It’s just one thing after another — It’s just one thing after another Francis Fukuyama’s “end of history” thesis always struck me as more clickbait than substance. …

I remember where I was on September 11, 2001. — I remember where I was on September 11, 2001. Sitting on a park bench in a London suburb enjoying a quiet day off. An elderly couple nearby were exchanging greetings with a park gardener. I wasn’t eavesdropping, but did overhear one phrase being repeated: “We’re lucky here. Look at other…

Jan 9 , 2022 Trump’s repeated interference, incitement, and multiple lawsuits amounted to naught — Jan 9 , 2022 Trump’s repeated interference, incitement, and multiple lawsuits amounted to naught Please make Senator Bernie Sanders happy. If I had to write a “dear Santa” letter to President-elect Biden, I would suggest those six words as a mission statement for his incoming administration. …

Has going to the movies become a rarefied treat? — Has going to the movies become a rarefied treat? It was the fortnight before Christmas. Even away from seasonal displays, London by the river was brilliantly lit up at night. …

It may be the right thing for the world of 2021 — It may be the right thing for the world of 2021 A brief caveat — most of the pros and cons of nominating a band that split up five decades ago for a Nobel prize were already apparent 40 years ago. For clarity, I mean the Peace prize chosen by…

DT op-ed 11 November 2020 — DT op-ed 11 November 2020 It is usually sensible not to take the hyperbole of politicians at face value. The statement made by Narayanganj 3 MP Liyakot Hossain Khoka this week about the debate on free speech and religion kicked off by French President Emmanuel Macron last month arguably falls…

BIG ENOUGH TO SEE, TOO SMALL TO COUNT — BIG ENOUGH TO SEE, TOO SMALL TO COUNT First published as Chapter 25 in Section 4 The Election and Identity Politics in Brexit, Boris and the Media edited by John Mair, T Clark, N Fowler, R Snoddy and R. Tait (pre pandemic) Bite-Sized Books January 2020 “Everything we see and enjoy comes from the heritage and contribution of the British Jewish community, which right now feels vulnerable.”

From the eagle has landed to the ego has trended. — From the eagle has landed to the ego has trended. Talk all you like about the power of the United States waning over the past 50 years, but its global influence and reach remain omnipresent. It is elections for the White House that capture worldwide attention. …

Lloyd’s of London, the global insurance market, recently pledged to fund opportunities for black and minority ethnic groups, after issuing… — Lloyd’s of London, the global insurance market, recently pledged to fund opportunities for black and minority ethnic groups, after issuing a formal apology for its “shameful role in the 18th and 19th Century Atlantic slave trade.” Better late than never was a common and not unreasonable reaction. …