The thing with London is that it's not a single community, really. It's lots of overlapping ones, more so than Paris (as far as I can make out). There's relatively little geographic community in London unless you have some other linkage. True of much of Dublin as well, at this stage.

for those who remember Myth: the fallen lord and Soulblighter

Rien n'est gratuit en ce bas monde. Tout s'expie, le bien comme le mal, se paie tot ou tard. Le bien c'est beaucoup plus cher, forcement. Celine

London? I'm talking about Ian Buruma.

When locusts move on, they leave nothing behind

I agree. I can think of many other cities across Europe that have far more soul than London.  Being the place to be for those with materialistic ambitions to follow doesn't bring soul, it destroys it.

Ad astra per aspera

In London?

"It's the statue, man, The Statue."

but then I rode the Tube, went to the Social Security Office, dealt with the Electricity Company and came to realize why the Empire is no more ;).

I had no idea you spoke German.

"C'est un scandale !"

The importance of these comparisons is that they consistently show that countries with social democratic or corporatist models of capitalism have markedly higher levels of social well-being than those, such as the US and UK, with a liberal free-market model.

Equally important, the reason for this is not that they have higher gross domestic product per head but that their social attitudes, objectives and policies are very different. Unlike the US and, since 1979, the UK, these countries attach great importance to social cohesion and, therefore, to equality of opportunity.

(...)

If these achievements are, as neo­liberals believe, a sign of failure, what constitutes success?

Well, clearly, GDP growth constitutes success. It says it right there.

But not to worry, the European Commission is hard at work dismantling whatever social cohesion is left on the European Mainland.

EUROPA > European Commission > Economic and Financial Affairs > Publications > Country Focus: Social cohesion in the Czech Republic: a blessing or a trap? (by Marek Mora, Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs, in September 2006)

When using indicators of inequality of income distribution and the at-risk-of-poverty rate, the Czech Republic has one of the highest levels of social cohesion in the EU, comparable to that of the Nordic countries. Though social transfers play a significant role in reducing the Czech poverty rate, it is the country's relatively equal distribution of primary income that contributes most to the level of social cohesion overall. This can be explained by several factors, in particular by the quality of education, the homogeneity of society, regulation of rental housing, the gradual nature of the transition process and other historical reasons. Economic theory and empirical evidence are not clear-cut on what the impact of social cohesion is on economic efficiency and growth. Though social cohesion can have a positive economic impact on growth, the tax-transfer system, if badly designed, may have harmful consequences for labour supply and for the sustainability of public finances as seems to be the Czech case.

"It's the statue, man, The Statue."

Childhood poverty is good: it's motivational. If George Bush, Tony Blair and company hadn't had impoverished childhoods they wouldn't be the inspirational leaders they are today.

Don't you know anything?

Well, look on the bright side. When he's busy bashing us, at least he's not bashing Hispanics.

"The basis of optimism is sheer terror" - Oscar Wilde

The 50th birthday of the European Union, born in Rome in March 1957 as the European Economic Community or Common Market - of Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg -

There's one more reason to not like.

For though the EU has expanded to embrace 27 nations and boasts an economy equal to that of the United States

There's two.

The rest is also garbage.