Society

Friday

Mary Dejevsky

Why doesn’t Russia have a Yad Vashem for the gulag?

Yad Vashem, Israel’s vast Holocaust memorial complex, dominates a hillside above Jerusalem, surrounded by bare rock and pines. Vast though it is, it manages to be both harrowing and restrained; both rooted in the times it commemorates and thoroughly modern — not just in style, but in the way it harnesses the most advanced technology to its cause. As an enterprise, let alone a monument, it is impressive: a testament to the commitment of Israel and the survivors of Europe’s Jewry to ensure that what happened is never forgotten. But it aspires to more: to convey a sense of the communities that were destroyed and to memorialise, so far as

James Bartholomew

James Bartholomew’s diary: Give up the Today programme – you’ll feel better

It’s amusing to see serious journalists and authors struggling to use Twitter under instruction from their newspapers and publishers. They realise they lose dignity by condensing their great thoughts into a mere 140 characters: it is inevitable, whoever you are. Imagine Jesus had been obliged by his Father to tweet. It just wouldn’t have been the same: ‘Might be a bit short of loaves and fishes on the mt today. Take a miracle to feed everyone!’ or ‘Great supper with the lads tonight — worried that tomoro might not go so well. #nastyfeeling’ This year the referendum on Scottish independence takes place at last. Oh, please, may the Scots vote

Raymond Keene

Vale Vishy

Viswanathan Anand, the 15th world champion, suffered a complete meltdown in his title defence against Magnus Carlsen towards the end of last year. Anand was an impressive match player, defending the title successfully against challenges from Kramnik, Topalov and Gelfand. He was also world champion for around six years. In his latter period as champion, though, his tournament results were largely unconvincing. How does Anand figure in the pantheon of champions?   I would say that as champion he is more or less on a par with Capablanca, Petrosian and Kramnik. His record as champion was superior to that of Euwe, Tal, Smyslov and Spassky and way ahead of Bobby

Raymond Keene

No. 295

Black to play. This position is from Kramnik-Anand, Nice 2008. Both sides have dangerous-looking attacks. Can you spot Anand’s brilliant move which ensured his got in first? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 7 January or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7681 3773. The winner will be the first correct answer out of a hat, and each week I shall be offering a prize of £20. Please include a postal address and allow six weeks for prize delivery.   Last week’s solution 1 Qxf6+

The Spectator

The first world war in numbers

Centuries of conflict 2014 marks the 100th anniversary of the war which was supposed to end all wars. Has the toll of war since 1918 been lesser or greater than in the century before 1914? 1815-1914 saw the tail end of the Napoleonic Wars (5m deaths), the Zulu Wars (2m) and the US Civil War (750,000). In China, the Taiping Revolution of the 1860s cost an estimated 60m lives and the Dungan Revolution of the 1860s and 1870s 10m. These, along with the Mexican Revolution (1m) and the Paraguayan War (1m) total about 80m. 1918–2013 Mid-estimate for second world war death toll: 55m. A further 7m died in the Russian

Mary Killen

Dear Mary: Lunch vs the novel

Q. I travel internationally two or three times per month for work, often with one or two colleagues. While the working day and the evenings inevitably involve prolonged contact with these colleagues, at breakfast-time I wish for a little ‘alone time’ to eat and read the paper, without company, but also without remaining in my soulless hotel room. How can one most tactfully ensure that one is left alone, while still taking breakfast in the hotel dining room? — J.B., Earlsfield, London A. Why not sidestep the problem by asking your colleagues, the night before, what time they are planning to go down to breakfast. If they say seven, then

Peter Jones

Why does the year start in January?

The ancients were an inquisitive lot, a characteristic shown to best effect in works like Aristotle’s Problems (‘Why do sex-maniacs’ eyelashes fall out?’) and Plutarch’s Greek and Roman Questions. Among much else, Plutarch asked, ‘Why do Romans adopt the month of January as the beginning of the new year?’ He began by doing the maths: July used to be called Quintilis, ‘Fifth’ (subsequently named after Julius Caesar) and August Sextilis, ‘Sixth’ (named after Augustus), while September to December covered the Roman numerals seven to ten. So, since the year contained only ten months, March must have been the first. He concluded that, to stay roughly in synch with the solar year,

The Spectator

Spectator letters: Defending super-heads, and how to drink your yak’s milk

In defence of super-heads Sir: I would like to defend head teachers all over the country from the assertions made in Mary Dejevsky’s article (‘Super-heads will roll’, 7 December). The international Pisa studies — which proved how urgently the English education system needs to improve — show that greater autonomy for head teachers within proper accountability structures produces better results for children. That is why this government’s reforms have been designed to transfer powers to heads, away from council control. We’ve balanced this increased autonomy with sharper, stronger accountability. Head teachers are charged with spending taxpayers’ money wisely and honestly and, as accounting officers, are personally responsible for the resources

Susanna Gross

Bridge | 3 January 2014

What is the purpose of bidding? It’s how partners describe their hands to each other in order to reach the best contract. At least, that would be my answer — but I can already envisage the experts chuckling at my naivety. As any pro knows, describing your hand is just part of the story: almost as important is the ability to misdescribe it. When your side has been dealt poor cards, often the best course of action is to sabotage your opponents’ attempt to communicate. Bidding becomes a tool with which to fool, bully, confuse or harass them — and that’s all part of the beauty of the game. During

