Philippe Legrain

The British government wants to create a database that would keep track of everyone’s calls, emails, texts and internet use. Sir Ken Macdonald, the former director of public prosecutions, who has firsthand experience of working with intelligence and law enforcement agencies, told the Guardian: The tendency of the state to seek ever more powers of [...]

Joan Miró, one of my favourite artists, died on Christmas Day 25 years ago.

Hat tip: Andrew Sullivan

The Guardian, 16 December 2008. New figures reveal that immigrants are not taking British people’s jobs – despite what Sir Andrew Green’s thinktank says

Are immigrants taking our jobs? It is an explosive issue, especially with Britain sinking into recession and unemployment rising. So opponents of immigration will doubtless seize on a new report by Migrationwatch which claims that those dastardly foreigners who have the cheek to look after our granny or pick English strawberries are stealing jobs from [...]

I never thought I’d say this, but here goes: Boris Johnson is right. Right to support an amnesty for the hundreds of thousand of illegal migrants in London and the rest of the UK. The reality is that most work hard, pay their taxes and contribute to Britain’s economy and society, but they are forced [...]

In recent years, Western governments have voiced concerns about Asian governments’ vast sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) investing in Western companies. Some called this "investment protectionism" But as Western banks faced collapse, they were delighted to receive capital injections from Asian SWFs – and Western governments didn’t object. In a crisis, needs must. Now, though, Asia’s [...]

For years, the US has lectured China on how it should run its economy. Now, the tables are turned. US Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson went to Beijing to urge the Chinese government not to let its currency weaken. The Chinese hit back in style. Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of the Chinese central bank, urged the US [...]