The Holocaust did not take place only in the well known concentration camps of central Europe. Here is a good website about the Semlin Judenlager, just across the river from downtown Belgrade, where several thousand Jews were murdered with the support of a mobile gas van: On 29th May 1942, German Foreign […]
That Day by Day cartoon reminds me of a private meeting I had in 1986 with top KGB defector Oleg Gordievsky about a year after he was exfiltrated from Moscow by MI6. We talked about what Gorbachev was trying to do at that time to reform Communism, not least his campaign to […]
Fascinated by the fascinating subject of diplomatic memoirs? Check out a magnificent article in the latest edition of Diplomat magazine: At their worst, diplomatic memoirs offer cliché piled on cliché, the wordily pompous intertwined with the coy, the self-important and the banal. Hardened professionals tiptoe quickly for the exit when they stumble […]
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao urges rich Western countries to abandon their ‘unsustainable’ way of life, so as to respond to Climate Change. Hmm. China has long resisted calls to join rich nations in setting targets for emissions cuts, saying its relatively low per capita emissions and recent emergence as a […]
Proposition 8 passed in California, defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Who backed it? People like these: There are so many other groups in the exit polling that voted for Prop 8 overwhelmingly (as in, more than 60%): * The elderly (65+) * […]
I belatedly add a word on the tragic utterances by Hazel Blears MP on the quality of public life and blogging: But mostly, political blogs are written by people with a disdain for the political system and politicians, who see their function as unearthing scandals, conspiracies and perceived hypocrisy. I […]
The BBC wonders whether a picture of North Korea’s Dear Leader Kim has been faked. Surely the much more pertinent question is, why is he wearing that ridiculous anorak when visiting troops? Are he and Dick Cheney by some chance related? I was at the Auschwitz commemoration in 2005 and […]
A reader offers this quote: "How is the world ruled and how do wars start? Diplomats tell lies to journalists and then believe what they read" (Karl Kraus, Austrian journalist and satirist) Herr Kraus said lots of arch things before he moved on to the next world in 1936. But […]
In the impressive, civilised atmosphere of good natured transition from Republican President to Democrat President in Washington, some people are even finding a good word to say about President Bush. This is a generous and touching media tribute. Note especially the care with which President Bush is preparing for a […]
