Here is a must-read piece at Samizdata, which looks at a seemingly novel phenomenon, namely huge boosts to the money supply in the USA but no signs of price inflation. How can that be? Because the state in effect is bribing banks not to lend: So to put this thumbnail […]
The previous posting where I take on veteran socialist Brian Barder is, perhaps, looked at from the point of view of … love. Read this excellent interview with Eva Illouz: For me at least, the right and left often diverge on the issue of responsibility, of who is responsible for […]
Brain Barder responds to my posting about Being, Not Producing – and poses some Questions: Don’t you find something just a tiny bit disturbing about the prevailing ethos of all our main political parties according to which those who for whatever reason can’t or won’t hold down a job must be […]
When I was growing up, Israel was a favourite in some progressive quarters – an open-minded and successful society in a national-socialist Middle East, with trendily progressive kibbutzim where gap year students could go and hang out in the sunshine. Israel had been created in 1948 with the best possible level of international credibility […]
And another Business and Politics piece, suggesting that in the face of a serious problem with no ready solution, the right tone is always to be measured and constructive. And not to seek to find Someone to Blame. Hence some handy tips for President Obama’s speechwriters.
Some thoughts from me over at Business and Politics on the new health problems in Greece as the government there cuts prices for essential medical supplies – quickly condemned by a Greek reader as a patronising diatribe on free market economics. To which I have politely replied. With added panties.
Ben Rogers writes a lengthy piece over at Conservative Home urging an energetic approach by the new UK government on international human rights: The Commission has also recommended the appointment of an Ambassador-at-Large for International Human Rights, who would work with the Minister of State to co-ordinate the efforts of […]
What does it take to hit the jackpot for comments on a blog piece? This blog attracts a sprinkling of comments but not more. Its elite group of readers (you!) are subtle and intelligent busy people who do not need to spend their day on the Internet hammering on about […]
Remember much praised FCO blogger Philip Barclay, who achieved some distinction in writing about Zimbabwe when he was posted there despite the inevitable constraints of working in the UK mission? He’s written a book about Zimbabwe, which maybe gets closer to the heart of what was happening there (and how […]
Is hosted by Redemption Blues, who somehow manages to find enough inspiration from my piece on Being, Not Producing to take readers to what I suspect is an unfamiliar place. Namely: Piotr Sztompka’s brilliant essay Civilisational Incompetence: The Trap of Post-Communist Societies (Zeitschrift für Soziologie, Volume 22, Number 2, April 1993, […]
