How about this for an opening sentence? The details of who did what to precipitate Russia’s war against Georgia are not very important. Who, you ask, is this clown? None other than Robert Kagan, writing today in the Washington Post. His second sentence is also a doozy: Do you recall the precise details of the
Lovely story told by Simon Hoggart in his Guardian column at the weekend: The death of Simon Gray lets me reprise a favourite story. He was a close friend of Harold Pinter, a great cricket lover. Once Pinter wrote a poem about his hero Len Hutton. It read, in its entirety “I saw Hutton in
Film critic and cultural historian Neil Gabler has an interesting column on the Presidential race in today’s Los Angeles Times. He concludes: It is axiomatic that the more powerful the theme a star embodies, the more powerful his or her stardom. Obama’s theme is a potent one. Whether one buys into it or not, he
Unsurprisingly folk are having fun with the photographs taken when George W Bush called upon the US women’s beach volleyball team in Beijing. My complaint is rather different however. Consider this AFP photo: I imagine the cropping does the President few favours, but it’s unfortunate that he should look rather like Grandpa Simpson. That’s not
Clumsy. Stupid. Counter-productive. Russian policy in Georgia has moved into a new phase. As I suggested yesterday, the Russians now seem determined to answer a Georgian miscalculation with one of their own. Yes, Russia is projecting “strength” by moving into indisputably Georgian territory, but at what cost? It may be that the Russians don’t give
William Hague warns David Miliband not to challenge Gordon Brown and offers this priceless spot of advice: “People want normal politicians and David Miliband is more geeky, more like me… David Cameron could wear a baseball cap, whereas Miliband would find it harder to appear normal. I must have a word with him and give
James Hamilton is quite right to suggest that there’s no way London can compete with Beijing’s spectacular and often beautiful (if also, as he says, “frenziedly gauche”) opening ceremony. And he’s correct to argue that we shouldn’t try to. In any case, opening ceremonies tend towards the vulgar. When they are not bafflingly abstract they’re
Edward Lucas concludes his op-ed in The Times on the Ossetian dilemma with this: The fighting should be a deafening wake-up call to the West. Our fatal mistake was made at the Nato summit in Bucharest in April, when Georgia’s attempt to get a clear path to membership of the alliance was rebuffed. Mr Saakashvili
In an editorial written, judging from its cadences, by Leon Wieseltier, welcoming the arrest of Radovan Karadzic, The New Republic argues that: Whatever one thinks of the war in Iraq, it is impossible to deny that it has had the effect of delegitimating “humanitarian intervention” for a new generation. This new diffidence must be resisted.
Well, the Olympics have finally arrived. James Fallows has been my go-to China blogger for some time. I heartily recommend his blog to you and suggest it will be well worth reading over the next couple of weeks. Not for its coverage of the games as such, but because he has a sympathetic humanist’s appreciation
And art lovers… You still have time to pop into the Flaubert Gallery in Stockbridge (opposite The Baillie, an excellent location for a post-purchasing pint) where you will find an exhibition of my sister’s excellent paintings. The show closes this weekend but there are still some fine pictures available for you to purchase… London-based readers
Far from Beijing, Russia and Georgia kick-off in South Ossetia. I suspect that this is going to prompt people to raise the whole “should Georgia join NATO” thing all over again. Now, perhaps putting Georgia on the road to NATO membership might have cooled tensions in the region. But the opposite seems more likely given
John Edwards admits affair with campaign staffer – but denies fathering her child – in an interview with ABC News. I remember when this was rumoured last year everyone of my Democratic friends admitted that they believed the story. It just seemed plausible. Doubtless, much of the mud about to be thrown at Edwards will
After the West Indian misfortune, in which my selection was, I’m afraid, bested by Norm’s we move on to episode two of our series in which we select cricket teams, playground football style, from players who played at least some test cricket after 1945. This time I have first pick of country and player and,
The best political programme of the 1980s explains school choice – and the opposition to it. As always Yes, Minister and, subsequently, Yes, Prime Minister were on the money: Hat-tip: Cato.
Having come-off second-best in our West Indies game, I’m duty bound to suggest (gently) that I’ve had the better of Norm in the Australian leg of the series. In large part, of course, this reflects the luxury of being able to select Don Bradman with the first pick, just as Norm benefitted from choosing Gary
Megan McArdle writes: Because I’ve always lived in cities, I don’t even understand the utility of the big yards I see in the suburbs. I get the purpose of a yard for children and dogs to play in, and summers on the patio. But I don’t get the point of the vast expanses of lawn
Whither Belgium? Again. Ian Buruma frets that the break-up of Belgium would be A Bad Thing. As is generally the case with such articles, concrete arguments for this proposition are notably absent. Thus, Buruma: So the fate of Belgium should interest all Europeans, especially those who wish the Union well. For what is happening in
Sad news. Simon Gray, the playwright and memoirist, has died. Just last month I read the latest, and, I suppose, final installment of The Smoking Diaries, a wonderful, funny, poignant set of memoirs that I recommend without the slightest reservation. More importantly, sad because he was one of my father’s oldest friends from Cambridge days
Give her publicist a medal. Seriously. Did the entire campaign just jump the shark? See Paris Hilton Responds to McCain Ad and more funny videos on FunnyOrDie.com See more funny videos at Funny or Die I think it may have. (Thanks for the tip, via Facebook, GFR)