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Category Archives: English
Review: Das Rheingold, by Wagner, at the Wermland Opera
Das Rheingold [The Rhine Gold], opera in four scenes and introduction of Richard Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen [The Ring of the Nibelung]. Performed at the Wermland Opera in Karlstad, 27 June 2011. The news that one of Sweden’s smaller … Continue reading
Reaganite Eddie: how Ed Balls is adopting Reagan’s tax policy
Today Ed Balls followed the footsteps of Ronald Reagan in demanding a tax cut to stimulate the economy. Yes, you read that correctly. Part of “Reaganomics” was the contention that cutting tax rates would stimulate the economy so that tax … Continue reading
Why is Julian Glover so miserable about imported trains?
http://twitter.com/julian_glover/status/81296564810825728 A familiar gripe from an unexpected source. The Guardian’s Julian Glover, usually a sensible liberal voice in the wilderness, thinks it’s bad that the new Thameslink trains are to be Made in Germany rather than Made in Derby.* There … Continue reading
Posted in Economics, English
Tagged david friedman, free trade, julian glover, protectionism, thameslink, the guardian, trade
9 Comments
On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a hoax
So. Farewell then Amina Arraf. In some ways it’s a relief that you weren’t really a gay girl in Damascus, since it means you weren’t abducted by Assad’s thugs and subjected to the sort of unspeakable treatment that they specialise … Continue reading
Posted in English, Politics
Tagged amina, anonymity, arab spring, internet hoaxes, syria, tom macmaster
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Review: The credit crunch as an inside job
Inside Job, film by Charles Ferguson (director), narrated by Matt Damon. Available for pre-order as DVD. Enough oceans of ink have been spilled in attempts to explain the credit crunch (or condemn whoever the author thinks is responsible) to make … Continue reading
Posted in Economics, English, Reviews
Tagged charles ferguson, credit crunch, inside job, investment banks, johan norberg, matt damon, vince cable
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Justice at last for Ian Tomlinson
Today is a good day for British justice. The Crown Prosecution Service has finally changed its deeply flawed decision not to prosecute PC Simon Harwood for any offence in connection with the death of Ian Tomlinson. PC Harwood will now … Continue reading
Posted in English, Law and justice
Tagged cps, david allen green, ian tomlinson, keir starmer, metropolitan police, police violence
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Investing in poker and gambling on the stock market
There’s nothing like a research paper by Steven Levitt (of Freakonomics fame) to make you stop and think. This time he’s weighed in to the debate on whether poker is a game of chance or a game of skill. As … Continue reading
Posted in Economics, English
Tagged fund management, investing, mutual funds, poker, stock market
1 Comment
Thank you for the music, Don Foster
Now for some good news: Don Foster has managed to get the Coalition’s drive against red tape to include the scrapping of Live Event Licences for most venues. The current regime is an unnecessary burden on small venues where live … Continue reading
Bernard-Henri Lévy’s sexism with a human face
Let me introduce you to Bernard-Henri Lévy. You might like him. Rather than joining the fashionable Marxist currents in the Left during and after 1968, he led a group of left-wing philosophers fiercely critical of the authoritarianism inherent in Marxism. … Continue reading
Posted in English, Politics
Tagged bernard-henri lévy, dominique strauss-kahn, rape, roman polanski, victim blaming
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Why Nadine Dorries is so wrong about sexual abuse and “saying No”
Nadine Dorries is a loose cannon when it comes to sexual politics. But while it’s easy to be offended by her outbursts, it isn’t as obvious as it should be how much harm they can do. This terrific open letter … Continue reading
Niklas Smith 