Grethe and I have, at last, got around to writing an account of our cycling holiday in Ethiopia in 2002. You can read about it here. Ethiopia is a wonderful destination for a holiday. It has a fascinating history, spectacular and varied countryside, open and engaging people, and a very Read more…
Take a look at a new blog by Gary Becker and Richard Posner.
Gordon Brown made a moving and powerful speech to the charity CAFOD last Sunday. It is well worth reading in full: you can see it here. Gordon Brown’s leadership in the fight against international poverty is inspiring and important. It deserves backing.
I’ve upgraded my blog software. I use WordPress. If you are using Firefox, and if you want to use the “live bookmark” feature, click on the orange icon in the bottom left hand corner.
Alarming press speculation that the UK will agree to US request to send troops north from Basra to help out the US. Aside from putting UK troops in danger, and drawing them deeper into a war, this would be an enormous boost to Bush's re-election campaign. It may come as Read more…
Went to see The Corporation the other night. This documentary film looks at the history of corporations, and criticises the behaviour of many companies. Highly recommended. Check the film's website: www.thecorporation.com.
At the Labour Party conference in October 2001, shortly after the atrocities of 9/11, Tony Blair made this promise: And I tell you if Rwanda happened again today as it did in 1993, when a million people were slaughtered in cold blood, we would have a moral duty to act Read more…
It seems that Alan Milburn, now rejoicing in the feudal title of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (very New Labour), will have responsibility in No.10 for the policy directorate and the strategy unit. These staff obtain such influence as they have in Whitehall from having direct access to the Read more…
George Bush and Tony Blair must be very proud that they have created the precedent, through their action in Iraq, which has allowed the Russians to announce today that Russia will take pre-emptive strikes anywhere in the world. According to BBC news website "We will carry out all measures to Read more…
Richard Clarke, former counter-terrorism coordinator in the White House and author of Against all Enemies, spoke at Berkeley last night to a packed auditorium. He came across as civilized, well-informed, thoughtful; and genuinely contrite that he and his colleagues had failed to convince the Bush administration of the importance of Read more…