State of the Union

January 30, 2014 at 5:19 PMMichele 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.

Posted in: Opinion

Tags:

Phrase of the week

January 26, 2014 at 9:31 AMMichele 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’

Posted in: Opinion

Tags: , , ,

Phrase of the week

January 19, 2014 at 5:16 PMMichele Mottini

Never try to discourage thinking, for you are sure to succeed.

Bertrand Russell in 'Ten Commandments for Living in a Healthy Democracy'

Posted in: Opinion

Tags:

Phrase of the week

January 12, 2014 at 4:20 PMMichele Mottini

He added (redundantly) that the president was a “Washington insider”

The Economist in ‘No switch for Mitch’

Posted in: Opinion

Tags: