Category Archives: Economics

A Flexible Psychopath: Adolf Eichmann and the Hungarian Jews, 1944

The moral degradation of the Nazis extended from Munich in the 1920s to Budapest in 1944. Boorish posturing in Munich was transformed when the Nazis became the government (1933). Their rhetoric was codified into the Nuremberg Laws (1935) reaching a … Continue reading

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The cost of everything, no longer has value.

Whilst waiting at the bar, to be serve, two young men finally finished their food and drinks order. As the barmaid totalled up the cost on the electric till the lad standing next to me whipped out his mobile phone … Continue reading

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George Osborne’s Politicisation of Welfare in Britain 2010-15

The Coalition government 2010-15 effectively won the economic argument that the British welfare budget had ballooned out of control in the Labour era (1997-2010). This intellectual and political victory produced the brilliant rhetorical flourish from the Chancellor ‘We’re all in … Continue reading

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Councils

Just about any Council, be it Local Authority, district, Parish or Metropolitan, usually is only as good as its leadership, strategic planning and the capabilities of its workforce to implement planned decisions. Also pivotal to success, can often be the good … Continue reading

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Voting for Barbaric Sentences: California’s Proposition 184 (1994)

Crimes which provoke outrage often lead to demands for draconian punishments from the public. This has been true down the ages. For example 18th century England had an extreme criminal code, more draconian and less humane than even the most rabid Californian … Continue reading

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Trident Missile System: World Leaders Speak

Chancellor Angela Merkel (Germany): I wish I had my finger on the nuclear button. Safety is my number one priority. Archbishop Desmond Tutu (South Africa): A £100 billion for weapons of mass destruction! Is David Cameron a Christian? Former Prime Minister … Continue reading

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Scholarly Warfare

“I can be very sympathetic with the author; until 2 years ago I was thinking along similar lines”. George Stigler (Chris)

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The BBC, Diversity and TV Quiz Shows

Greg Dyke, a former BBC Director-General, famously described the BBC as ‘hideously white’*. This associated the BBC’s recruitment policy with ‘institutional racism’**. His analysis is crassly simplistic, identifying ‘diversity’ only with skin colour. Differences associated with colour are readily identifiable … Continue reading

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Five Great, Short, Free (or nearly free) Novels

1) Charlotte Perkins Gilman The Yellow Wallpaper 1892, 80p Feminist story FREE 2) George and Weedon Grossmith Diary of a Nobody 1892, 176p Marvelous comic novel. FREE 3)   P G Wodehouse Psmith, Journalist 1914 154p          Brilliant satire on USA, … Continue reading

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The Price of Virtue: Bailing out Slave-owners 1833

Slavery was abolished in the British Empire in 1833. Key to abolition was the willingness of the British government to compensate slave-owners for their property. The government budgeted £20 million, supervised by the Slavery Compensation Commission. This huge amount of … Continue reading

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