Roger Harrabin’s Radio 4 “Uncertain Climate”
This show sounded like a major apologia and a minor mea culpa from the BBC's chief climate change analyst . It was, though, mostly depressingly familiar. Read more...
Politics & campaigns.
This is not a party political site and not very partisan in any way. My emphasis has tended to be on the quality of debate and campaigning, and especially on the need to appreciate represtentative democracy (government through elected representatives whose own views matter), and to be sceptical of the claims of vox pop, "the people", social media, Crowd Wisdom, and "direct action".Page 12
Will the BP spill transform the oil business?
I was asked to appear on Radio 4's special programme BP: Beyond the horizon and the Macondo disaster. Would it transform the firm and the oil business? I'm clinging to the idea that it won't much, but with one big caveat. Here's the crib I prepared.... Read more...
Efraim Karsh on Islamic Imperialism, arabism and Palestine
These books certainly fit my prejudices, but also tally with my 4o years of following the news in a middlebrow sort of way. If they're wrong in any particular, or their general conclusions, it'd be fascinating to see the evidence. Read more...
Rational Optimist: RDN’s still one
It's not often a good ploy to whinge, and this isn't exactly a moan. Well, only a bit of one. I want to stand up for my Life On a Modern Planet (1995) and Rich Is Beautiful (2005) as works of "rational optimism". Read more...
BP oil spill update, 15 June 2010
It's been a spectacularly bad few days for BP. Things looks set to get a bit worse. But they may yet turn out less than apocalyptic. Without shouting the odds, here're some thoughts. Read more...
BP Gulf spill: the end of the phoney war
We are at the beginning of the end of the phoney war on the BP oil spill. We seem to be in sight of beginning the real shooting. Here's why... Read more...
RDN, BP, the FT… and crossed fingers
Obviously we all need to cross our fingers for BP. The oil giant needs the same luck as the seashores its oil may yet severely damage. This may, after all, be the worst such accident we have yet seen, as I said on the BBC's Today programme. I hope I wasn't premature in a later FT letter in suggesting that the oil giant, and its industry, will flourish however awful the outcome of this accident, and deserves to. Read more...
Three (Tory) reasons to be fearful
Just before I get too sunny, here are three areas where the country's politicians, and the Tories not least, face real problems. They all centre on the country's habit of self-deception. Read more...
Gordon Brown’s great good fortune
I was often depressed and irritated by Gordon Brown, but he made a good departure (that matters in political life). Better still, substantial people are fighting for his reputation. Irwin Stelzer (the Spectator), Anthony Seldon (the Guardian) and Martin Wolf (the Financial Times) have all mounted defences of his record. This is… Read more...
Three Tory reasons to be cheerful
This is a golden period for Conservatives. Their party is a natural vehicle for the politics and government of the early 21st Century. Who'd a thunk it? Read more...