The McKay Interview

Our topic in this McKay Interview is Tax and Taxation.

We discuss the following points:

We go back to the very beginning and talk about the origins of Tax, and what Tax was used for

-The turbulent history of public consent to pay taxes

-The difference between Avoidance and Evasion; the politics of Taxation

-The Swiss way of Taxation

-Supra-national organizations like the OECD trying to muscle in on levying tax

-AI, robot and the future of Taxation.

He is "at home" on 3 continents, having been born in  Madagascar and lived many years in Africa.

He studied in the USA, and has his home in Switzerland.

Stories of his driving experiences to the ends of the Earth, the vehicle he has chosen, the people he has met, and above all his personal motivation, make fascinating listening!

In this episode we discuss:

-A sense of the scale of his planned voyage so that I can understand the true dimensions of what he has set out to do.  In which direction did he start to drive? How did he decide? And how long it will take him?

 -Why he is doing it?  What pushes him to undertake such a massive journey, which takes him away from his family for so long. 

-We talk about his experiences of humankind and, in particular, what his global, circumnavigational driving experience has taught him.

-Some of the highs and lows/most-memorable and most unpleasant experiences of his journey.

Twice President of the Swiss Confederation, and thirteen years a Federal Councillor, Adolf Ogi, one of Switzerland's most admired and popular leaders in modern times shares his personal reflections and some of his guiding principles with me.

In this episode we discuss:

-The importance of good leadership, and clear and repeated communication to persuade and understand people.

-One particular experience when he was invited to address European Union heads of states, in which he explains Switzerland to them!

-The United Nations, Kofi Annan, Sport and Peace played an important part in his career as a statesman and he explains why.

My wide-ranging interview with Dr Hughes takes place in the year of the 100th anniversary of the International School of Geneva - ISG (1924-2024).

In this episode we discuss:

-His career journey to one of the top jobs in international education.

-How the ISG/Ecolint started and why.

-What he and his colleagues are teaching their young charges.

-His views on the place of the school, the teacher and the family in the "socialization" of children and young people today.

-The contribution of the ISG/Ecolint to "international" Geneva over the past 100 years.

Professor Julian Lindley-French is Chairman of the Alphen Group in the Netherlands and an expert analyst focussing on security and defence strategy and policy.

In this episode we discuss:

-Is the world is a safer place than in 2014 when I first interviewed him.

-Whether the West is still strong. Also, I put it to him that, perhaps, the West played its good hand badly after the dissolution of the USSR in 1991.

-The ongoing conflict in Gaza

-The terrible but largely unreported conflict in Africa's Sahel.

-The continued tension across the Straight of Taiwan.

Dr Nadia Sikorsky, a Russian/Swiss dual national, is Co-founder and Editor of NashaGazeta.ch, the first Russian-language online newspaper in Switzerland.

In this episode we discuss:

-Given what she writes about, whether it is safe for her to visit Russia

-What mistakes the West made in dealing with the Russia post-Gorbachev

-What it will take for matters to improve for the Russian people.

Just over a year since our last radio conversation, I ask General Hodges

-For his assessment of the progress of the war in Ukraine against Russia's illegal invasion

-How long he thinks the war will continue

-What the West needs to do to support Ukraine better

-The interplay between politics and warfare, especially from the perspective of the USA in a Presidential Election year.

ID Quantique has been a Geneva success story for the past 20 years in the area of quantum and cybersecurity. We talk about current developments and where the future may take us in this exciting area.

In this episode we discuss:

-What is the big picture regarding developments in quantum?

-What are the dangers?

-What, if anything, should we fear about the direction we are travelling?

This is the second part of my radio conversation with Bru Pearce, started at Eastertime 2023. We discuss in greater detail how to repair the badly damaged biosphere. Restore it to life again. And who pays! It is a complex topic.

In this episode we discuss:

-How to repair the badly damaged biosphere

-Who will pay for it

Insights into the evolution of the Geneva Observatory and its long history; what use Astronomy serves; and Geneva's contribution to the science of Astronomy in the larger frame of research worldwide.

In this episode we discuss:

-The significant advances in Astronomy during his career.

-In a world of bewildering acronyms, what do XRIM, GAIA and EUCLID mean?

-I ask Professor Pepe if it is difficult to attract young people to study Astronomy.

General Richards discusses with me matters of war and grand strategy.

