Have a look at this magnificent AJ interview from late 2011 with Jin Liqun, head of China’s Sovereign Wealth Fund. The whole thing is impressive for Jin Liqun’s steely logic and sense of effortless authority. But it moves into overdrive at 11.40 or so when he starts to talk about […]
Back in Belgrade in communist Yugoslavia in 1984 or thereabouts, the then Ambassador and an unusually smart Ist Sec Econ pored over a diplomatic despatch that sought to draw attention to the dismal state of the state’s finances. The basic problem was that Yugoslavia did not have Honest Money. Yes, […]
You have to hand it to George Soros. When he goes for it, he hits the target big. Look at this speech arguing that the introduction of Eurobonds is by far the best way to solve the Eurozone’s (and EU’s existential crisis). I myself have no idea what a Eurobond […]
I find myself taking a fleeting interest in the goings-on at UNESCO as the time comes round to choose a new Director-General. Never a dull moment there – it is an especially ‘politicised’ UN body. Try this punchy piece about the way the Obama Administration may be manoeuvring to get […]
The FT has an interesting but perhaps rather mischievous piece (££) by Kishore Mahbubani (distinguished dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore) that argues for President Obama learning from centuries of wise diplomatic practice by ‘picking up the phone’ to talk […]
It’s not usual that the world gets a chance to see almost live the words of a judge handing down a sentence. Yet today’s sentencing of Chris Huhne and Vicky Pryce gave us that rare chance. Here are the words of Sweeney J. And powerful words they are too. When […]
Preparations chez Crawford are intensifying for next week’s fine Churchill Public Speaking Project event at Blenheim Palace at which schools compete to deliver powerful presentations on a number of possible themes. Here’s the list of subjects. Events like this help motivate children (and, ahem, their parents) to look at the […]
I am pleased and honoured to tell you that I have been accepted as part of the Punditwire team. Punditwire is a US website featuring the views of many top American speechwriters on current events.The list of contributors is daunting. A group of fine people from many different shades of […]
So there I was down at Bristol University at the weekend for the latest Bristol International Development Conference. An event impressive for the 200 or so people (mainly students, and overwhelmingly female) who turned out on a Saturday to mull over the practice and politics of development assistance under the […]
Remember this? … let’s also agree that we are at a technological and civilisational turning-point. For now these high-precision UAV/drones and their supporting networks are still controlled by a handful of states. Good. But the technology will leak and get cheaper and better. Not so good. In due course the […]
