Category Archives: Best Of

Newspeak, the €142 billion budget and the EU’s “communication problem”

Posted on 29 November 2011 by craigjameswilly

The European Union has a “communication problem”. This is allegedly caused by things like the fractured nature of European public opinion, the dull work of Brussels or maliciously sensationalist journalism. No doubt these are often the problem, but I would add … Continue reading →

Posted in article, Best Of | 5 Comments

In Defense of Decadent Europe: Is it “the best place on Earth to be born”?

Posted on 10 July 2011 by craigjameswilly

“The European Union is great. It is the best place on Earth to be born and to live your life.” – Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk, 1 July 2011 For those of us involved in European affairs, it has … Continue reading →

Posted in Best Of, essay | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

Bin Laden Is Dead: Some Thoughts on the End of an Era

Posted on 5 May 2011 by craigjameswilly

This is the first rather US-centric post on this blog. I decided to publish it as it came out, very naturally one evening, on the news of Osama bin Laden’s death. I was going to write something on the European … Continue reading →

Posted in Best Of, essay, United States | Tagged , | 5 Comments

British Europhobes and Van Rompuy’s Speech: What the Man Said vs. What the Trolls Pretended to Hear

Posted on 12 November 2010 by craigjameswilly

Trolls are a fact of life in our media and politics as much as on the internet. The best way for a small-time politician or starving pundit to get attention upon himself, and so “succeed” professionally, is to say something outrageous, regardless of facts … Continue reading →

Posted in article, Best Of, United Kingdom | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Did Kohl Give Up the Deutsche Mark for East Germany?

Posted on 12 October 2010 by craigjameswilly

Der Spiegel has a long, in-depth article covering Franco-German machinations on the eve of German Reunification. Specifically, it deals with an alleged “deal” between François Mitterrand and Helmut Kohl tying German unity to the abandonment of the Deustche Mark.  Everyone … Continue reading →

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“Thanks to men like him, France lives and will not disappear”

Posted on 9 October 2010 by craigjameswilly

The “Socialist-Gaullist” Jean-Pierre Chevènement (famous for his resignation as Defense Minister over France’s participation in the 1991 Gulf War) recently wrote a touching tribute to Pierre Gallois, a promoter and the principle theorist of France’s nuclear force de frappe. Gallois … Continue reading →

Posted in Best Of, essay, France | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments