Techonomics
By Adam Walker, Economics Correspondent The Digital-Savvy Generation Rises To Power Facebook has acquired mobile phone messaging app WhatsApp for a total of $19 billion, giving them a bigger corporate value than giants such as American Airlines, Ralph Lauren and Tiffany. Launched in 2009 the app was based on a £0.79 subscription model for all of its users. Following the explosive growth of smartphone ownership and the immense popularity of the application it became one of the most prominent pieces of software...
Burying Thatcher’s legacy
By Pieter Cranenbroek, International Politics Blogger Margaret Thatcher may be dead but her legacy lives on. Good for her, bad for us. When she rose to power 35 years ago she was determined to reverse “the corrosive and corrupting effects of socialism”. However, it has become abundantly clear that her policies were the start of a liberal society that is exactly that: corrosive and corrupting. If we want to live in a fairer society, it is not just our political system...
The demonised deceased
By Nathan Lee, Politics and Finance writer Was Margaret Thatcher demonised for the right reasons, why did people hate her, and to what extent did the unions warp our perception of the long-standing politician? Margaret Thatcher was born of a working class family, but died the most victimised member of its society in living memory. It is difficult to assess whether the recently deceased Baroness Thatcher was unfairly demonised throughout her time in Westminster. A Durham University research paper has...
It wasn’t acceptable in the 80’s
By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor “Thatcher, Thatcher life snatcher” might have been a more apt rhyme for the Iron Lady after research from Durham University revealed that Mrs T’s policies caused “unjust premature death”. Just to clear things up, she didn’t wield her own weapons against the general population (she had the police for that) but due to unnecessary unemployment, welfare cuts and damaging housing policy she forced people into early graves. The research shows that there was a massive...
Kejriwal and The Aam Aadmi Party
By Nishad Sanzagiri The Aam Aadmi Party should stop playing ‘Aam Aadmi’ Politics It is all over national and international news: Arvind Kejriwal, the founder of the popular Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), resigned from his post as Chief Minister of Delhi as a result of the state assembly blocking an anti-corruption bill (Jan Lokpal), ending his short term of 49 days. Kejriwal had earlier mentioned that, if the bill wasn’t passed in the state assembly, then he’d resign. It can...
State of the Union
By Haridos Apostolides, US Correspondent What can be expected from Obama in 2014? The current United States Congress, one of the most powerful legislative branches of government in the world, has been the most ineffective since the dawn of the Republic. How ineffective? Of the 5,700 bills proposed last year in both the Senate and House of Representatives, only 56, less than one per cent, were made into law. Many have pointed the finger at the Tea Party as the...
The Oval Hates the Square
by Lock Bailey Why Washington’s Oval Office never supported the Egyptian revolution on Tahrir Square If for thirty years Hosni Mubarak played the violin while Egypt burned, then the United States tightened the strings and provided the bow. Yet many Americans look aghast and astounded when they see that the anti-American government placards have been especially pervasive in recent months on Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt. The reason for the hate is quite clear. The United States has given roughly...
Long Live the Radio
By Stuart Buchanan, Junior Broadcast Executive at 4mediarelations There was a time when most homes relied on a radio. The wireless, sat in the corner of the kitchen or living room was a key transmitter of news, a primary source of entertainment and a pioneering medium for releasing the latest music and sculpting the latest trends. Whether you were tuning in to the Peel sessions, listening to the King’s Speech, sat in a huddle as Winston Churchill addressed a war-stricken...
The Four Freedoms
By Jack Peat, Editor of The London Economic One of Britain’s biggest exporters shows the power of the four freedoms. In July 2011 the decision of the British government to award a £1.4 billion Thameslink contract to German firm Siemens was met with uproar. To quote the Daily Mail (deplorable but, in this instance, understandable), it was “beggars belief that Bombardier could have lost out to the Germans…. This would never have happened if Britain had put the national and...