/cemetery-details/2058100/kohima-war-cemetery/

Don't come to me with problems, come to me with solutions. And that's ChatGPT4o.

Being in Europe, you may well be the only brown person in a meeting, a conference, a CEO of a major bank, or indeed a country. Don't ever let what others see limit your ambitions. Do not limit yourself - there will be ample who want to do that. (Same goes for any other actual or perceived minority - eg being a woman, black, yellow, orange, etc).

Alpesh Patel OBE

www.campaignforamillion.com

Visit www.alpeshpatel.com/shares for more and see www.alpeshpatel.com/links