The Spectator

Portrait of the week | 3 January 2014

Home Six months of talks in Northern Ireland, chaired by Dr Richard Haass, a retired American diplomat, ended without resolving the contentious issues of flag-flying, sectarian parades or a policy on trying crimes committed during the troubles. Bus loads of Romanians and Bulgarians set off for London as restrictions on their right to work in Britain were lifted. Nigel Farage, the leader of Ukip, called for refugees from the conflict in Syria to be given asylum in Britain; Lord Howe, the health minister, said that some should be accommodated in the European Union. Tories were said to have persuaded Boris Johnson to undertake ‘short bursts’ of campaigning before the election. The Duke

Doc

2143: Revising geography

The unclued lights are broadly of a kind (33 differs from the others, though 33K would have been more appropriate, if it fitted in!). Each one Across can somehow be paired with a Down one. Elsewhere, ignore one accent.   Across   4    Reacting slowly, having felled lime-tree with ease, almost (11, hyphened) 11    Lizards from Asia – gnu involved (7) 12    Indian nationalist heading for reform without English involvement (6) 14    Roman soldier covering a great distance (5) 16    These rain-clouds aren’t on my premises, I say (5) 19    Oarsmen’s strips (7) 21    Small key rented out timelessly (4) 24    And

Doc

to 2141: Megacant

The unclued lights are examples of super slang listed on pp 7/8 in the Word Lover’s Miscellany section of Chambers 2011.   First prize Paul Boswell, Hook, Hampshire Runners-up M. Puttick, Montpézat, France; M.F. O’Brien, London N12

James Delingpole James Delingpole

Bitcoin vs Big Brother: why cryptocurrencies make sense

You don’t need to be a particularly virulent pessimist to notice something phoney about this glorious economic recovery we’re supposedly experiencing. All you need to understand is that since the 2008 crash, nothing has been done to address the terrifying underlying problem that got us there: governments — our government especially, since we are one of the most indebted in the western world — are spending far too much money we haven’t got on crap (from overgenerous welfare to HS2) we can’t afford. This can only end very, very nastily. So what possible recourse do we free (ish) individuals have against the bullying might of this vast, increasingly confiscatory system

Douglas Murray

Absolute moral squalor on display at a London church

‘Did Israel spoil Christmas again?’ I only ask because the claim that they did is becoming a modern tradition in Britain. The softest and most commonplace expression of the claim comes from those vicars or congregation members who claim that they find it ‘hard’ to sing ‘O little town of Bethlehem’ nowadays because of how dreadful the situation in Bethlehem is today compared with how little, still and dreamlessly sleepy it was back in Jesus’s time. This Christmas I had already attended one church which perpetuated this new conceit. And earlier this week I went to the church of St James in Piccadilly, which has made anti-Israeli propaganda its signature dish

C.P. Nield

Unpacking in Bangkok

And then a dozen Muddy miraculous hares Sprang out of the suitcase, Bounding round and round The hotel suite, Drumming for their wild Crochety queen Back home The moon Above King’s Cross.

Daniel Hannan

Watch out Eurocrats, here come the Pirates!

I once shared a car to the airport with a French MEP, a member of the Front National (FN). He spoke that very correct French which, across the Channel, serves in place of accent as a social signifier. He casually mentioned that the Holocaust couldn’t have happened, at least not on the scale claimed: the volume of the ovens, he creepily explained, was insufficient. The European Parliament has always had its fair share of extremists, eccentrics and outright, drooling loons. With the FN then polling at 6 per cent, there seemed no need to treat any of its MEPs seriously, so I took to avoiding that one. Now his party is set to win

Connie Bensley

Forgiveness

The bunting was hardly down, and the bones of the feast hardly buried in sand, when the prodigal son started to cause flurries of unease. He found the old place provincial; the servants over-familiar;  the close kin — well, he merely raised an eyebrow at the close kin. And yet, established in the best room, he showed no sign of leaving. His father gloomed round the fields; his brother kicked the cattle troughs. The voice of the fatted calf spoke to the father from the ground and his message was of forgiveness.  You can’t always get it right, it said,  and I bear you no hard feelings.

Lucy Vickery

That was the year that was | 3 January 2014

In Competition 2828 you were invited to submit a retrospective verse commentary on 2013. Reasons to be cheerful are, apparently, somewhat thin on the ground. Alanna Blake’s opening couplet captures the general mood of the entry: The year is past, it’s maybe best To let the poor thing lie at rest. The arrival of a royal baby injected a more positive note, albeit leavened by a healthy dash of cynicism. Here’s Jerome Betts: Yet still, you welcomed young Prince George, A howling future Head of State, Then let the media-vultures gorge On shots of —Wow! — unweighty Kate Commendations to Trish Davis and Chris O’Carroll, who were unlucky losers. The winners

Thursday

Ross Clark Ross Clark

The climate change trip stuck in ice

My favourite quote of the season comes from Tracy Rogers, a marine ecologist who sometime today will be winched from the research vessel the Akademik Shokalskiy and rescued by helicopter.  ‘I love it when the ice wins and we don’t,’ she says. ‘It reminds you that as humans we don’t control everything and that the natural world is the winner here.’ The unintended irony is delicious. If the winner of the fiasco which has been developing in the Antarctic over the past two weeks is the natural world there is little disguising who the losers are, even if, as I suspect, Tracy Rogers can’t quite see it. She and her fellow