Vince Cable in Russia This Blog has always seen Russia in a better light than the moribund foreign policy of New Labour. Yes the Russian ideas of democracy and ours are not the same. Yes, there were atrocities under the Soviets and cruelties under the Tsars. Yes, there are historic difficulties about the bizarre murder of the Russian […]
University Fees and Education Reform. These two issues, though separate, are together. Universities have to charge for their services, whether the student, the taxpayer or a combination. Up until New Labour the taxpayer paid all of it. Then through the unpopular student loans, some of the burden fell to the students. Now a much bigger […]
Euro Collapse? It is not impossible, though it is unlikely. If the Euro-zone is to survive, however, as a coherent, rather than a troubled, currency it has to meet the criticism of every major commentator. It is impossible to have a currency without a government and all economies in the zone must operate within the […]
North Korea Once again there is a military flare up, started by the North, often referred to as a hermit state. The West is really at a loss to understand this isolated country which defies everybody, including its main ally, China. Indeed China is allied to the West in wanting to see North Korea stable without a conflict […]
Ireland and the U.K. and Debt So Britain has gone to the aid of a friend in need. Meanwhile the friend’s troubles grow. The government totters. The bail-out is to the tune of 127 billion euros. Even that may not be enough. Worries surface about whether a small economy can ever hope to repay such […]
Sarah Palin This unconventional politician, initially regarded in Europe as a bad joke, whose ignorance of the world and naivete were literally astonishing, is emerging as a powerful icon on the American political playing field and may run for President. It is therefore time to consider her as a serious contender and assess her potential. […]
NATO Summit This was a success on two fronts. The first and by far the most important was the new accord with Russia following the announcement of the new style sea based missile shield for Europe, with which a relieved Russia has agreed to cooperate. Both Cameron and Obama see eye to eye with the […]
George Osborne and Dangerous Times The news from Ireland is two edged. The good part is that it is going to be rescued. The bad part is that although Ireland made huge sacrifices to get its economy in order, it still needed rescuing. The bad part, like an iceberg, goes very deep. The first element is […]
Queen Camilla? Prince Charles is evidently not sure. He and the Duchess expressed their expectations at the time of their marriage. Has anything changed? Not really. The key point, however, is this. In order for Camilla not to become Queen, which is automatic for the wife of the King, Parliament would have to pass a special […]
NATO Conference This has made a good start. The shift to a more realistic and potentially more effective missile shield for Europe and a proper invitation to Russia to become more engaged, is at last beginning to recognise the realities of the post cold war world. This Blog has long argued for closer ties with Russia […]