Agree about America in some ways being more devoted to the classical world than the UK. I have degree certificates from Oxford and McGill universities (the latter is in Montreal). One is English and one is in Latin. It is not the way round you would have expected. Quite comical to see Montreal rendered in Latin. (I do realise Montreal is in Canada but the point remains.)
So Jay Bhattacharya had been appointed by Trump the climate change denier, vaccine sceptic etc etc to 'oversee a scientific restoration, a return of rigour'. I almost fell out of my armchair reading this sychophantic nonsense. I like Fraser's writing but the White House must have threatened to revoke his visa if he wrote anything vaguely critical about this truly shocking US Government.
Bhattacharya's decision to back slashing research into RNA vaccines seems very, very political. It is extremely hard to square with his lofty talk about the power of scientific enquiry
I smiled when I read this. It’s so sweet though a bit jumbled up. I’d rather you’d stayed longer with the point about statues/Rome etc, a 250 year old memento mori to us all.
It was fun reading about all the parties etc but I did get a distinct feel of Centrist heaven about it all - sorry Fraser. It doesn’t matter how many Trump aficionados you connect with.
As the song goes: Enjoy yourself - it’s later than you think.
It is jumbled! Its a notebook, just a few thoughts. I do my proper columns for The Times. I'm not really presenting this on a populist vs centrist scale... Though the whole point about Trump is that the centre of political gravity has moved from the centre (the departments) and into the parties, podcasts etc.
Agree about America in some ways being more devoted to the classical world than the UK. I have degree certificates from Oxford and McGill universities (the latter is in Montreal). One is English and one is in Latin. It is not the way round you would have expected. Quite comical to see Montreal rendered in Latin. (I do realise Montreal is in Canada but the point remains.)
So Jay Bhattacharya had been appointed by Trump the climate change denier, vaccine sceptic etc etc to 'oversee a scientific restoration, a return of rigour'. I almost fell out of my armchair reading this sychophantic nonsense. I like Fraser's writing but the White House must have threatened to revoke his visa if he wrote anything vaguely critical about this truly shocking US Government.
Prof. Bhattacharya is none of those things. MAHA is confusing as there are nutcases, but he isn't one of them.
Bhattacharya's decision to back slashing research into RNA vaccines seems very, very political. It is extremely hard to square with his lofty talk about the power of scientific enquiry
Point taken - you know him personally. I just wonder how he'll manage while appointed and surrounded by science deniers. I genuinely wish him luck.
"There are no Trump statues"
well.... I mean
https://time.com/article/2026/03/11/-trump-epstein-statue-titanic-pose-mall-washington-dc/
Brilliant! Nothing for us about how the AIPAC stranglehold over American politics might be splintering?
Hello Fraser.
I have some information on the early days of the American Republic and its connections to the Scottish Borders if you are interested.
I smiled when I read this. It’s so sweet though a bit jumbled up. I’d rather you’d stayed longer with the point about statues/Rome etc, a 250 year old memento mori to us all.
It was fun reading about all the parties etc but I did get a distinct feel of Centrist heaven about it all - sorry Fraser. It doesn’t matter how many Trump aficionados you connect with.
As the song goes: Enjoy yourself - it’s later than you think.
It is jumbled! Its a notebook, just a few thoughts. I do my proper columns for The Times. I'm not really presenting this on a populist vs centrist scale... Though the whole point about Trump is that the centre of political gravity has moved from the centre (the departments) and into the parties, podcasts etc.