Michael GoldfarbMarch 16, 2012 08:06

Hungary's Orban takes on the EU

Hungarian Prime Minister discovers the joys of Brussels bashing

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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban delivering his broadside against the EU yesterday in Budapest. (FERENC ISZA/AFP/Getty Images)

As I said in a post last week, the EU has already created something akin to the United States of Europe. Certainly this is true culturally. In America there is Washington-bashing. It's equivalent in Europe is Brussels-bashing.

Yesterday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban hit out at Brussels with a rhetorical sledge-hammer.

Michael GoldfarbMarch 15, 2012 15:58

European court's judgment on "kettling"

Human rights tribunal backs British police use of controversial crowd-control tactic.

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Policedogs keep people inside the kettle at a G-20 protest in London in 2009. (CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images)

Since the new era of anti-globalization/anti-capitalism protests hit Britain a decade ago, the police have used a method of crowd control called a "kettle." Basically protesters can go into an area, but then they cannot get out until the police deem the steam to have risen and dissipated through the spout. Or the police can allow a few out at a time.

Michael GoldfarbMarch 15, 2012 07:31

British views of America: anonymous and uncensored

A bit of praise for Ira Glass's This American Life brings the trolls out

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This American Life creator, Ira Glass, is America's favorite radio nerd. But some people in Britain don't want to know about his show. (Michael Buckner/AFP/Getty Images)

As the Anglo-American love-in at the White House draws to a close, I thought it would be worth flagging some British views of the U.S. from below stairs.

Michael GoldfarbMarch 15, 2012 07:17

Obama and Cameron meeting: British pundits' take

Divergent views of Washington DC love-in

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British Prime Minister David Cameron seems a bit overcome by it all during last night's White House State Dinner. British pundits are keeping an eagle eye out for signs that Cameron is succumbing to proximity to the imperial power. (Alex Wong/AFP/Getty Images)

When British Prime Ministers visit American Presidents pithy analysis flows among the British punditocracy like West Coast wines at a State Dinner.

Most of this comment is focused on the current state of the most over-used cliche in British journalism: "the Special Relationship."

A lot of the speculation focuses on it's dangers: "Is it more "Fatal Attraction" than "Love, Actually?" asked Channel 4's veteran Washington correspondent Matt Frei.

Michael GoldfarbMarch 14, 2012 12:01

Rule Britannica is at an end

Encyclopedia Britannica will no longer publish a dead tree version.

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Can you carry a Britannica around in one of these? (ERIC PIERMONT/AFP/Getty Images)

The last printed edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica was published in 2010. When the last copy is sold that will be it for the printed edition of the almost 250 year old publication.

The reason why is obvious. The net has made the hard copy unnecessary. More specifically, to research why something called "Britannica" is published in Chicago, I went to Wikipedia. Here's what I learned:

Michael GoldfarbMarch 14, 2012 08:56

British unemployment up … again

President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron have a lot of things on their agenda today, including the world economy. But I doubt the President will be so rude as to ask the PM about the latest unemployment figures in Britain.

Michael GoldfarbMarch 14, 2012 08:25

Goldman Sachs letter travels fast

Britain reacts to Greg Smith's very public resignation

this story is part of globalpost's continuing coverage of world business. for more visit our new business page.

By now you know about Greg Smith's astonishing public resignation from Goldman Sachs in the pages of The New York Times.

It has excited commentary here in Britain.

"A knee in the nuts," is how The Daily Telegraph's Iain Martin describes it.

Michael GoldfarbMarch 9, 2012 14:17

A British Arabist's Advice for Syrian rebels

Get your political act together and negotiate the end of the Assad regime

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Devastation in Homs is proof that Syrian rebels don't have the firepower to beat Syrian army, but they have other ways of removing the Assad regime. (-/AFP/Getty Images)

Chris Doyle runs an outfit called CAABU, the Council for Arab-British Understanding, and he knows the Syrian situation as thoroughly as anyone outside official channels in Britain does.

You can listen to a very interesting interview Doyle gave to Guardian blogger Haroon Siddique here (scroll down to 2:21 p.m.).

Michael GoldfarbMarch 9, 2012 13:32

Tensions between Italy and Britain over failed hostage rescue attempt

British raid in Nigeria led to deaths of two hostages held for more than nine months by Boko Haram

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Briton Chris McManus, who was killed yesterday in Nigeria when British Special Forces tried to rescue him from his captors. (-/AFP/Getty Images)

Success has many fathers, but failure?

Yesterday's failed attempt by British Special Forces to rescue a pair of British and Italian men held hostage by Nigeria's Islamist Boko Haram for the last nine months has led to diplomatic repercussions.

Italian President Giorgio Napolitano has expressed genuine anger at not being informed about the raid in advance. "The way the British government has behaved is quite inexplicable. To have failed to inform or consult Italy, with regard to a military action which could have such consequences," Napolitano said.

Michael GoldfarbMarch 9, 2012 05:44

BMW says: Thank you, China

Massive rise in company's profits thanks to China sales

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(FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images)

this story is part of globalpost's continuing coverage of world business. for more visit our new business page.

You think China is the world's workshop (or sweatshop, if you're manufacturing Apple products)?

Well, when it comes to luxury goods, Europe is the world's workshop.

Nothing proves the symbiotic relationship between China's rapidly growing upper-echelon consumer demand and Europe's luxury goods industries than sales figures released yesterday by BMW.