Month: July 2006

American myopia

Even the New York Times, normally fairly broad in outlook, occasionally slips. In this article on the Mexican election, the issues are summed up as:

At stake in the contest is whether the country remains on a conservative track and stays a firm United States ally or joins a trend that has brought several leftists to power in Latin America in recent years, weakening Washington’s influence.

Wow, is that it? No other issues other than how Mexico relates to the US? Who’d have thought it?

Bypasses don’t cut traffic

The BBC reports that three major bypasses, including one in Polegate, have failed to reduce traffic by the amount planned for. All three have now reached the traffic levels predicted for 2010.

Meanwhile, in a distant country with a sensible transport policy, the reopening of the five-station Larkhall railway line in Scotland has exceeded its own estimates, carrying 38% more passengers than predicted in the first six months.

Partisan tinkering

So the Conservatives’ Democracy Taskforce have come up with: banning Scottish MPs from voting on English issues. Two questions:

  • Aren’t the Tories meant to be the party of the Union?
  • Isn’t democracy about more than populism and partisan gerrymandering?

Evidently not.