January 30, 2014 at 5:19 PM
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Michele Mottini
I watched Obama’s State of the Union speech the other night. As in previous year it left me with a sort of general bad feeling, and I could not identify the cause (I usually quite like Obama’s speeches).
I think I figured out what’s bothering me: the undertone of these speeches – and in some case not just the undertone – is that the US is different and better than any other country. As a foreigner that can be a bit upsetting.
I just watched the end of the year speech of the Italian president: there are patriotic references, but this ‘our country is best’ stuff is not there at all.
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Posted in: Opinion
Tags: US politics
January 26, 2014 at 9:31 AM
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Michele Mottini
The second incarnation of Mr Brown [as California’s Governor] … has been marked by a relentless pursuit of the possible and a serene neglect of everything else
The Economist in ‘Bark if you don’t like deficits’
January 19, 2014 at 5:16 PM
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Michele Mottini
Never try to discourage thinking, for you are sure to succeed.
Bertrand Russell in 'Ten Commandments for Living in a Healthy Democracy'
January 12, 2014 at 4:20 PM
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Michele Mottini
He added (redundantly) that the president was a “Washington insider”
The Economist in ‘No switch for Mitch’