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Category Archives: Politics
Will they stay or will they go?
I spent a week in Scotland recently. While there, I learnt a lot of things. Some of them are mildly interesting: If I lived there, I’d be a lot fitter. There are a lot more hills to cycle up than … Continue reading
Posted in History, Observations, Places, Politics
Tagged Independence, Referendum, Scottish
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The Morality of Tax
Tax avoidance has been a high-profile issue in the UK over the past six months or so. And more recently, it’s getting picked up in the US as Apple’s affairs get a bit of a grilling. But what I’ve been fascinated … Continue reading
Posted in Economy, Observations, Politics
Tagged Google, Jimmy Carr, Starbucks, Tax avoidance
1 Comment
Here a Shambles, There a Shambles
Sometimes, a politician manages to do something, or say something, or even stand for something so iconic that it reverberates for years. It haunts the lives and careers of those who come after them, damning them to forever live in … Continue reading
Posted in Observations, Politics
Tagged David Cameron, Margaret Thatcher, omnishambles, pasty tax, U-turn, Value-added tax
1 Comment
The Savile Row, with Dunning, Kruger, Halo and Milgram
Amid all the furore about Jimmy Savile (one of two people to be internationally shamed in the past month), there’s one slant to the story that I’m still struggling to get to terms with. It’s not the extent of the abuse, or … Continue reading
Posted in Observations, Politics, Psychology
Tagged Dunning-Kruger, halo effect, Jimmy Savile, Milgram, Psychology, sex drugs and rock n roll
4 Comments
How to Know When You’re Not Wanted
I’ve alluded before to the UK’s love-hate relationship with the issue of immigration, but it’s been on my mind a lot over the past few weeks. You see, the current Conservative government has promised to reduce immigration drastically from the … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
Tagged appointment, Immigration, premium service, UK Border Agency, visa, Visa (document)
2 Comments
Futuristic Speech
Newspapers are generally useful for two purposes – they tell us what has happened, and they provide some information about what is going to happen. The ‘what has happened’ piece is rather obvious – it’s what most of us think … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Observations, Politics
Tagged foreknowledge, Future, Newspaper, politician, politics, Prediction, speech
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Diamonds are a Queen’s Best Friend
The news of the week (among many other interesting things, of course), is that Queen Elizabeth marked 60 years since her accession to the throne on Monday. That’s a rather remarkable achievement, no matter what your feelings about the venerable … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Politics
Tagged Elizabeth II, Monarchy, Prince Charles, Prince William Duke of Cambridge, Republic, Royal Family
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Ten Years On
There will, no doubt, be a lot said, written, and replayed regarding the ten-year anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Over the past week in the British press, there’s been a constant reference to it – whether it’s a focus … Continue reading
Posted in Economy, Observations, Politics
Tagged 9/11, America, Bush tax cuts, debt, deficit, economy, Financial Crisis, Hegemony or Survival, Noam Chomsky, recession, September 11 attacks, spending, twin towers, UK, United States, US
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Too much of a good thing
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the population density in England, and I hinted at something else worth writing about. Since there’s not much else on the go here (a two-day trip to Legoland is hardly worth a … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Economy, Politics
Tagged asylum, England, Eurozone, Immigration, migration, politics, statistics, student, UK
2 Comments
