Pocket lint
It's time for me to get back on the newsletter rhythm, so rather than a main post, here are a few links I had saved a few months back when I last had time to write, and never got time to share. The links in the snippets section
More issues
DeepSeek is good news for Europe
It's not uncommon to hear tales of woe about the European economy (particularly compared to the US). GDP is soaring, younger people are better paid, the old continent is being left in the dust as Donald Trump finally gets government off people's backs.
A lot of
Six characteristics of democracy
I spent Friday and Saturday in the east of Switzerland, at the World Systemic Forum. It was an event as broad as the title, with contributions running from edge-of-pseudoscience through to deep conversations about food, water and political systems, and how they need to shift.
Fortunately, most of my event
The Local Government policy of Megalopolis
The first thing to say about Megalopolis is that it is a mess of a film.
It feels like it's badly edited down from a seven hour original cut, and indeed it would work much better as a TV series where some of the world-building and plot lines
Sue Gray and Citizen Assemblies
Before rejoicing that Labour is going all-in on citizen assemblies, it’s worth thinking about what was actually said in this morning’s Times (which I’ve now managed to read).
First, the story itself (https://lnkd.in/esK-VCnf) is a write-up of comments made to Tom Baldwin, who is
Tram lines 20/2/24
Josephine Quinn has a new book coming out on civilisation thinking and the “West”. I was already looking forward to it but this article in the FT (no paywall) has made me look forward to it even more.
Not so much reading as admiring, a beautiful 1930s hand drawn map
Vijfhoek 2/2/24
I did not know that this was in the Marolles … and I guess I can’t be blamed since it closed before the Second World War and since then has been a furniture store. [NL but with photos]
Did you know that Brussels is a hub for Dutch language rap,
Tram Lines 18/1/24
Railway lines and red lines as Jon Worth assesses the chance of new services through the Channel Tunnel to compete with Eurostar. Summary: don’t hold your breath.
Bruno De Wever, the historian, is retiring and has a long interview in De Morgen. He reflects on family and politics, but
Tram lines 17/1/24
This interview (Pointe) with ballet dancer and choreographer Brett Fukuda (declaration: partner of a colleague) gives interesting insight both into the creative process and the life of a ballet dancer.
Just before Christmas, I missed a short new paper from two of the academic experts in the failed Parliamentary Commission
Vijfhoek 14/1/24
Good interview with Bas Devos, the director of the new film Here, set in the marshy north east corner of Brussels, where the urban region meets the platteland. [NL]
Tom Moylan of Restless Brussels wants you (international resident of Brussels) to go and vote. And so do I.
Knack covers