More on Nancy Pelosi and the US shutdown. Congress reconvenes today, Thursday. Watch out for this lady...
`US shutdown: Democrats to pass funding bills as they take control of House'
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This series of 5 programmes by Neil MacGregor broadcast this week make good listening...
`As Others See Us'
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`2019 is a year of potentially momentous change for the United Kingdom, and in a new series of five programmes, Neil MacGregor visits five different countries to talk to leading political, business and cultural figures to find out how they, as individuals and as members of their broader communities, see Britain. India, Egypt, Nigeria and Canada are explored in the rest of week, but he begins his journey in Munich and Berlin.'
The Germany one is especially interesting in view of Brexit and whatever you do don't miss the last 10 minutes. Here he asks the guests what they think of Britain leaving the EU. They are appalled and disappointed and can't understand why we would want to do it. One of them, Wolfgang Schäuble I think, said something like: "Why would a representative democracy hand over such an important decision to a popular referendum". They willingly admit that the rest of the EU will suffer too. Sadly, our maniac Brexiteer squad and rabid newspapers will spin this as a weakness and start saying things like "We've got them over a barrel" and call them rude names (remember the Americans calling the French like `cheese-eating surrender monkeys'?). I'm beginning to see the Brexiteers in the same light as Trump. Time we brought the adults back into the room!