This thing got a lot of attention from US rightist blogs. I was rather puzzled why would do something like that, no credible explanations were advanced. Now, via Mark Kleiman, I learn it was apparently all wrong. Should have guessed.

Read more… or Read [...]

Well, well. The richest man in Russia got arrested yesterday. Rather unusually brutally too, FSB raid, as demonstartions. What’s going on?
Let’s turn to not mainstream media but rather The Moscow Times who of course are all over this.
First, some kremlinology:
Analysts have said the attack is an attempt to curb Khodorkovsky’s political ambitions. Not only has [...]

I found this article from Dagens Nyheter (temporary link) very interesting.
“‘If anything, I think we work more effectively now than we did before, even though we’re almost twice as many’ an EU diplomat tells Dagens Nyheter.
‘People stop to think one more time, if what they’re going to say really adds something new or [...]

I’ve added a new blog to the blogroll that has quickly become one of my favorites.
Col Lounsbury is a financier currently in Jordan, involved in Iraqi reconstruction. He’s a scathing critic of the administration’s efforts.
He’s quite bright, extremely knowledgable about Middle Easter culture and society. He’s also a delight to read, with a [...]

Tobias was apparently too modest to announce it here so I’ll do it for him: Almost A Diary is back online after a month of hosting troubles.
The new address is http://almostadiary.baldingwithgrace.de

Kevin Drum says thinking about the war in Iraq: that there was a perfectly sensible case for war, and wonder why the Bush administration didn’t use it:
We can’t keep up sanctions forever, and they’re hurting the Iraqi people anyway.
Saddam’s past history is pretty unambiguous, and if we lift sanctions there’s not much doubt that [...]

This is a slightly revised version of an early Europundit entry that I thought deserved a second life.
What will enlargement mean?
There has been a lot of talk lately [back in May at least] about what the long-term consequences of enlargement will be, and also about the rift that the Iraq war has caused in [...]

Estonia said yes, Sweden said no (or rather Let’s wait and see,) will Latvia say no? Plus Cancun, the new constitution…
Football?

Estonia said yes to the EU. 67% voted yes, 63% turnout.
Sweden said no to the euro. 56,2% voted no, 41,8% yes, 81,3 turnout.
The numbers are preliminary (postal votes aren’t counted). They can hardly change the result, but it might be too early to call a winner to Nick’s contest.
Update: In comments, Guessedworker raised the [...]

Polls indicate Estonians will vote yes to EU accession tomorrow.
In Sweden, “polls give widely differing indications as to the likely outcome of the referendum.”
The Economist has a pretty decent primer on our referendum. (Via Crooked Timber)
International Herald Tribune reported yesterday enlargement seems to be bad news for African farmers::
For France the prospect of support from [...]