Reflections after a year as a volunteer in pandemic-hit Britain…
by Rashmee
Posted on April 12, 2021
/ BLIMEY BLIGHTY Sunday, April 11 marked one year of constant volunteering on my part. First, with the Council’s community hub, then with the Council and NHS’s Project Hope for medical staff, and finally, now, with vaccination clinics all around the area. April 11 also marked an apparent change of mood among many of the … Continue reading “Reflections after a year as a volunteer in pandemic-hit Britain…”
Read MoreAmerica’s bad news bias is a feature not a bug
by Rashmee
Posted on April 6, 2021
/ POLITICS & AMERICA Bad news bias is not breaking news. Recently published research by Bruce Sacerdote (pdf), an economics professor at Dartmouth College, asked a troubling question: “Why is all Covid-19 news bad news?” The paper covered the negative “tone” of the US media, versus non-US media. It found that 87 per cent of … Continue reading “America’s bad news bias is a feature not a bug”
Read MoreA glorious week for Britain? Depends on who you ask
by Rashmee
Posted on March 29, 2021
/ BLIMEY BLIGHTY This week, parts of Britain could be hotter than Saint Tropez or Ibiza. The southeast of England could be sweating in temperatures as high as 24 degrees centigrade. And lockdown rules are easing. In Wales, “stay local” measures have been lifted. In England, outdoor sports facilities open today (Monday, March 29), with … Continue reading “A glorious week for Britain? Depends on who you ask”
Read MoreBiden should avoid copying the Swiss wealth tax model
by Rashmee
Posted on March 16, 2021 / The National
Why isn’t Switzerland progressively closing its wealth gap? The question is important in the context of the intense ongoing debate from Washington to London about a wealth tax. The coronavirus pandemic has caused government debt to soar and led to calls for substantial new levies on the rich. The argument goes that the wealthy should … Continue reading “Biden should avoid copying the Swiss wealth tax model”
Read More‘Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul’
by Rashmee
Posted on March 13, 2021
/FAITH, HOPE… This week marked a milestone. It was almost exactly 365 days ago – March 11, 2020 actually – that the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a global pandemic. Personally, this week marked 365 days of my not getting on an aeroplane. On March 10, 2020, I flew back from Washington, D.C. to London … Continue reading “‘Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul’”
Read MoreA social life after lockdown? Inquiring minds want to know how it will work
by Rashmee
Posted on March 7, 2021
/ TRAVELS IN MY MIND I haven’t read Pamela Druckerman’s books but they’re on my list now that I’ve perused her elegant, insightful and occasionally funny ‘1843’ look-ahead to social life after lockdown. It may be a bit precipitate – virus variants could still sicken the prospects for a socially carefree summer – but Ms … Continue reading “A social life after lockdown? Inquiring minds want to know how it will work”
Read MoreCorona-speak in any language
by Rashmee
Posted on March 5, 2021
/ LANGUAGE If you’re in Germany, there are clear choices even in a pandemic. There’s the alltagsmaske (everyday mask). The schnutenpulli (literally, snout sweater a warmer mask for cold weather). The gesichtskondom (literally face condom, for a trendier mask). Then there’s mindestabstandsregelung (minimum-distance regulation) or the more exact anderthalbmetergesellschaft (one-and-a-half-meter society) to describe social distancing … Continue reading “Corona-speak in any language”
Read MoreWhy isn’t Switzerland a more equal country?
by Rashmee
Posted on March 4, 2021
/IT’S THE BUSINESS Here’s a conundrum: Why isn’t Switzerland progressively closing its wealth gap? The question is important in the context of the intense ongoing debate from California to Britain about a wealth tax. On March 1, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders proposed the Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act – a two per cent annual levy … Continue reading “Why isn’t Switzerland a more equal country?”
Read MoreJobs after Covid-19: business not as usual
by Rashmee
Posted on March 2, 2021 / The National
This will be a significant week in terms of job prospects for millions around the world. In Britain, Wednesday’s annual budget will include £126 million ($175.6m) in new funding for 40,000 traineeships and “flexi-job” apprenticeships. In the US, the employment report for February is expected to show the strongest pace of hiring since November. And … Continue reading “Jobs after Covid-19: business not as usual”
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”
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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