John Mauldin of Thoughts from the Frontline writes a powerful weekly email on economic and investment themes to which one million people have subscribed. As have I. Because it is free. His latest one is superb, disentangling different expert pessimistic and not-so-pessimistic analyses about the problems of the Eurozone, Greece […]
It is not easy (for me at least) to work out exactly what is said to have happened with the passports used by the group alleged to have murdered Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai last month. Were they ‘cloned’ or fraudulent? Let’s put possible options on the table. 1 […]
I have had an enquiry from someone who follows closely UK immigration issues asking about the policy issues surrounding the opening of the UK labour market to Poles in 2004 when Poland joined the EU: Did the UK government encourage mass Polish immigration into the UK? No. Well, not really. […]
Ed Miliband, ‘climate secretary’, declares war on climate change sceptics: "I think it would be wrong that when a mistake is made it’s somehow used to undermine the overwhelming picture that’s there," he said. "We know there’s a physical effect of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leading to higher temperatures, […]
A friendly reader asks: Thank you for producing such a thought-provoking and readable blog. I thought you may be interested in this link to a press release from the Swedish MFA. They plan to close 6 Posts and open 10. https://www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/12653/a/138250 Several of these post closures are in the EU. […]
Adam Jasser (Polish, Reuters journalist-turned-pundit, good egg) argues that the grim problems besetting Greece and its public finances could lead to the Eurozone getting even stronger: The argument goes that a default would require Greece to leave the euro zone and increase pressure on other peripherals such as Spain or Portugal. […]
Here from euobserver is a detailed account of the goings-on behind the EU scenes, as everyone tries to work out how the new EU External Action Service will be structured. And who will get which jobs, since that will have a huge influence on the way it all works (or […]
European Voice looks at the humiliation of the Eurozone if Greece has to go to the IMF for help with its uneconomic economy, and the different schemes being cooked up by other EU members to try to manage the problem: There is mounting concern in Frankfurt, Brussels and in other eurozone […]
A most satisfactory and philosophically interesting week in the United States. The startling Scott Brown victory in the Massachusetts election for the ex-Kennedy seat in the US Senate has prompted an avalanche of analysis. Obviously it was an unqualified calamity for the Democrats. But what conclusions do Democrats and Republicans alike […]
Here is what is said to be (and looks like) extracts from an FCO memo warning of hard times ahead as Cuts come along: We know that next year will be a lot tougher than this year. This is partly because we just have less money (like all Departments we […]
