Part of the problem we have with talking about anything is achieving an agreed sense of perspective on what we are talking about. Recall my piece about cycling and risk: It all boils down to our old friend ‘striking a balance’. As a society we have proclaimed that ‘using a handheld […]
Back in the mists of time I wrote this: In a city there’s a nice large green public park, where families and individuals stroll around happily. One day a group of leather-jacketed aggressive foul-mouthed types and some snarly dogs turn up and postion themselves prominently in one corner. This happens […]
My latest piece for DIPLOMAT wonders what happens when international borders start to melt: … some people think that borders are less and less important. This in turn seems to signify politically (or even morally) that within the European Union so-called nation states are less and less important. As perhaps […]
Greetings. Long time no blog. I have been racing around the planet and just don’t feel like opining from a weary hotel bedroom. My peregrinations have included the IAEA in Vienna to deliver with other colleagues a senior leadership course; Astana in Kazakhstan, for a speechwriting course for top Kazakh officials, […]
Here’s my latest piece at PunditWire, looking at President Obama’s UN speech (both substance and technique) and what it says about negotiating: Even the President of the United States drifts into the tritest clichés on such occasions: We come together at a crossroads between war and peace; between disorder and […]
Mulling over my latest piece for PunditWire I started to look at one of President Obama’s rhetorical tics: his use of the word ‘clear’. Take, for example, his 10 September statement on US policy towards ISIL/ISIS. Three hits! Now let’s make two things clear: ISIL is not “Islamic.” Our objective is […]
It’s always good when a Pope picks up one’s ideas and gives them mass appeal. Here is Pope Francis warning that a ‘piecemeal World War Three‘ may have already begun: “Even today, after the second failure of another world war, perhaps one can speak of a third war, one fought piecemeal, […]
One reader approves of my Warsi letter piece for the Telegraph: Thank you for your excellent piece on Baroness Warsi’s resignation letter. It is profoundly depressing to find such poor literacy and reasoning skills in anyone, let alone a senior government minister. What the country needs is government that is […]
My piece at Telegraph Comment on Baroness Warsi’s resignation letter prompts two broad flows of e-comment: you are mad/petty/vindictive/sexist/racist/generally revolting for criticising her grammar when people in Gaza are dying well said – she showed (again) what poor judgement she has The point that I might have emphasised more clearly is […]
Here is my piece at Telegraph Blogs looking at the resignation letter of Baroness Warsi who left the government today because of UK policy on Gaza: … our approach and language during the current crisis in Gaza is morally indefensible, is not in Britain’s national interest and will have a […]
