Category Archives: US politics

Reading list

Posted on January 14, 2018 by

Advice from Niall Ferguson in a Q&A with the New York Times: If you could require the American president to read one book, what would it be? And the prime minister? I agree with you that it would be wonderful … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature, UK politics, US politics | Tagged , , ,

Master of the universe

Posted on January 2, 2018 by

Quote of the day comes from Jared Kushner in this chastening Politico piece on Donald Trump’s first year in office: ‘I’m a businessman, and I don’t care about the past.” So says the man whose many jobs include bringing peace to the … Continue reading →

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The new Trump is the old Trump

Posted on March 1, 2017 by

“This speech contained whoppers.” A lot of the pundits may be raving about that State of the Union speech, but James Fallows is unimpressed.

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Notebook

Posted on February 19, 2017 by

We don’t know yet what the televising of the conventions will do to American politics, to elections, to the convention system itself. Some of us fear what one good demagogue with a fine voice and a rousing profile might do … Continue reading →

Posted in Media, Politics, Technology, TV, US politics | Tagged , , , , ,

The voice

Posted on December 8, 2016 by

Careers advice from on high in the FT’s interview with the queen of the Zeitgeist, Arianna Huffington:

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Notebook

Posted on November 8, 2016 by

Something in the intensity with which Windrip looked at his audience, looked at all of them, his glance slowly taking them in from the highest-perched seat to the nearest, convinced them that he was talking to each individual, directly and … Continue reading →

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The candidate 

Posted on November 8, 2016 by
Image | Posted on November 8, 2016 by | Tagged , ,

A war zone called Chicago

Posted on September 7, 2016 by

When was the last time British news programmes ran anything substantial about the epidemic of violence in the Windy City? The stats are abysmal: In the first five months of 2016, someone was shot every two and a half hours … Continue reading →

Posted in Race, US politics | Tagged ,

Notebook

Posted on September 5, 2016 by

Fifteen year-old Daniel Johnson had been in the backseat of that car. He had been riding with two other youths about his age and a mother and her two small children. A bullet had smacked into the car. Daniel had … Continue reading →

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Comedy masterclass

Posted on August 6, 2016 by

Quite an evening. My review of Bill Burr’s show in Bristol: Sometimes there is a fine line between being a world-class stand-up and one of those taxi drivers who won’t stop ranting into the rear-view mirror. Part of the joy … Continue reading →

Posted in Comedy, Reviews, US politics | Tagged , , , , , ,