Category Archives: In the time of coronavirus

Science and nonsense: diet, viruses and vaccines

I was recently told a story about a medical professional who, whilst explaining the benefits he was experiencing from a “low carb” diet, disclosed that it was his intention not to take the coronavirus vaccine; he was “…not going to … Continue reading

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The Nanny State, the Demon Food Industry and the Neglected Ectomorph

Perhaps under the influence of his brush with the more extreme end of Covid 19, our Prime Minister has decided that the health of the nation requires attention. Plans are afoot to to launch [a] major new anti-obesity strategy in … Continue reading

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Studying Keynes is more important than ever…

Studying Keynes is more important than ever This podcast, an interview with Zachary Carter, author of The Price of Peace: Money, Democracy, and the Life of John Maynard Keynes, focuses on the theme of my previous post on Boris Johnson’s … Continue reading

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Can Boris Embrace his Keynesian Destiny?

Boris Johnson has, in an interview given to Times Radio on its first day of broadcasting, made a commitment to a Rooseveltian approach to the UK. This is a striking endorsement of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s  New Deal, which was to … Continue reading Continue reading

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This is not Idlib

Is this unprecedented? Maybe; But this is not the Somme, It is not Paschendale. This is not Idlib. We are in lockdown, we feel threatened by an unseen enemy; But this is not Auschwitz, This is not Sobibór. This is … Continue reading

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Micawberism and the Post Covid-19 Economy

There is rising concern for the fate of our economy in the wake of the current crisis. The 6 o’clock news on BBC Radio 4, opened with some alarming headlines warning of the “unprecedented” recession which is awaiting us once … Continue reading

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If the fool would persist in his folly …

“If the fool would persist in his folly he would become wise.” This aphorism from William Blake, amongst other things, supports the notion that to be playful, without the fear of error, is an important condition for learning. Innocence and … Continue reading

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Uncharted

From a clear blue sky The mist came down,  Unheralded by the sirens That play loud in our ear. We turn to peer at our companions, confounded. And now, uncertainly, We take our first steps into this new reality, Destination … Continue reading

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Into the Mystic with Donald Trump?

Why should we listen to Rory Stewart? Well, there is plenty of evidence that he a person of capability, but really it is a matter of judging for yourself, and contrasting his proposals with the variety of others that we can see in play, from, on the one hand, the uncompromising centralised management of the Chinese to, at another extreme, the mystic workings of Donald Trump Continue reading

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Known Unknowns, Unknown Unknowns and the Importance of Social Distancing

The UK Government has come under some critical scrutiny in the face of a response to the advance of coronavirus that has differed significantly from the consensus emerging from policy being implemented across many countries. Robert Peston, writing on the … Continue reading

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