2022

Political parties rely heavily on financial assistance to sustain their activities. This has led to a situation where financiers of a party can unduly influence the outcome of elections and the policies of political parties. The question we ponder over is whether the state should sponsor political parties or whether the state should not sponsor political parties. There are arguments for and against this practice. Those who argue in favour of state sponsorship of political parties say that this is necessary to ensure that all parties have access to the resources they need to participate in the political process.  They also argue that state sponsorship helps to ensure that parties are accountable to the electorate and are not unduly influenced by private interests. Those who argue against state sponsorship of political parties say that this practice leads to undue influence by the state over the political process.  They also argue that state sponsorship of political parties is unnecessary and that private donations should be used to finance party activities. (Adra, 2022) The question of whether the state should sponsor political parties is a complex one. There are valid arguments for and against this practice. Ultimately, the decision must be made case-by-case, considering each country’s specific circumstances. What are the benefits of state sponsorship of political parties? State sponsorship of political parties has several potential benefits: Thus, state sponsorship of political parties can play an essential role in ensuring that parties can function effectively and democratically.  While some risks are associated with state sponsorship, such as the possibility that parties may become excessively dependent on state support, these risks can be minimized through careful regulation and oversight. (Onyinkwa, 2017) Overall, state sponsorship of political parties can positively influence democracy and good governance. How can state sponsorship curb the monetary syndrome in our politics There are several ways in which state sponsorship can help to curb the monetary syndrome in our politics. One way is by providing financial support to political parties and candidates who espouse sound economic policies.  Countries need to fairly back candidates who espouse sound policies now more than ever. This will help to ensure that these parties and candidates can compete effectively against those who advocate for unsound economic policies. Another way state sponsorship can help curb the monetary syndrome in our politics is by providing educational resources to the public on sound economic policies.  This will help to ensure that voters are informed about the implications of different economic policies and can make more informed choices when voting for political candidates. Still another way state sponsorship can help curb the monetary syndrome in our politics is by working with the private sector to promote and explain sound economic policies.  This can involve, for example, providing tax incentives or other forms of financial support to businesses that adopt sound economic policies. So state sponsorship can play a vital role in curbing the monetary syndrome in our politics. By promoting sound economic policies, state sponsors can help ensure our politics is more stable and prosperous. The pros and cons of state sponsorship of political parties There is no one answer to whether or not states should sponsor political parties. The pros and cons of state sponsorship of political parties depend on the specific context in which the question is asked.  Some arguments in favour of state sponsorship of political parties are that it can help to ensure more stable governments, promote democracy, and provide a check on the power of special interests.  Some arguments against state sponsorship of political parties are that it can lead to corruption and cronyism, entrench incumbents, and undermine competition. Ultimately, whether or not states should sponsor political parties is a decision that must be made on a case-by-case basis. Arguments in favour of state sponsorship of political parties typically centre around the idea that it can help to ensure more stable governments. In countries with weak or fragmented political parties, state sponsorship can help to provide the resources and organization necessary for these parties to be viable contenders in elections.  This, in turn, can lead to more democratic and representative governments. Moreover, state sponsorship of political parties can help to check the power of special interests. In many countries, it is common for special interest groups (such as businesses or religious organizations) to sponsor particular political parties. This can give these groups undue influence over government policy. State sponsorship of political parties can help to level the playing field and ensure that all voices are heard. Another argument against state sponsorship of political parties is that when the state sponsors a particular political party, it can create a situation in which that party might get excessively dependent on government resources.  This, in turn, can lead to corruption and favouritism as politicians seek to repay the debt they owe to their sponsors. Moreover, state sponsorship of political parties can entrench incumbents and make it difficult for new parties to emerge.  In many countries, state-sponsored parties are extensions of the existing government bureaucracy. This makes it difficult for opposition parties to compete and ultimately undermines democracy. The decision of whether or not states should sponsor political parties is a complex one. There are arguments to be made both in favour and against state sponsorship. Again, ultimately, the decision must be made case-by-case, considering the specific context in which the question is being asked. Conclusion I know I’ve made some impractical points that besides in theory wouldn’t be as smooth to implement. But I’ve made some good points that can be incorporated now. For instance, the state educating the general public on what a sound economic atmosphere looks like is a great idea. Singapore is a relatively small country but has done well in ensuring its electorate is relatively much more in on the what’s and the whys of their elected officials’ decision-making. Still, there is no one answer to whether or not states should sponsor political parties. The pros and cons of state sponsorship of

