Month: April 2011

The most frightening parallel between pre-crisis Britain and Australia today is more fundamental. In both cases, there was a dominant understanding that the countries had found their steady and stable growth model. In Britain it was based on financial services and house prices, in Australia on minerals and China.

The European rescue package will do little to make Portugal more attractive to its young generation. They only have to watch the news from Greece to see their own future. Overly indebted, unable to fund itself at reasonable interest rates in capital markets, the government will become dependent on funds from the European rescue funds almost indefinitely.

Icelanders are a tough people. No one turns catastrophes into opportunities as well as the Viking descendants. Instead of seeking foreign help with their country’s financial disaster, Icelanders are turning their backs on the EU.

Keine Frage: Deutschland und Europa sind international beliebt. Das jedenfalls war jüngst das Ergebnis einer Umfrage des BBC World Service. Zu besonderen Freudenstürmen besteht allerdings bei genauerer Betrachtung kein Anlass. Dafür muss man nicht einmal Machiavelli gelesen haben. Der hatte schon vor einem halben Jahrtausend bemerkt, dass es manchmal besser ist, gefürchtet zu sein, als geliebt zu werden.

This week produced more news about big infrastructure projects for Sydney. A government inquiry warned that without a second airport, Sydney could face severe flight disruptions within a decade. According to the transport minister, Anthony Albanese, Kingsford Smith Airport is already operating at capacity.

I had a doctor’s appointment last week. Usually that would not be worth mentioning in this column were it not for what I learnt about my doctor’s family history.

The Australian Greens’ ambitions were dealt a blow in the recent NSW state election. They may have won the seat of Balmain, but their overall primary vote barely moved above the 10 per cent mark. To add insult to injury, the Greens are struggling to fend off a challenge by Pauline Hanson for a seat in the upper house. On the other side of the world, green is a far more popular colour.