Mr Krugman thus implied that the British government—deliberately or mistakenly—had engineered measly growth at the beginning of its term, thus making it easier for the economy to roar back as the election approached. That would seem to ascribe to the coalition an unrealistic level of strategic wizardry and general deviousness, beyond even that possessed by the chancellor of the exchequer, George Osborne. Though interesting, it may say more about Mr Krugman than the British government. —C.W.. Of course, as many of us already know, Paul Krugman is fond of crazy conspiracy theories.
Pejman Yousefzadeh
Pejman Yousefzadeh
Scribbling, scribbling, scribbling on the Internet.
Tagged Great Britain
An Open Letter
TO: George Galloway FROM: Me RE: My Role in Bringing about Your Defeat Dear Mr. Galloway: Having lost your recent election by a rather large margin–and it must have been really embarrassing to have been so comprehensively routed–you decided that it would be a good idea to blame “racists and Zionists” for your defeat. Despite the fact that I am not a racist, I am a Zionist, and a Zionist Jew to boot. I write this piece to claim responsibility for having helped engender your political demise.
Anti-Semitism on Full Display in London
Behold: A drunken mob of more than 20 thugs shouted “kill the Jews” as they stormed into a north London synagogue while young worshippers celebrated the end of the sabbath. The anti-Semitic abuse was hurled by the group of men and women as they first beat up a young man outside before chasing him inside, breaking windows and attacking others. Part of the chaotic incident in Stamford Hill was captured on video before the intruders were beaten back as the worshippers grabbed chairs to protect themselves. Scotland Yard said six people – four men and two women – were later…
More on the Return of Anti-Semitism
Its return is quite noticeable in Britain: In Britain, prominent Jewish figures are expressing concern about the rising tide of anti-Semitism in that country. Most recently the director of the BBC Danny Cohen has stated that he has never felt so uncomfortable being Jewish in Britain. He even went so far as to cast doubt on the long-term future of Anglo-Jewry. Similarly, Labor Party leader Ed Miliband—also Jewish—has called for a “zero tolerance” approach to anti-Semitism. The great irony here, however, is that both men are Jews heading organizations which, through their portrayal and policy on Israel, are laying the…
God Save the Queen
So, Scotland has gone to the polls, and it has decided to remain part of Great Britain. I had worried that nationalist sentiments and the perception of momentum behind Scottish independence might cause the people of Scotland to make a terrible decision; I am relieved to see that my fears were unfounded. Having written that, there can be no doubt that a great deal of national healing needs to take place in Scotland. This piece by Michael Ignatieff, which reflects on bad feelings that remain from the Quebec independence fight back in 1995, is a useful guide for Scots who…
Another Reason to Root for a “No” Vote in Scotland
A “Yes” vote could wreck the scotch industry: The liquor and its marketing have resulted in a booming business. When I toured more than a dozen Scotch whisky facilities in June, meeting with distillers and other industry folk, they were effervescent and confident. Scotch whisky sales have been soaring around the world, almost doubling in the past decade to $7 billion — a huge sum for a country of just 5.3 million people. In fact, Scotch is Scotland’s second-biggest export after oil. Which explains why so many people I spoke to didn’t just think independence, which Scotland will vote on this…
Scottish Independence is a Terrible Idea
As this editorial makes clear. No excerpts; read the whole thing. It is astonishing to see that people like Alex Salmond, the leader of the Scottish National Party (which is the chief force behind Scottish independence), are willing to tear apart a perfectly good and successful union in Great Britain in order to make Scotland independent and cause it to be impoverished in the process. But this is the absurd situation in which Scotland and Britain find themselves. One can only hope that reason and sanity prevail in Scotland, but given the sudden momentum behind independence, if I had to…
For Those Who Think that Single-Payer Health Care Will Solve All Health Care Problems
Think again.
More Proof that Edward Snowden Is a Fraud
From the time that Edward Snowden burst onto the public scene, he has told anyone who would listen that his objective in leaking secret NSA documents has been to show how the NSA has taken to spying on Americans. The latest disclosures from the Snowden files lay bare the methods by which British intelligence agencies are catching terrorists in honey traps. Which of course has nothing whatsoever to do with the degree to which the NSA spies on Americans. This, of course, is not the first time that Snowden has exceeded his supposed mandate to detail NSA espionage. There are many…
Paul Krugman’s Botched Analysis of the British Economy
Thank goodness I am not Paul Krugman; if I were, I would find myself rather embarrassed by this.
