Opinions may differ as to what are indisputable truths but failure to agree on views does not disqualify them from consideration.  Further, a thing is not only right when it can be proved to be right, however much proof positive ends an argument.  Whatever the mind-set of a pedant or a true believer it is not proof against any surprises that St Peter at the Pearly Gates may have up his sleeve.  What is certain is that very little is certain, unless, that is, the parameters are circumscribed so tightly that a proposition becomes little more than a tautology or a definition.  Some would go as far as to say that there are only three things in life that are certain: Death, Breath and Defecation.  You read it here first!

From ideas come actions; from a gathering wellspring of shared thought, progress over time may result.   Sensible re-evaluations, if nothing else, help ensure that prejudices are genuinely and properly grounded.

It is not within the ambit of this non-party-political forum to jump into the soup of controversies in domains of international, domestic, romantic, or any other affairs.  This may happen but it is not the object.  Rather, a balanced approach to all sides, the willingness to keep an open mind, is  what is here advocated.  Ideas of people who look calmly with objective, intelligent eye, usually without a vested interest, should be considered.  Is there anything at all of value in them that might be taken on board with profit?  It is one by-product of the working out in practice of reflection.  So-called invincible armies have been ambushed into defeat; systems once held sacred are brought crashing down to the discomfiture of those who pinned faith in them.  Does this undeniable truth have no application to our own concepts?  Humility swallows up hubris.

A exhaustive category for ‘Speculation’ in Current Affairs would be as long as an infinitely elastic piece of string.   Contributions here are asked that stand the test of reason, reasoning and practicality, originality being a bonus, even if on the face of it any solutions suggested may seem to be crying for the moon.  A perennial question is: ‘What is the way forward?’  On what destination, perhaps far distant, should we set our sights?  If we snort with impatience at any strand of thinking that is not in line with a strongly held view, perhaps we can consider if there is leeway to think if that view is set in reinforced concrete?

• Robin Davies writing on Climate Change
  A reasoned approach is adopted by Robin Davies writing on Climate Change in the paper to which this is a link. There are many solutions that are advocated for how to tackle Climate Change and it may be more helpful to concentrate on these solutions rather