Two wrong guesses?
Airbus, Boeing and backing the future

It happened before
The violent logic of banning protest

Tony Blair’s ability to arouse emotion in so many people, who even when combined mean less to the prime minister than a tin of shoe polish, is his greatest, and most intriguing quality. Read More

If not now, when?
Israel’s retaliation

Much has been said about the recent Israeli attacks on Lebanon and blockade of that country, with the apparent intention of putting back the Lebanese economy by 20 years:

[Israeli] Army Chief of Staff Lt-Gen Dan Halutz said the Israeli military would “turn back the clock in Lebanon by 20 years” if the soldiers were not returned.

Here I intend to approach the subject from a point of view of European (and especially European Union) foreign policy.

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Like giving a gun to a gormless GI
Power to those who want it most

To proxy or not to proxy?
Hezbollah’s post-Syria strategy

Carnival of the Capitalists

Harry Hutton the cheating scoundrel

Some of you may have been wondering why I don’t appear to have been writing much for The Sharpener in the last few months. It’s because I’ve been working on a new project, and unlike so many of the other new projects that get mentioned here, this one doesn’t involve sitting at a desk typing. Instead, starting next Sunday, I’m going to be walking from John O’ Groats to Land’s End to raise money for the Brain Research Trust. Read More