Recent media reports have it that my old FCO ‘line manager’ Nicola Brewer has stepped down as CEO of the Equality and Human Rights Commission to replace Paul Boateng as High Commissioner (Ambassador-equivalent in a Commonwealth country) to South Africa. The credibility of this Independent report is wrecked by claims that […]
Lo! Here comes the Incredible Governmentuan: Bailoutman started out as a huge staggering behemoth and has inflated from there. Once upon a time he was as a meek, mild-mannered trillionaire, but a mere five months later he was a meek, mild-mannered multi-trillionaire. If you find it hard to keep track of […]
Iain Dale carries a well-turned interview with David Cameron. Both interviewer and subject emerge well from a civilised and intelligent exchange. This caught my eye: How will you defend the right to offend?This goes back to the ‘do you listen’ question, because on the one hand you don’t want someone […]
A reader picks up the Gresham’s Law posting below and links to this speech in 1974 by Nobel Prize-winner Friedrich Hayek: The Pretence of Knowledge. Magnificent analysis, all about how we deal with the fact that it is hard to make wise (and prescriptive) policy on the basis of what we can’t […]
The great debate rages across the UK. Is it good or bad for female students to take part in beauty contests? The Guardian with a naughty little title (Betraying the student body – phwoar!) agonises: In 2006 Loughborough University student union hosted the FHM "High Street Honeys Tour", where female students […]
I have a mention this week at Philbiblon. These quixotic round-ups invariably take one to places one otherwise just would not go. Such as High on Rebellion, analysing the Guardian’s coverage of feminism: unsatisfactory, as evidenced by its coverage of the Tube Cleaners Strike. And Elizabeth Chadwick, giving us all […]
So little time, so many genders, so much immorality. Dr. Sa’d Al-’Inzi: A man is not allowed to expose the area between his navel and his knees. Nobody is allowed to see his private parts. Someone who goes to these parlors and exposes this part of his body is, undoubtedly, […]
Finally, the USA votes. As observed from the depths of Oxfordshire, England this campaign shows the strengths and weaknesses of US-style democracy in vast proportions. The strengths? A succession of epic battles – anyone remember Hillary? The leading candidates making it to this point have shown astonishing leadership, stamina and […]
The Weathermen issue (and Barack Obama’s links to Bill Ayers) have made it to the front page of the BBC website: Sarah Palin has accused presidential candidate Barack Obama of "palling around" with terrorists – referring to his acquaintance with a former member of the Weather Underground. So who were […]
This seems to make sense: The fact that government bears such a huge responsibility for the current mess means any response should eliminate the conditions that created this situation in the first place, not attempt to fix bad government with more government. And here’s a plan. When in doubt, do […]
