Bustling Times and a Man of Action–Nurturing Free Lances

I rather like the thrust of this piece – originally written as an op-ed for The Scotsman newspaper by Pat Kane: Knights of the Working World Need our Support.

Kane raises some very pertinent questions about how policy-makers should nurture the freelance economy.  At the very least, they need to avoid misguided policies which, in their haste to protect the perceived downtrodden, trample the entrepreneurial green shoots of energetic, lithe and agile freelancers.

The original piece was published in the Scotsman in September and draws on the PCG-sponsored research from 2008.  It is interesting to read it in light of the refreshed research published for last week’s National Freelancers Day (which I blogged about here).  That research only serves to reinforce Kane’s point about the economic value and contribution of freelancing. 

It’s also interesting that one of the more prominent political supporters of National Freelancers Day was Scotland’s First Minister, Alex Salmond.  Perhaps, he was inspired by this article.

An interesting article.  Except that “he not busy being born is busy dying” comes from Bob Dylan’s It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding) and not from Masters of War.  Aha, a chance to get some music back onto the blog.  It’s Alright Ma is one of my favourite tracks on the 1978 live album Bob Dylan At Budokan.