Until shale gas came along, nuclear power was the form of energy most associated with rightwing politics. This is odd when you consider just how dependent the nuclear industry is on the state for its continued existence. Technologically and economically, nuclear is too risky for the private sector to go it alone. Though some private […]
Writing for Salon, Michael Lind has a tricky question – tricky, that is, if you’re a libertarian: “Why are there no libertarian countries? If libertarians are correct in claiming that they understand how best to organize a modern society, how is it that not a single country in the world in the early twenty-first century […]
On what principle should one name a political party? In the good old days, the main parties were named after various gangs of misbehaving celts (i.e. the Tories and Whigs). This was all a bit too silly for the high-minded Victorians, who opted for ideological labels instead (the Conservatives and Liberals). Moving into the 20th […]
Cristina Kirchner, Argentina’s, ahem, colourful President, is up to her old tricks again – asserting her country’s claim to the Falklands by placing an advert in the Guardian (where else?). It is easy to laugh at this latest stunt, but Kirchner’s campaign is raising the profile of the Falklands dispute and encouraging commentators in other […]
Blogging at TheMoneyIllusion, Scott Sumner describes two very different modern societies – both of them in the developed world. See if you can name them: Here’s the first example: "Free trade and investment. Medical care provided via HSAs, with very little government spending. No unemployment compensation. Social security private accounts. A 20% top income tax […]