In this episode we discuss:

-The war in Ukraine

-His view that Russia has lost the war already, strategically

-Whether NATO wants Ukraine to "win" but does not want Russia to "lose"

-His lament on the dearth of statesmen and the death of "grand strategy".

Avivah and I discuss the implications of living longer and working longer; what it means for pensions, for younger colleagues in the workplace and for families.

We cover the following topic:

-Isn't Longevity just a first-world problem? You might be surprised by Avivah's answer. And how will younger people adjust to having work colleagues around them the age of their grandparents!

A radio conversation about Switzerland's relationship and role at the U.N. especially now that it is a Non-permanent Member of the Security Council.

In this episode we discuss:

-If there is the remotest chance that the Security Council can reform itself.

-We touch on the extent to which the Swiss population takes an interest in the U.N. and whether or not that is important.

-We talk about Swiss neutrality and what it really means these days.

-I ask him about his duties and obligations as head of the host country's delegation to the U.N. in Geneva.

Selma explains, among other things, the changes in shopping retail since the end of Covid lockdown a couple of years ago.

In this episode we discuss:

-What she thinks will be the next big thing around the corner for the retail shopping business

-To what extent do women dress in order to be attractive to men

-What men do when they go into her Etam shops to buy twice a year!

Jared Bibler, an American, arrived in Iceland a few years before the financial meltdown which started in 2008. He worked in the financial services sector and then, when it was all over, the investigator. He tells me his compelling personal story during that extraordinary period.

Some of the topics we cover:

-What sort of odd things he noticed in the practices of bank in which he was working

-How his peers and superiors reacted when he asked perfectly proper questions about some of the unusual practices that he noticed

-What the consequences of the malpractices were

-Could the same thing happen elsewhere, like for example Switzerland.

A radio conversation from a prominent, Conservative MP who has been very close to the centre of British politics in the Tory Party for over ten years.

In this episode we discuss:

-His opinion on whether or not the Conservative Party has run out of steam after 13 years in power

-The strength of opposition to or difficulties for the Conservative Party

-How politicians can regain the lost trust of the electorate

-Why are so many political leaders of questionable character so popular with voters.

In this episode, Professor Matt Goodwin explains what the data show about current changing political and social attitudes in the U.K.

Some of the topics we cover:

-Britain, as viewed from abroad, does not seem to be doing so well these days. Why?

-The immigration debate in Britain seems poisonous. Is the UK still a welcoming place?

-How did the National Health Service come to be elevated to something approaching a national deity?

In this episode, Kirsten Neuschaefer's account of her experiences before and during her remarkable, round-the-world voyage.

We cover some of the following topics:

-Why Kirsten was motivated to make such a huge sea voyage alone.

-How she prepared for her journey. How she navigated?

-Why men seem to dominate the Golden Globe Race?

-Whether she had time for spiritual reflection during 235 days alone at sea. And what she will do next?

Jean-Pierre Roth, a former President of the Swiss National Bank, explains the history and the current situation of this iconic, Swiss military institution in Vatican City.

We discuss many aspects of the Pontifical Swiss Guard including:

-Why they are there, since when have they been guarding the Pope

-What do they actually do and how many constitute the Swiss Guard

-Why the barracks need renovation and how much money is required?

We discuss the key, cybersecurity threats and what the future is likely to look like.

Some of the points we cover:

-What are the key, cybersecurity threats to businesses, organisations and individuals?

-What does "resilience" mean?

-What is your assessment of the role of organised crime as a threat to cybersecurity?

-Should we fear Artificial Intelligence?

In this episode, we talk about the current state of the biosphere and Bru Pearce's Envisionation Biosphere Restoration Plan.

Some of the questions we try to answer:

-What can be done to repair the damage to the biosphere?

-Does man have the capacity to be up to this dauting task?

-What future is there for our grandchildren?

In this episode we have a conversation with the Chief of the Swiss Armed Forces about a variety of topical, relevant and sensitive subjects.

We cover the following:

-What does Swiss "neutrality" mean?

-Has the conflict in Ukraine changed the way that the Swiss Armed Forces strategize about warfare?

-What is the role of women in the Swiss Armed Forces?

-What part do the Swiss Armed Forces play in the social cohesion of Switzerland.

Kinza Win is an experienced, independent advisor on Philanthropy, with many years working at a high level in the wealth management and financial services industry.

In this episode we discuss:
-The giving and receiving side of the equation
-The size of the growing Philanthropy sector, the pitfalls, the difference between aid and philanthropy
-Whether sponsorship, as in the case of sports tournaments, is a confusion.

