coronavirus
France’s downward spiral of coronavirus repression
In France there is a palpable sense of administrative and political panic in how to deal with the coronavirus epidemic.…
The Democrats just made a huge mistake
‘Never let a good crisis go to waste.’ When Rahm Emanuel said that during the economic meltdown of 2008-2009, his…
Will coronavirus revive liberalism — or deliver it a fatal blow?
Politicians, said the historian A.J.P. Taylor, do not create the current of events. They can only float along with them…
The virus is not invincible, but it’s exposing who’s irreplaceable
In all the gloom and doom, and media-driven nihilism, there is actually an array of good news. As many predicted,…
Coronavirus shouldn't be used as an excuse to expand the state
Since this is the nearest most of us have ever got to living under the Blitz, I’ve been re-reading George…
The ugliness of coronavirus shaming
In the early years of the First World War, a man out of uniform had a reasonable chance of being…
Corona confusion is being ruthlessly weaponised
Few words have as great a hold on the contemporary imagination as ‘disinformation.’ Few words are as ubiquitous in contemporary…
Consider the costs
Less than 24 hours after California governor Gavin Newsom closed ‘non-essential’ businesses and ordered Californians to stay inside to avoid…
What a relief to no longer have to pretend to be sociable
Hulking fat chavs pushing shopping trolleys full of lavatory paper back to their Nissan Micras. I can’t think of a…
Coronavirus will be a test of trust
We are in a make-or-break moment for trust, not just in this government but in the British state itself. The…
Will quarantine for travellers become normal again?
It wasn’t a coincidence that the US government chose Ellis Island as an immigration station. The crucial word is ‘island’.…
The secret excitement that lurks beneath our distress
Something about the word ‘bomb’ has always thrilled me, and I know why. No school today. In the 1950s we…
Quarantine with our new puppy will send me barking
When the news leaked at the weekend that the government was considering telling those aged 70 and over to self-quarantine…
Two gentlemen of corona: the scientists helping to fight Covid-19
Boris Johnson’s medical wingmen
My love affair with Hannah Arendt
The three of us — me, Catriona and her daughter Skye — were having a wash and brush-up before going…
The joys of social isolation
No use datelining any more, I’m here for the duration. Even the ski lifts have been ordered to close: chiuso,…
Coronavirus keeps the spotlight on Trump and away from Joe Biden
Well, well, well. There was former White House press secretary Sean Spicer at today’s press conference in a new incarnation…
Rishi Sunak’s wartime economy
At least no one can say it isn’t bold. The United States is fiddling around with some possible cuts to…
After the coronavirus, who wins the recovery?
We are living through a gruesome case study in the irrationality of elites. COVID-19 is a serious disease, but the…
Why Tulsi backed Biden
Though neither her supporters and detractors wanted to hear it, Tulsi Gabbard was always clear that she would support the…
Could measures we've taken to stop Covid-19 already be saving lives?
Perspective is a bit in short supply at the moment but if you want a brief respite from the onslaught…
School closures leave parents with a serious headache
Well, thanks a whole lot, Gavin W. The announcement that schools would close in England from Friday was pretty well…
Our politicians are only trying to do their best
This is a time for generosity and kindness; a moment for the cutting of slack and the making of allowances.…
How Mao's medicine made modern China
History repeats itself, said Marx, first as tragedy and then as farce. And when it comes to the world’s latest…
Panic among the pigeons
Life is a risky business. Danger is everywhere. In New York, even the pigeons are a threat. A friend recalled…
