Some time ago I wrote a post entitled, “Democracy menaced by…democracy,” concerning what I believe are the dangers of holding a referendum in a parliamentary democracy. With March 29th 2019 fast approaching, and an EU/UK deal far from being certain, the demand for a second referendum – the people’s vote – is gaining momentum, and […]
Month: September 2018
Brexit Musings (30) – Never Read The Morning Newspaper Before Breakfast
It’s just so tough getting up, in the morning. One thing I never do before, during, or straight after breakfast, is take a glance at newspaper headlines on my tablet. That would really put me in a bad mood. The EU leaders who assembled in the beautiful Austrian town of Salzburg, should have done the same. […]
When Progressive Rock Meets Progressive Politics
As we made our way to the concert hall, not a single one of us under the age of 55, I didn’t really know what to expect from a progressive rock band that I last saw at the Hammersmith Odeon, in 1981. Progressive rock is rather like progressive politics. It’s complicated, sometimes pretentious, and even […]
Brexit Musings (28) – “There’s No Deal Like No-Deal!”
It’s not only the heavens that run out of water, in the summer, the Brexit negotiations also seem to be running dry. At least with the heavens, we can hope for rain. For the Brexit deal, it seems that the best that the Brexiteers will get is two doses of “nothing at all.” Why two […]
Britse Burgers Na Brexit
Gelukkig heb ik ook de Franse nationaliteit en heb vorig jaar een Frans paspoort kunnen krijgen. Maar mijn tandheelkunde diploma is wel uit het VK, en zonder akkoord wat gebeurt ermee? En wat gebeurt met het snel gevonden akkoord van december 2017? Niks waarschijnlijk, maar… De Brexit en de […]
Yes, Prime Minister – Jacob Rees-Mogg: Clown Fish Or Great White Shark?
Jacob Rees-Mogg’s comments on just about everything – from the inevitable Brexit, his hatred of anything remotely gay, to the acceptance of adultery – contain an acrid mix of intellect and populism. In contrast to Donald Trump, whose lack of knowledge concerning so many world matters makes him hard to be taken seriously, Rees-Mogg mixes […]
- Culture
- ...
Jafar Panahi: “3 Faces” – The Sounding Of Iranian Traditional Values
Banned Iranian film producer, Jafar Panahi, has managed to cast criticism on traditional Iranian values, without actually doing so. What he did was extremely clever and comprised a particular way of filming, by which we ended up literally accompanying him, and actress Behnaz Jafari, on an outing deep into the Iranian mountains. Deceptively simple, the […]
- Culture
- ...
One “D” Or Two? – Bilingualism And “Le Brain”
Bilingualism isn’t all fun, I’m afraid. There are certain words in English that I loathe, and there are certain words in French that I hate, when I’m forced to spell them. I still haven’t found a way of remembering that the French word “adresse” and English word “address” are spelt differently whilst, apparently, meaning the same thing. […]
The Dutch Cartoon Competition Was Wrong Because Geert Wilders Organised It
The cancelled Dutch cartoon competition was not about Islam. It was all about Geert Wilders. It was way too long since we heard from the flamboyant leader of the Dutch extreme-right-wing party PVV, Geert Wilders. Let’s face it, the Dutch parliamentary elections are a thing of the past, and the present coalition is doing very […]