“Only one thing: this thickness and this strangeness of the world, that’s the absurd.” Albert Camus On June 16th 2016, the Labour member of Parliament, Jo Cox, was brutally murdered by Thomas Mair, an unemployed gardener. Although the perpetrator had a history of mental illness, he also had ties with extreme right-wing parties, […]
Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Theresa May in Conversation: A Cup of British Tea and a Swiss Roll by Lake Geneva
Shortly after the EU referendum, Theresa May decided to spend a few days in Switzerland. What a coincidence that this country is part of the European Free Trade Area (EFTA), but not the European Economic Area (EEA). EEA/EFTA: RUOK? Complicated? Yes, it sure is. Luckily Google can help me out. Let’s start with the EFTA: […]
Syrie: Une Césarienne Pratiquée par un…Dentiste
Nous nous rappelons tous de l’image horrifiante d’un garçon syrien de 3 ans retrouvé mort sur une plage. La scène reflète d’une façon cruelle la situation dans laquelle se trouvent la grande majorité des gens ordinaires en Syrie. Mais lui et tant d’autres ne sont pas ordinaires. Nous le sommes. Nous vivons tous protégés dans […]
Syria: Having a Caesarean Performed by…a Dentist
[perfectpullquote align=”left” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”I’m forever blowing bubbles…”[/perfectpullquote] All of us remember the horrifying picture of a 3 year old Syrian boy found lying on a beach. The scene epitomised the situation for ordinary people in Syria. But he and others are no ordinary people. We are. We, including myself, all live […]
René Descartes And The Internet – “I Tweet, Therefore I Am.”
It’s that time of year again, where everyone reminisces over what has happened over the year gone by and you get bombarded with reviews of this, that, and the other. Well, I’ve decided to tell you what I think the most important event of 2016 is. And…you’ve guessed it? It’s Leicester City wining the English […]
“Pardon My French, Madame Le Pen.”
Have you ever wondered about the origins of the expression “pardon my French”? Some say that it originated in the 19th century and was used as an apology by people who used French words in conversations. Nowadays it’s used apologetically after swearing. How wonderful language can be. I’m sure that Marine Le Pen, leader of […]
POLITIQUE: “Excusez-moi pour mon Français, Madame Le Pen.”
[perfectpullquote align=”left” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Marine Le Pen, un paradoxe dangereux[/perfectpullquote] Même en ayant grandi dans un milieu bilingue, et pratiquant à ce jour la langue de Molière au pays de Spinoza, certaines expressions restent pour moi, intraduisibles. Le titre original de ce blog « Excuse My French » se traduit par « Excusez-moi pour […]
La Démocratie Menacée par….la Démocratie
Le référendum ne tient vraiment pas sa place au sein d’une démocratie représentative. Les résultats souvent aléatoires, ajoutés à l’aspect populiste des campagnes référendaires, peuvent nuire à la démocratie même qui lui permet d’exister. En accordant le droit de voter l’application de l’article 50 du traité de Lisbonne au parlement britannique, ce qui déclencherait le processus du « Brexit », la […]
Democracy Menaced by…Democracy
It’s ironic that former prime minister David Cameron put forward a referendum on Europe that now threatens the very nature of the parliamentary democracy that let him propose it in the first place. Of course, whether Cameron had any choice in the matter remains subject for debate. But the fact of the matter is that […]
“What’s up Doc?” – The UK’s Allergic Reaction to Brexit
I thought, at first, that in endorsing the UK parliament’s right to vote for the triggering of Article 50, the High Court ruling was a good thing. Having heard Theresa May’s views that it wouldn’t change her timetable or attitude, and other politicians saying that they were going to vote for Brexit anyway, has made […]