Covid cost the Swiss taxpayer SFr35 billion[1]Swiss finance minister sees pandemic-linked spending of 35 bln Swiss francs, making up 4.6% of Swiss GDP[2]GDP (current US$) – Switzerland. That’s not taking into account the cost to individual taxpayers in lost earnings, and businesses through lost revenue. The SFr35 billion is the cost of the government’s response… Continue reading Switzerland’s Covid cost
Tag: politics
The Great Hunger
In 1840, the population of Ireland was over 8 million[1]The Great Irish Famine Was a Turning Point for Ireland and America. Today it is 5 million[2]Ireland Population. Between 1841 and 1850 one million died during the Great Hunger and another million emigrated. During the 150th commemorations of the Famine, Britain’s Prime Minister Tony Blair expressed… Continue reading The Great Hunger
Artificial intelligence
Two things are infinite: The universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe.Albert Einstein Einstein’s genius was instrumental in the creation of the atomic bomb. When he became aware that his ideas were being used to develop the bomb, he warned FDR of the potential consequences[1]The Making of the Atomic Bomb. Einstein… Continue reading Artificial intelligence
The British genocide
Genocide: the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular nation or ethnic group. Oxford English Dictionary I was in the Republic of Georgia in the months preceding Russia’s invasion in 2008. The international intelligence agencies had been warning the Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili not to succumb to Russian provocation.… Continue reading The British genocide
The great divide
When I was living in America, I often had the feeling that they were still fighting the civil war. After the war, Lincoln understood how divided the country had become, and determined that he needed to unite the country[1]Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. He had already started to implement his plans… Continue reading The great divide
The UN is past its sell by date
After Ban Ki-moon, the outgoing Secretary General of the United Nations announced that he was standing for Korea’s presidency, based on his performance at the UN, I wrote an article giving prospective voters an insight into the reality of that performance[1]UNacceptable. Nothing to do with the article, but he stood down pretty soon afterwards. The… Continue reading The UN is past its sell by date