In this episode we discuss climate change and climate science.

Some of the questions we cover:

-What does the current climate science tell us?
-Can't we "unmake" climate change, if man is responsible for making it in the first place?
-Why campaigns about climate change have taken on the mantle of religion in the minds and actions of some?
-The importance of clouds. If humankind won't adapt to climate change, just as we always have done.

In this episode we discuss Ambassador Filipenko's current assessment of the war in Ukraine, just two days before the first anniversary of Russia's illegal invasion.

Some of the topics we cover:
-What the Ambassador has been doing in and around the UN Geneva in the eleven months since we last met.
-Why so many African countries abstain on  important vote relevant to Ukraine resolutions at the UN.
-When will the war end? And how?

In this episode our guest provides an assessment of the current state of the Swiss economy and how Switzerland's peculiarities contribute to its consistent success.

Some of the topics we cover:
-Switzerland's success defies the laws of economics just as the flight of the bumble bee defies the laws of physics.
-The great contribution that migrants have made to Switzerland's success.
-Though Switzerland does well, it is not Shangri-La, so how could it do better?

In this episode we discuss the views and opinions of an Iranian woman - now a naturalised Swiss - who was at university in Iran at the time of the fall of the Shah in 1979 and has lived in  both countries for many years.

Some of the topics we cover:
-How in your opinion has Iran arrived at where it is today in its long and flourishing history?
-What is it in the governing regime's particular version of Islam that is so anti-female?
-How do mothers bring up their sons? What values do they teach them?
-What values do fathers live  by in bringing up their daughters, and their sons?  
-What are the chances of success of this current revolution?

Professor Vicky Pryce gives a brilliant overview of the global economy, including the impact of Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine on energy prices, ageing populations in many parts of the world, climate change, inflation, China and India.

Among other things, we discuss the recent mid-term elections in the USA and their implications for the Presidential Election in 2024, the hypothetical prospect of secession of some states from the Union, should Trump or a Trump-like figure win for the Republicans, the ongoing saga of the former President, himself, and the political and social stresses and strains inside the USA today.

We cover some of the following topics:

-The state of the Union
-The possibility of a Trump revival in '24
-Disunity within the Democratic Party.

In this episode we look at the importance of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) in today's global energy mix. We discuss what LNG actually is, what it is used for, how clean it is, the impact on supply caused by current tensions with Russia, and future energy needs, not only in the West but also in the Far East and elsewhere.

A discussion about men's health particularly, in this month of Movember, with a focus on prostate cancer and the advances in its diagnosis and treatment in recent years.

In this episode we talk about:

-Dr Rochat answers my questions about the genetic and hereditary aspects of prostate cancer
-The effectiveness of the PSA and other diagnostic tests
-The effects of the disease within the family, in particular on wives, life partners, daughters and granddaughters.

General Hodges gives his professional opinion on the prosecution of the war in Ukraine to date and future direction.

In this episode we discuss:

-I ask him about men (and women) and the machines of military conflict.
-General Hodges explains some of the different kinds of weapon systems.  
-We also talk about the morale of Russian soldiers as winter approaches
-The threat of tactical nuclear weapons.

In this episode I interview Ambassador Mme. Marie-Thérèse Pictet-Althann. We talk about the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and what she does in and around the UN and International Organizations in Geneva. 

In this episode we disucss:
-Its long history
-How it is led
-How it is funded
-How it can be a sovereign state without territory?

Personal reflections on the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II with four, Commonwealth friends from Canada, India, Jamaica and the U.K.

Some of the questions asked are:

-What did the Queen mean to you?  
-Why Canada has not become a republic?
-How is the British monarchy viewed by present-day Jamaicans?
-India's attitude to the British monarchy and the Commonwealth.

The man who blew the whistle on the United Nations' negligence in the face of the genocide in Darfur.

In this episode we discuss:

-Why do some men and women at the top of organizations created to do good sometimes choose to look the other way when wrong is being committed?
-Has the time of consensus-building in terms of human suffering and humanitarian affairs passed?
-Why should ordinary people care about corruption inside a certain UN Organization based in Geneva?

Professor Flueckiger and I discuss Swiss tertiary education, research, innovation and Horizon Europe, Switzerland being excluded from this important EU organisation, at least for the time being.

In this episode we discuss:

-How confident he feels about a successful outcome to getting Switzerland readmitted to Horizon Europe.

