Reflect on what has happened over the past 10 to 15 years. In the late 1990s Western economies were really feeling the pressure from Asia, even though the Asian Financial Crisis had dealt a severe blow to Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia etc. In the early 2000s the sub-prime bubble started to inflate. Bankers, politicians, regulators, rating …
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Category:2 Geopolitics
The passion of dissent – Aung Sang Suu Kyi
Aung Sang Suu Kyi talks about her life and work as a political reformer. Listen to her on Radio 4 here. Hope without delusion. Suffering by choice. The spirit of change. Download the Reith Lectures podcast Read the transcript of Lecture 1
Ireland’s future depends on breaking free from bailout
Ireland’s future depends on breaking free from bailoutIreland’s future depends on breaking free from bailout by Morgan Kelly in teh Irish Times: WITH THE Irish Government on track to owe a quarter of a trillion euro by 2014, a prolonged and chaotic national bankruptcy is becoming inevitable. By the time the dust settles, Ireland’s last …
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The arctic ice is gone.
Well, nearly. The latest models indicate ice-free summers in the arctic this decade. We won’t have to wait 100 years for the effects of climate volatility. They are here now. BBC: New warning on arctic ice melt
At least we’ve got a vote.
Ireland is going to the polls today. I voted for 19 people. Just because I could. It might not affect the outcome, but at least I know what it feels like to vote. Of course we vote everyday with our wallets and mouths, but that exercise in pseudo-democracy is worthwhile. At least we’ve got a …
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The smell of a nuclear bomb!
It was late in the evening. I had nearly forgotten that I was going to read to the boys. So, I ran upstairs and into their room. I lay down next to Jaz and before I could look at the book, was attacked by a powerful aroma. The foul stench of special naughty boy fluff …
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Welcome to America – “hands up!”.
It happened a few hours ago at the airport. We were queueing with non-US passport holders to go through immigration. I tried not to think about what was happening. The people doing it to me looked a bit apologetic. But not really enough. They did not realise that many people had died over the centuries …
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Singh Obama
BBC: US-India ties ‘to define century’ No doubt. And for all the right reasons. Like geopolitical balance and the cosmic rhythm. Other relationships will define the century too.
20% of plants risk extinction.
If that doesn’t sound bad, then its worse. No plants = no animals. Normally we migt be shocked to hear that 20% of mammals face extinction, even though they tend to be less resilient than plants. Hearing that 20% of plants are at risk is a loud warning – that kind of hole in the …
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Banking, Budgets, Inflation, Food prices
Four degrees of separation? I just browsed through three links that interested me and suddenly noticed that they drew the banking crisis and the food crisis (which is barely on many people’s radar) together. Here it is: US banking system ‘open to abuse’ One of the US’s top fraud investigators is warning that America’s policing …
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