In my opinion, the benefits of blockchain are being paraded as akin to that of cryptocurrencies and while to a large extent that is accurate, from the few conversations I have had over the past weeks, there needs to be an urgent understanding of each of them, and both. For instance, while all cryptocurrencies utilise blockchain technology but not all blockchain technology is cryptocurrency.  In elementary terms, cryptocurrency is a digital currency. Its transactions are all verified and secured using a decentralised system that operates by cryptography.  Cryptocurrencies are not backed by centralised systems and are not controlled by regulating authorities. These currencies are largely autonomous and public, which to some is the best feature, while to some, is the opposite because of the associated risks. As a result of the encryption (cryptographic) technologies they use, these (crypto) currencies act as both virtual accounting systems and also as currencies.  On the off chance you are still a tad confused as to what precisely it may be or how it may be used in real-life settings around you, think of cryptocurrencies as mobile money but on steroids. Think of it as mobile money, but more secure, arguably un-hackable, as anchored and cemented as a US Bullion Depository in Fort Knox – Good luck robbing that!  What precisely is blockchain technology? Fun fact: blockchain technology is actually older than cryptocurrencies. It is the core or backbone technology that cryptocurrencies run on. It is a decentralised (public) digital book of accounts or ledger.  As IBM explains it, “Blockchain is a shared, immutable ledger that facilitates the process of recording transactions and tracking assets in a business network. An asset can be tangible (a house, car, cash, land) or intangible (intellectual property, patents, copyrights, branding). Virtually anything of value can be tracked and traded on a blockchain network, reducing risk and cutting costs for all involved“ Blockchain technology has the ability to share data without being copied and has been named among the most secure and innovative technological inventions in the 21 century. Experts in blockchain technology would tell you that there are three pillars it stands on, namely, decentralisation, transparency, and immutability. Payments made using blockchain technology leave virtually no room for the kind of chicaneries employed by centralised financial institutions.  What are cryptocurrencies? So as you may know already, Bitcoin was one of the very first public and fully operational cryptocurrencies. There are many kinds of cryptocurrencies. The differences depend on how they are coded or designed and the purpose they are supposed to serve. Typically, we can list four of them as some of the primary or primarily used ones by the market. This site helps illustrate this a tad more and proffers more clarification.  “Coins: Coins can be differentiated from altcoins because they are based on their blockchain. On such a blockchain, they act as the native token as well as gas or fuel payment token, although a blockchain can have the gas paid in a different cryptocurrency. A good example is Bitcoin on the Bitcoin and Ether or ETH on the Ethereum blockchain. In terms of constructing or developing a cryptocurrency, it starts or comes along with developing a blockchain. Altcoins: Although these can be regarded as coins, they are all understood to be alternatives to Bitcoin as the first cryptocurrency. Also known as shitcoins, apart from Ethereum, most of the first ones were forked from Bitcoin. These include Namecoin, Peercoin, Litecoin, Dogecoin, and Auroracoin. That said, some altcoins like Ethereum, Ripple, Omni, and NEO have their blockchains. Others do not. Tokens: Tokens are the digital representations of a particular asset or utility in a blockchain. All tokens can be termed altcoins, but they are differentiated by residing on top of another blockchain and not being native to the blockchain on which they reside. They are coded to facilitate smart contracts on blockchain networks like Ethereum, and we can transfer some from one chain to another. The tokens are embedded in self-executing computer programs or codes and can operate without a third-party platform. They are also fungible and tradable. They can be used to represent loyalty points and commodities or even other cryptos. When designing or coding a token, the developer will require following a given template. The developer does not need to edit or code the blockchain from scratch. All they have to do is follow a given standard template. It is faster to come up with a token.“  In order to obtain an even better overview, let us compare these different kinds of cryptocurrencies for perspective.  Type Main feature  Examples Utility tokens Meant to provide access to platform service where they reside. Funfair, Basic Attention Token, Brickblock, Timicoin, Sirin Labs Token, and Golem. Security tokens Usage and issuance are governed by financial regulation. Sia Funds, Bcap (Blockchain Capital), and Science Blockchain. Payment tokens Used for paying for goods and services inside and outside their own platforms. Almost every crypto falls in this category. Monero, Ethereum, and Bitcoin. Exchange tokens Exchange tokens are native to crypto exchange platforms. Binance Coin or BNB token, Gemini USD, FTX Coin for FTX Exchange, OKB for Okex exchange, KuCoin Token, Uni token, HT for Huobi exchange, Shushi, and CRO for Crypto.com. Non-fungible tokens Non-fungible tokens are cryptocurrencies with limited issuance that have unique identities and tokens that make them hard to copy or replicate. Good examples include Logan Paul’s video clips, Twitter Founder Jack Dorsey’s first tweets NFT, EVERYDAYS: The First 5000 Days drawings by Mike Winklemann, better known as “Beeple”, and several crypto kitties. (Types Of Cryptocurrency And Tokens With Examples, 2022) Uses of blockchain and crypto Owning crypto is akin to buying and storing or trading stocks on Wall Street because one takes a bet on its stability and fiscal security. People who are engaged in buying and holding crypto per se, are doing largely the same thing but with this digital currency. And there lies the risk; many have made millions, and many have lost millions – can you afford to risk it? On the other side of the proverbial coin, in the case of blockchain