The UK's big and current issues at the UN Geneva plus insights into the current status of the UK/EU relationship.

In this episode we discuss:

-Is multilateralism now dead?
-How much of a distraction are the current upheavals at 10 Downing Street?
-Has the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia caused the first paradigm shift in international relations since the peace of 1945?

Dan Basse is an acknowledged expert economist on grains, softs and food supply; and he is also a farmer.

In this episode we discuss:

-We discuss the current status of grain crops and global supply
-Crop yields
-The effects of the war in Ukraine
-China's importance in both the demand and supply of grain
-Climate change.

A sequel to my "McKay Interview" with David Willey in 2013 about prominent issues in the Vatican. We pick up our conversation from 9 years ago and talk about many things, including:
-David Willey's Italian grandparents, the present crises in the Vatican
-The difference that the first ever Jesuit Pope has made
-The state of Pope Francis’s health
-The speculative prospect of three Popes in the Vatican at the same time, as Pope Emeritus Benedict lives, a mere 500 metres away, almost on the Pontiff’s doorstep,

An overview of the current state of the Swiss economy and Swiss business.

In this episode we discuss:

-The recurring problem of a strong, safe-haven currency, namely the Swiss Franc
-The increasing cost of living in Switzerland
-The present impasse between Switzerland and the European Union.

In this episode we discuss Covid19: where it came from, what the current status of the pandemic is, and what the future holds.

In this episode we cover the following topics:

Debora MacKenzie tells me her views on Wuhan and the way the Chinese handled the outbreak. We also talk about the so-called "Swedish" model; and many other things relating to Covid19 and pandemics in general.

In this epsiode, General Sir Richard Shirreff, talks about the war in Ukraine.

We cover the following topics:

-Who is wining the war in Ukraine

-Why writers like Clausewitz and Sun Tzu are still relevant and the risk of war between nuclear powers

In this epsiode Martin Chungong talks about the GESDA Science Diplomacy Week Open Forum and his role as Geneva Coalition co-Chair.

We cover the following topics:

-What is GESDA?  

-Why the coupling of Science and Diplomacy? 

-Who is involved? 

-And how will objectives be achieved?

How the air travel sector in general, and London City Airport in particular, are performing post-pandemic? 

In this episode we discuss:

• I ask Robert if things are really getting better in the air travel industry;
• What has been his experience of the decarbonisation of aviation, and the net zero debate;
• How he gets on with this neighbours, as London City is almost in the heart of London;
• The arithmetic and trading process of buying aviation fuel as prices as gone up so much, recently.

The future of computing, AI, regulation and many other data-related topics from an industry leader with more than 20 years of experience at Google.

In this episode we discuss:

• If the Model T Ford of 1908 was the most influential car of the 20th century, compare the automobile timeline with the data and IT timelines: where is Google now on the comparable timeline of the 21st century?
• Do you have a dystopian view of the future regarding Big Data? Or are you optimistic?

A conversation about the importance of communes in the vibrant, bottom-up democracy of Switzerland.

Some of  my questions are:

• Why do we have two "parties" or "groups" during elections in such a small community?
• How do you deal with wealthy and important persons of families who might be tempted to use their influence to get there way?
• How "international" is Founex?

Ambassador Filipenko explains how her work at the UN & International Organizations, as well as other institutions in "international" Geneva, underpin her country's fight against the illegal invasion.

Some of  my questions are:

• How do you assess the current situation on Ukraine, as we speak, on the 29th March?
• What can you say about the 17% Russian speakers in your country? What are they thinking and saying? 
• Had they, as is claimed by some, been treated badly by Ukrainians, prior to the invasion?

We discussion Austria's history, how Austria's sees it future, multilateralism, Austria and United Nations Geneva, Human Rights, Austria's special neutrality and Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine.

This internationally renowned scientist, highly regarded for his work on bacterial meningitis, discusses his experiences in medical research, the vital significance of vaccines and immunization in public health.

In this episode we discuss:

• What is the biology of a killer, bacterial infection? 
• Why do we really need vaccines? Are there alternatives? 
• What does it take to make a vaccine?  
• How to deal with the "Me versus Us" argument?

Discussion of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, scenarios of how the conflict will end, the role that Switzerland and international Geneva could play, and the meaning of Swiss neutrality in a crisis conflict of this nature.

In this episode we discuss:

• What is the history of GCSP?  
• Can it play a role in this current crisis? 
• What does Swiss neutrality mean in such present circumstances?