What just happened in the English Channel is a throwback to an earlier age
by Rashmee
Posted on May 10, 2021
/ BLIMEY BLIGHTY I’m currently reading Laurent Binet’s ‘Civilisations’, an alternate history that has Christopher Columbus captured by the Caribbean Tainos and the sun-worshipping Incas becoming the dominant cultural and political force in Europe. The scene that recently played out in the English Channel would not have been out of place in that novel about … Continue reading “What just happened in the English Channel is a throwback to an earlier age”
Read MoreThe four ‘tribes’ of Britain, circa 2021
by Rashmee
Posted on April 26, 2021
/ BLIMEY BLIGHTY Once upon a time there were Tories and Labour supporters. Then, there were Leavers and Remainers. Now, it turns out Britain has no less than four distinct tribes and they coalesce around a distinct view of the world. Ladies and Gentlemen, let’s recognise The Humanitarians, The Globalists, The Patriots and The Isolationists. … Continue reading “The four ‘tribes’ of Britain, circa 2021”
Read MoreWhat links the late Idriss Deby’s Chad to Egypt and India
by Rashmee
Posted on April 21, 2021
/ TAKE UP ONE IDEA The death of Idriss Deby, president of Chad for the past 30 years, renews the focus on electoral autocracies, which are sustained and flourish with the support of western countries. Deby – and modern Chad’s story – is quickly told. The 68-year-old strongman died of wounds sustained during a battle between … Continue reading “What links the late Idriss Deby’s Chad to Egypt and India”
Read MoreBrexit or not, Northern Ireland new troubles are criminal not political for now
by Rashmee
Posted on April 19, 2021
/ BLIMEY BLIGHTY Days of recent unrest in Northern Ireland have caused everyone to have horrible flashbacks. It’s been 23 years after the Good Friday agreement ended decades of violence. Even though the recent incidents aren’t the old “Troubles”, as they used to be called, this new streak is profoundly troubling. A bus hijacked … Continue reading “Brexit or not, Northern Ireland new troubles are criminal not political for now”
Read More‘A rude old man from a bygone age?’
by Rashmee
Posted on April 11, 2021
/ TRAVELS IN MY MIND I have a niece who is a Duke of Edinburgh scheme awardee. When Prince Philip died, barely two months before his 100th birthday, I asked her how she felt. “Sad,” she said, “I always liked him, he was funny.” Now my niece was, by no means close to Prince Philip. … Continue reading “‘A rude old man from a bygone age?’”
Read MoreImmersive theatre Vs the real thing
by Rashmee
Posted on March 20, 2021
/FAITH, HOPE… An interesting experiment comes to an end today (March 20). The Royal Shakespeare Company’s (RSC) ‘Dream’, live immersive theatre on television screens in your living room, wraps up its high-tech stuff. So the virtual curtain comes down on a week of performances in which gaming technology and VR was used to allow audiences … Continue reading “Immersive theatre Vs the real thing”
Read MoreLike Brexit, Meghan and Harry have warring tribes enlisting for and against
by Rashmee
Posted on March 8, 2021
/ BLIMEY BLIGHTY Sometimes it takes an outsider to see the deepest truths within a family. Or a country. The Washington Post’s London bureau seems to be playing that role for Britain in its diagnosis of the divisions sparked by the Harry and Meghan interview with Oprah Winfrey. The Post noted, for instance, that “Where … Continue reading “Like Brexit, Meghan and Harry have warring tribes enlisting for and against”
Read MoreVaccination success may be a shot in the arm for Britain in another key way
by Rashmee
Posted on February 22, 2021
/ BLIMEY BLIGHTY Simon Kuper wrote an important piece in the Financial Times (paywall) the other day about the pandemic-induced chance for success thrown up for Brexit Britain. I hope Boris Johnson and his advisers read it. “What national strengths does Britain’s vaccine success reveal?” he asked, “Is there a model here for Brexit Britain?” … Continue reading “Vaccination success may be a shot in the arm for Britain in another key way”
Read MoreLow spirits aren’t good for business, British or any other
by Rashmee
Posted on February 8, 2021
/ BLIMEY BLIGHTY A Brexit update doesn’t mean it’s business as usual. Au contraire. This week, European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic will visit the British capital to have a good long chat with Boris Johnson’s Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove. The topic will be: post-Brexit friction in Northern Ireland. Good luck with that. Arelene Foster, … Continue reading “Low spirits aren’t good for business, British or any other”
Read MoreBrexit really has meant Brexit: ‘Let them eat cake’
by Rashmee
Posted on February 1, 2021
/ BREXIT BRITAIN In the month since Brexit properly began, consider all the things that have happened. The European Union (EU) and UK have begun their future relationship with a row over diplomatic protocol. Britain is refusing to grant full diplomatic privileges to the EU’s envoy in London, something more than 140 other countries have … Continue reading “Brexit really has meant Brexit: ‘Let them eat cake’”
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Rashmee has lived and worked in several countries in the past decade, including Afghanistan, India, Haiti, Tunisia, the UAE, US and UK