Tag Archives: Politics

Why there should not be a second Brexit referendum

Posted on September 20, 2018 | 6 comments

European Union Flag by Yanni Koutsomitis

There’s much talk now in the UK – and in Europe – about the possibility of a second referendum on Brexit. The Brexit deadline is looming ever closer with still no sign of a post-Brexit deal on trade. The pound has fallen 8% against the US dollar and 13% against the Euro since the vote to leave. It’s looking more than ever like Brexit will be an economic car crash. But even though I voted to remain, I believe it would be a mistake to run the vote again. Here’s why. Continue reading →

6 Comments

Posted in Politics

Tagged , , ,

The next economic era is here

Posted on May 7, 2017 | 20 comments

The world my children inhabit looks superficially like the world I grew up in during the 1970s. The house they live in, the clothes they wear and the food they eat – none of these would be very strange to the kids of a generation ago (although even here there are notable differences.) But the way they spend their time is completely different to anything I dreamed of doing.

Continue reading →

20 Comments

Posted in Life, Politics, Technology

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Don’t look anywhere

Posted on November 3, 2016 | 19 comments

It’s not safe to look anywhere in the world of politics these days.

The UK has an unelected Conservative Prime Minister with no clearly definable policies and no mandate. The official opposition – the Labour Party – has self-destructed. The UK’s third party, the Liberal Democrats, was obliterated at the last election. The UK Independence Party has no leader and no purpose. Continue reading →

19 Comments

Posted in Politics

Tagged

24 hours to save the world

Posted on October 22, 2016 | 2 comments

Each one of us is blessed with 24 hours in every day. But what we do with those 24 hours varies enormously. Continue reading →

2 Comments

Posted in Life

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Why are other people so f***ing stupid?

Posted on August 11, 2016 | 35 comments

This, my friends, is a question that all of us have surely pondered. When I say “other people” I don’t mean you, of course, esteemed reader. I know that all of us here today are not stupid in the least. We are all smart, reasonable people. It’s those others I’m talking about. You know the ones I mean. Just what the effing fuck is wrong with them?

Here I’m going to share a theory of mine. Continue reading →

35 Comments

Posted in Life

Tagged , , , , ,

Britain pulls up the drawbridge

Posted on June 24, 2016 | 15 comments

So the people of the United Kingdom have voted to leave the European Union. The margin was small (51.9% Leave vs 48.1% Remain) but a win is a win, and so Britain will now begin negotiations to leave – a process that might take years to complete. Already the markets have fallen, the currency has crashed, and the Prime Minister has resigned. But the crowds cheer, regardless. Continue reading →

15 Comments

Posted in Politics

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Why I have voted to remain in the EU

Posted on June 5, 2016 | 17 comments

On June 23, 2016, the people of Britain will vote in a referendum. The question we will be asked is: “Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?”

I have already cast my vote by post, and I voted to remain, although I can see both sides of the argument. Here’s my take on what’s at stake. Continue reading →

17 Comments

Posted in Politics

Tagged , , , , , ,

Is free trade natural?

Posted on February 19, 2016 | 19 comments

I’ve been having an interesting chat with my blog friend, Wyrd Smythe about the discovery of fire, and other game-changing advances in human civilization. We both agree that trade is of fundamental importance, but where we have differing views is whether trade is natural or whether it counts as an invention, like the wheel.

I’m going to argue here that trade isn’t at all natural or obvious, and should be considered one of humankind’s greatest inventions, on a par with writing, farming, and computers. Continue reading →

19 Comments

Posted in Politics

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Left vs Right, Authoritarianism vs Libertarianism

Posted on January 10, 2016 | 45 comments

Anyone interested in politics should take a good look at the Political Compass website. Here you can read about Left vs Right (economics) and Authoritarianism vs Libertarianism (social attitudes) and see how you fit into the big picture. There’s a relatively simple test to take, and here are my results, shown with the positions of the various UK political parties in the 2015 general election. It seems like I’m a political outsider, although not an extremist. Continue reading →

45 Comments

Posted in Politics

Tagged , , , , , ,

Vladimir Putin: friend or foe?

Posted on October 2, 2015 | 20 comments

There are lots of reasons to distrust and dislike Vladimir Putin. I won’t bother to list them all here. But I have a grudging respect for him. Putin gets things done. Not necessarily the right things, but not necessarily the wrong things either. Continue reading →

20 Comments

Posted in Politics

Tagged , , , , ,