Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[Maladict]

I think this could mean two things: either it is indeed a terrible thing, or a genuine solution to the housing crisis and they want to make sure people will not credit it as such.

It could even be both.

[Sheilbh]

Really struck by Macron in Beirut today and the complicated post-colonial legacies in 2020.

Johnson - in the event of laws changing in Hong Konh: "Britain would then have no choice but to uphold our profound ties of history and friendship with the people of Hong Kong."

Macron - in addition to proposing a new political pact : "The priority is aid, support to the population, unconditionally. Because it's Lebanon, because it's France."

Very much a year of the past isn't even past.

On this it's extraordinary - the French President summoned all the leaders of the different parties in Lebanon to discuss a new accord at the French Ambassador's Residence (the front steps of which is where Lebanon declared independence)

[Tamas]

He got balls you gotta give him that. 

[Sheilbh]

He got balls you gotta give him that. 

Exactly - this is partly why I like him. He's got an audacity and opportunism about him - not to trigger Duque, but it seems to me pure de Gaulle

Edit: And what's maybe more extraordinary - those political leaders turned up.

[The Larch]

If we're moving to even a third to half of people regularly working from home - what impact will that have on all the other bits of the economy, especially the office space areas like the City

Let's just say that I wouldn't want to be in the business of renting office space in big cities in the coming years.

[Admiral Yi]

The mixer tap aversion is bonkers.  Like having a shower with two heads.

[Sheilbh]

Re. the Russia report and British institutions just reputation laundering and being so easily bought, Oxford University is now awarding "Belt and Road Academician". Here an Oxford Professor awarding this title to the CPPCC's Chan King-wai for "his contribution to the construction of belt and road initiative since 2014":




It reiterates my general view that money-laundering, know-your-customer and rich autocrats/oligarchs etc is a foreign policy issue that we need to take seriously and change on.

[Tamas]

Re. the Russia report and British institutions just reputation laundering and being so easily bought, Oxford University is now awarding "Belt and Road Academician". Here an Oxford Professor awarding this title to the CPPCC's Chan King-wai for "his contribution to the construction of belt and road initiative since 2014":




It reiterates my general view that money-laundering, know-your-customer and rich autocrats/oligarchs etc is a foreign policy issue that we need to take seriously and change on.

Can we, though? Maybe all that's happening is the natural order, namely that when Britain (and Europe) was the richest it bought foreign dignitaries like candy. Now we are not the richest so we are being bought by the richest.

[The Brain]

Yes, the West was able to influence others peacefully when it was economically dominant. When this is no longer the case it can accept the role of influencee or resort to violence. I don't think violence is the answer.

[Sheilbh]

Can we, though? Maybe all that's happening is the natural order, namely that when Britain (and Europe) was the richest it bought foreign dignitaries like candy. Now we are not the richest so we are being bought by the richest.

I'm not fatalist on this but even so I think that's nonsense. Europe is still one of the richest areas in the world. The UK economy is 70% bigger than Russia's, there's no sort inevitable economic gravity to Russia influencing our politics through their immense wealth (though there is a point around the density of wealth) - and the same goes for, say, Kazakhstan, various Gulf States, both sides of Thailand's elite. It's a choice.

Obviously China is different and we will have to work with China - but there's no need to encourage corruption because helping enable corruption overseas has a corrupting effect here.

It reminds me of the stuff about extreme Islamism in the UK in the 90s which was broadly tolerated by the police and intelligence services because those groups weren't tolerating the UK. I think we've been wilfully blind about the rich of the world stashing their cash in London, buying UK newspapers, hosting the Business Secretary and Shadow Chancellor (Lord Mandelson (), Labour and George Osborne, Tory) for a holiday on your yacht and just assume well we can get rich off it without any conseuqneces, when I think it affects our domestic politics too.

[Duque de Bragança]

He got balls you gotta give him that. 

Exactly - this is partly why I like him. He's got an audacity and opportunism about him - not to trigger Duque, but it seems to me pure de Gaulle

Edit: And what's maybe more extraordinary - those political leaders turned up.

Remember, de Gaulle is more than PR stunts. Not to mention he was not known for being an Anglophile or worse, Franglophile, unlike Jupiter. 
Careful about l'Orient Compliqué et les Idées Simples...

[Grey Fox]

I think it's just the attitude of France towards their african colonies. "Yes, yes, you're independent"

[Josquius]

If we're moving to even a third to half of people regularly working from home - what impact will that have on all the other bits of the economy, especially the office space areas like the City

Could be good in a way.
Makes the 20 minute neighbourhood stuff more viable. Restores a bit of life to suburban town centres and small villages due to there being more working people around during the day. I mean, if I'm working at home I could just cook every day.... Pot noodle is going to see a drop in its share price.... but people are lazy and sometimes want some air. We might see an uptick in neighbourhood cafes.

[Iormlund]

If we're moving to even a third to half of people regularly working from home - what impact will that have on all the other bits of the economy, especially the office space areas like the City

Could be good in a way.
Makes the 20 minute neighbourhood stuff more viable. Restores a bit of life to town centres and small villages due to there being more working people around during the day. I mean, if I'm working at home I could just cook every day.... Pot noodle is going to see a drop in its share price.... but people are lazy and sometimes want some air. We might see an uptick in neighbourhood cafes.

Also, it could lead for a surge in coworking spaces. I'm not to thrilled by a future working at home. But I could see myself spending some time at a quiet place while I work on emails and such, then going home for conf calls.

[Zanza]