Traffic Light Malfunctions Does anyone ever pause and ponder traffic lights and traffic signals? And would it be weird to know that I do? In a city as quickly growing as Accra, one would think it would be something we did more often. Imagine the exceedingly high levels of carnage and chaos that would ensue if we woke one day and traffic lights and signals had disappeared from our cities. Between the commercial and private vehicles, the motorcycles and bicycles, pedestrians and even baby walkers, the traffic and confusion would be scores worse than the China National Highway 110 traffic jam (Wikipedia contributors, 2022) that began on August the 13th, 2010 and slowed thousands of vehicles for more than 100 kilometres and lasted an astounding 10 days! Traffic lights first appeared (for public use) 154 years ago in 1868 in Parliament Square in London to reduce the number of policemen needed to control traffic. The genius invention that has saved more lives and livelihoods than we can ever hope to quantify has several variated applications. According to some experts, traffic lights have a general purpose, a specific purpose, and a more diversified focus that includes the use of big-picture road safety signs.  The general, specific, and diversified purpose  Concerning the elaborated and expanded purpose of traffic lights and traffic signals, experts, ELTEC Corp, documented it as such: The General purpose From managing travel times to preserving safe roadways, the majority of traffic signals are designed to keep cars, pedestrians, cyclists, and anyone else using the road safely. These signals might be anything from warning signs to streetlights, from complex to simple, all for the sake of keeping people in their lane. The idea here is to limit the speed and volume of traffic to safe levels by speeding up or slowing down traffic along the whole span of the road in question.  When it comes to intersections, crosswalks, school zones, and other places where there’s a good deal of both vehicular and foot traffic, traffic signals help communicate potential risk areas for both drivers and pedestrians. The signs that let you know a stoplight is around a curve, for example, prevent crashes or vehicle-pedestrian collisions by alerting drivers of a sudden or unexpected stop or slow down on the road. Generally, this is about managing anywhere that roadways and traffic might bump up against non-traffic areas – city centres, neighbourhoods, or anything that isn’t a long barren highway. Finally, traffic signals also play a role in limiting the amount and intensity of accidents that do happen. People aren’t infallible, so accidents happen even in some of the safest environments. In situations like this, limiting speeds or designing a series of signals to slow or stop traffic can at the very least reduce the impact of accidents that do happen. Practically speaking, this usually looks like speed limits or restructuring of lanes and major signals in highly trafficked areas that are more prone to accidents.“ The specific purpose “Of course, over the years, traffic signals have evolved significantly to accommodate a wide variety of more particular uses. As neighbourhoods and roadways expand to cover more areas and weave through more of where we live, more specific and detailed traffic signals become necessary…In many cases, there’s a fairly homogeneous traffic light system in place, but in some cases, more specialized equipment makes sense. Specialized doesn’t necessarily mean complex, of course. Something as simple as a sign for deer crossing is a perfect example. It’s just a sign, but it’s specialized for areas susceptible to deer. It might also be more complicated of course, such as an RRFB that allows for an improved level of pedestrian and roadway safety in places where standard signage or signal intensity isn’t sufficient.“  “Looking forward, as people rethink the design of cars and cities to incorporate automation and AI, like self-driving cars or more technologically advanced public transportation, traffic signals will have to evolve even further. To account for increased speeds, more or less human interaction, and the shifts in urban design, we may see completely new traffic signals or unexpected evolutions of traffic signals that already exist.” Diversified purpose  “Of course, traffic signals work in tandem with civic design to increase safety. In much the same way that traffic signals change to meet the needs and requirements of different roads and urban design, the way people think about urban design will change as well. In some cities, a push towards more bike lanes necessitates signage and signals that account for increased bicycle traffic. In other cities, a set space in the middle of town may be designated for only pedestrian traffic, or places that are accessible only for public transport“ (The Purpose of Traffic Signals | ELTEC, 2019) Reasons for malfunctioning traffic lights, signals, and signs Now, there is a myriad of reasons traffic lights, signals, and signs would malfunction or simply be damaged. One of the most obvious and predominantly the usual suspect is bad weather conditions. A good amount of strong rain and very heavy winds go a long way in rendering traffic lights, signals and signs out of service and use. In Ghana, we can expect a series of malfunctions as we dive into the rainy season – A note to all and sundry to remain extra vigilant. Of course, another reason they may malfunction includes situations in which the electric poles or power grids supplying them (the traffic lights and signals) power also malfunctions. Associated reasons such as blackouts and brownouts. There are also recorded incidents in which people have vandalised them (the traffic lights, signals and signs); some people have even gone so far as to drive their vehicles into them. Additional reasons include tampering, power surges which cause them to short-circuit; old equipment deterioration; maintenance issues; the dumping of trash in traffic light crevices, and other unknown reasons.  Who is responsible for repair and maintenance  So really, who can we confidently point to or refer to whenever one of our traffic lights, signals or signs needs of