Fantastic interview by @martinsandbu.ft.com with @michaelpettis.bsky.social Arguably Pettis's understanding of the impact of Chinese industrial policy through trade is the single most important thing in economics you need to get to understand the world right now podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

Hang on, aren't you supposed to *welcome* the coming of the Antichrist, bc of rapture etc?

I very much enjoyed my conversation with @michaelpettis.bsky.social, and so, I have no doubt, will you. www.ft.com/content/8ee5...

Every time I talk with @mclem.org about the economics of immigration, I come away a whole lot smarter. You can enjoy the same experience: He's written a fantastic primer on what the data reveals about the effect of slashing H-1B visas. It's a banger. Read it. www.piie.com/blogs/realti...

I like the @resfoundation.bsky.social's idea. But why not go the whole way and merge the two at the combined rate?

Most of what is happening in today’s transatlantic relationship is part of the culture war. But the time has come for Europeans to leave this artificial reality and become protagonists—not props—in their own show, writes @pawelzerka.bsky.social @ecfrpower.bsky.social @euroculture.bsky.social

“What isn’t being said clearly enough is that Europe is doing what it is doing under duress. When America extorts European obeisance, America is no longer Europe’s friend.” Another great column from @martinsandbu.ft.com. www.ft.com/content/11b9...

'When America extorts European obeisance, America is no longer Europe’s friend.' Very lucidly, @martinsandbu.ft.com says EU should see public anger at Trump as an opportunity. After all, anger (at injustice) is the 1st word of our 1st book: Μῆνιν ἄειδε θεὰ www.ft.com/content/11b9...

The EU’s secret weapon for economic success on.ft.com/3IvylX1 | opinion

This is very very bad.

Unsurprising yet still somewhat shocking.

One of the houses was a glass house.

Is Europe finding its principles?

The feline ability to stretch the space-time continuum - usually to take up more space on beds and less space in cardboard boxes than should be possible under conventional laws of physics - is well-known to human servants of cats.

The most succinct statement I have seen of what is at stake. "In the digital arena, the EU is still playing a rules-based version of nobody-gets-hurt judo, whereas the other major players have shifted to something more like mixed martial arts." big-europe.eu/publications...

Good point this. (I suppose the new Greek CA deficits reflect NextGenEU subsidies.)

This is a genuine question, by the way. On the law, maybe @davidallengreen.bsky.social or @goodlawproject.bsky.social can help?

Excellent by @martinsandbu.ft.com. The insistence on unanimity means the EU, collectively, punches below its weight.

Given Musk's incitement of violence (fight or be killed), could the UK government proscribe X (the company) as an extremist organisation under current legislation? If so, why not do it?

This is one of the most original and interesting things I've read about Norway in a long time. (And I mean that in a good way, not "original" and "interesting".) Now I look forward to @youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com doubling down by reviewing Joachim Trier's films.

Keeping Mandelson would mean Number 10 thinks not following a recommendation to take specialist tax advice is a resigning matter, but believing the world’s most notorious paedophile over his victims and lying about your post-conviction contact with him isn’t. That’s…not a sustainable position.

It's perfectly clear that the russian drone attacks against Poland were intentional. NATO's response must be organized and comprehensive. For the security of Ukraine and our own, Ukrainian skies must be closed to russian attacks without delay. We can do it. #SkyShieldNow www.bbc.com/news/article...

This, from the WAPO editors, is the kind of both-sides relativism that, no joke, ends democracies: "Democrats tried to use prosecutions as an adjunct to their political strategy in the run-up to the 2024 election. That has backfired spectacularly. There are growing signs that Republicans might be/

Very selfish of Mandelson to accept the appointment. He must have known there was a risk this would all come out and tarnish the govt's reputation and sully it's USP relative to the last one. All for one last brief outing on the dinner/protocol/expenses/nice residence circuit.

The Oseberg ship, the prize exhibit in the Norwegian Viking Ship Museum, is being moved for the first time in 99 years. Watch it being transported 100 meters -- at a speed of 25cm/hour due to its extreme fragility -- in real time here: www.nrk.no/video/oseber... #engineering

A few quick impressions from @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu's State of the Union address: ec.europa.eu/commission/p... /

Det mest utfordrende her må bli å finne politikk både MdG og Sp støtter. Er de enige om noe som helst? Kanskje mer støtte til barnefamilier, men ellers er de motpoler på nesten alle områder, fra Europa til klima, landbruk og natur. Hva har egentlig Ap flertall for? www.aftenposten.no/norge/politi...

5/8 New: This detailed proposal in the Sept 4th Financial Times by @martinsandbu.ft.com about an alternative way to seizing Russian assets in Europe: www.ft.com/content/28a9...

The best take on Raynergate is @timleunig.bsky.social's: timleunig.substack.com/p/angela-ray...

The EU should leave its culture of consensus behind on.ft.com/4m1ehcJ

Precisely. At some point, perhaps soon, Europe will face a hard choice: 1. do nothing & watch Russia grinding through Ukraine & getting closer to NATO territory, but keep Trump happy; 2. ignore Trump & deploy troops (or at least aircraft) to help Ukraine stop Putin. I'm for 2, but risks either way.

A ‘bad bank’ can solve Europe’s Russian assets conundrum on.ft.com/4poE0yX | opinion

A smart Labour PM would now stand by his deputy ("honest error she regrets and will amend") - and flip to saying this shows a too-complicated tax system traps good people under pressure in costly mistakes, so he will pursue a comprehensive tax reform that includes scrapping stamp duty altogether.

Beyond that, X is allowed to continue operating entirely as normal, and UK politicians and government departments even normalise it and post there. Musk is playing a dangerous game: he’s outsourcing moderating his site to UK police, then condemning them for doing so. And we’re letting him.

@pickardje.bsky.social wins the internet today.

not sure you’d be allowed to write this in North Korea, lads

Free Lunch: the Gita Gopinath interview. on.ft.com/46eg6OO

I find the unwillingness to leave X completely mystifying. Everyone who reads or posts there is contributing to the social media network effects that destroy democracy and enrich Musk. If those are not your values, leave.

Is Russia trying to assassinate EU-leaders too now?

Years of lobbying, campaign contributions and White House ties are positioning some companies to make billions of dollars by flying immigrant detainees out of the US. Here's a look behind the booming business. on.ft.com/4mVHxTL

Why are Western leaders protecting russia's bloody money better than the lives of Ukrainian children? #makerussiapay

I'm a bit shocked by this quote from Acas's chief executive. The work Acas does is about procedural justice as much as anything else: giving both parties a chance to feel heard, & negotiated with. www.ft.com/content/7d98...

Europe is selling its soul to Trump. What ostensibly "pragmatic" leaders are getting terribly wrong. on.ft.com/4lQ9BpT

Overnight, Putin's missiles hit the EU mission in Kyiv (in addition to killing many Ukrainian civilians). In a few days, EU foreign ministers will meet and once again refrain from touching the more than E200bn of Russian state money sitting in EU bank accounts. Why? on.ft.com/4oUeKjw

I’m with the late great Molly Ivins:

What if it was just good actually

4/How did we get here? Europe thought pragmatism could offer a solution. See @martinsandbu.ft.com. But this was a chimera. Trump doesnt not play for cooperation but dominance. www.ft.com/content/7560...

EU’s model of peace through regulation makes everything negotiable. In a world or weaponized interdependence, the Brussels effect becomes a Brussels defect. EU democracy and national security are on the line. on.ft.com/3JuCKK0 Europe urgently needs a remedy for the ‘Brussels defect’

Better late than never - bedre sent enn aldri.