Want to know when the latest post has been published? There’s an RSS link on the right hand side of this page, or alternatively, you can follow me on Twitter. Here’s the latest four articles worth a gander:
At number one, it’s Lewis Page writing in Prospect Magazine. He thinks that we should concentrate our limited resources on providing our armed forces with the best equipment, rather than always sourcing British equipment and propping up our arms trade. The Gray Report last week found that the MOD had serious problems with long term procurement. If we bought for our troops on the basis of merit, not merely provenance (a little something called free trade), surely this would increase the value and quality of equipment.
At number two, its Michael Clemens & David McKenzie writing in Foreign Policy. They say that the movement of skilled workers from poor countries to rich ones is a good thing for both countries.
As an aside, this is an argument against the BNP’s policy suggestion to prevent the NHS from hiring foreign workers (yes, including doctors and nurses), purportedly because it hurts other countries. I doubt that’s why they really want to bring about the policy but it would be fascinating to give Griffin a grilling on it.
At number three, it’s D.D. Gutenplan blogging for The Nation. He’s an American blogger for a big left wing magazine (but there is a left wing US governement …), writing about little old Kaminski and the Tories’ EU allies. It shows that the story about their new EU allies has legs. Oh, whilst I’m at it, here’s another interesting US take on the same issue by Roger Cohen of the New York Times.
At number four, it’s George Alagiah’s speech to media think tank POLIS. In the same week that the BNP appeared on Question Time and the coverage of it went on and on and on, Mr Alagiah stood up and gave a very sensible speech on his experience as an immigrant and how he thinks the balance in some areas has shifted, so that white working class people feel like outsiders. It’s sensible and thought provoking.
Runners up:
Last week was dominated by discussion of free speech, not just the BNP either. Regardless of whether she should have written it (yeuk, of course she shouldn’t), should Jan Moir have the right to infer that Stephen Gately’s untimely death was shady without any evidence? What about stating that this and the death of another homosexual shows that civil partnerships do not work? Many complained to the PPC, perhaps because they thought she didn’t. Matthew Parris wrote in The Times that he thought she did (he also wrote something similar in The Spectator, but they’ve sadly gone and put up a paywall).
And again in the name of free speech, the Spectator published something (falsely) denying that HIV lead to AIDs, and that in part it was due to nutrition, sexual promiscuity, and general well-being. They also wanted to show a generally ridiculed piece of pseudo-scientific propaganda that suggested broadly the same thing, although they’ve cancelled it now. Over to you, Ben Goldacre. PS. Read the free chapter of his book Bad Science on the problems caused by absurd statements on HIV.