Russia has responded ingeniously to the argument that its forces should leave Georgia – by redefining Georgia! Having announced that Russia recognises the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states, Moscow now can say that its troops on the ground in these territories are no longer in Georgia. Howzat? As and when needed […]
Michael Binyon deploys chess metaphors to describe Russia’ s military push into Georgia: Vladimir Putin lost several pawns on the chessboard – Kosovo, Iraq, Nato membership for the Baltic states, US renunciation of the ABM treaty, US missiles in Poland and the Czech Republic. But he waited. The trap was set in […]
As a chess fan I decided to use my time in Moscow to get to know some of the world’s top players. This was at the time when the world of chess was in turmoil because of Garry Kasparov’s ambitions to make the game more accessible – and more lucrative. […]
Nigel Short has a lively use of words, as well as a lively chess style. See the detailed rulings on his use of the word ‘dunderheads’ to describe two senior chess officials. Defamatory or ‘mere vulgar abuse’? Who said that chess is boring?
Should one support one’s own country at international sporting fixtures? If so, why? Take the case of Bosnia and Herzegovina, where Bosnian Muslims (Bosniacs) and Bosnian Croats have been busy rioting again following the defeat of Croatia by Turkey in the Euro 2008 football match. The Bosniacs supported Turkey, the […]
Busy times in the ever-complicated relationship between Poland and Germany. Robert Kubica becomes the first Pole to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix race – driving a BMW in Montreal. Then Germany beat Poland 2-0 in Euro 2008, with Polish-born Lukasz Podolski scoring twice – for Germany! Before the match […]
This is a perceptive argument that B Obama has brought together the techniques of 1960s’ New Left/Marxist ‘community mobilisation’ with networked Internet cleverness. But allowing the masses to ‘own the campaign’ has been accomplished in part by letting all sorts of extremists (anti-semitic, communist, Jihadist and others) rant away prolifically – on Obama’s own community website! […]
Our Ambassador in Zimbabwe Andrew Pocock has had a confrontation with the Mugabe regime when he and some senior diplomatic colleagues went to have a look at what is now happening in Zimbabwe beyond the capital. Thus the dilemma of diplomats in a country run by gangsters and heading for disaster. The […]
Arncha sick of all those articles about ‘fat cats’ in the City and elsewhere, proclaimed to be ripping us off right and left? The Daily Mail has them. The Independent urges revolt against them. A soon-to-be disgraced former Minister says that they should be ‘made’ to hand over their money. […]
