Best of the Web

• FT.com / Global insight - Franco-German dynamics make EMF a distant goal

  Of course, the idea floated at the weekend by Wolfgang Schäuble is a double-edged weapon. It would give that fund the same very tough tools of conditionality and intervention in the fiscal policies of individual countries as the International Monetary Fund. From the German perspective, that would be its primary purpose.
  But just as surprising is the fact that the initiative, with the promise of other unspecified measures to bolster economic policy co-ordination in the eurozone, should have come first from Berlin rather than Paris.

  Normally, the more dramatic flights of fancy in the European Union are a French prerogative. The German tradition is far more cautious. French fuites en avant are regarded with irritation. But only if Berlin signs up does anything usually happen.

  In the end, big European initiatives seldom come to pass at all unless the two largest founding states bury their differences and do a deal.

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• The Iceland Weather Report | On the Icelandic Prime Ministers Thoughts on the Referendum tomorrow

  Iceland is facing a referendum tomorrow on whether to accept the deal carved out between Iceland, The Netherlands and Britain on the Icesave debt, and its likely to vote no. But will it make any difference. "As if the government wasn’t in enough trouble with public opinion here at home, Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir has publicly announced that she plans to shun the referendum tomorrow.

  “To me it is pointless and I find it is very sad that the first referendum since the founding of the republic revolves around legislation that is already obsolete. Consequently I see no point in taking part in this referendum,” Jóhanna told Fréttablaðið.

  Granted, that opinion is shared by many people. However, in the view of a large proportion of the Icelandic nation, and even of the world*, this referendum is about so much more. Even if this is Jóhanna’s personal opinion, stating it so publicly seems like political harakiri."

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• Key Trends in the World Economy | Germany’s ‘continental economy’ - comparisons to the US, India and China

  John Ross on how Germany's trade figures shows that their economy is 'continental', that is its similiar to the US, India and China as it relies solidly on its European market.
  "The fact that Germany is operating in a continental scale economy, Eurozone Europe, with a fixed exchange rate, allows it to gain or maintain tremendous economies of scale. Conversely introduction of unstable exchange rates,including the possibility for major European trading partners to carry out competitive devaluations, would almost certainly make it impossible for Germany to maintain such a high proportion of exports in its economy - that is it would greatly weaken the 'continental' scale of its economy." Meanwhile…Handelsblatt reports that German Chancellor Angela Merkel yesterday rejected a call from Spanish PM Jose Luis Zapatero for "EU-solidarity" for Greece. She also warned that the euro would not be stable without radical cuts in the budget deficits of member states.

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• Interview with Green Isle hunger strikers

  Interview with Green Isle hunger strikers from Frank Schnittger on Vimeo.

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• Eamon Devoy, General Secretary TEEU outlines background to hunger strike

  Eamon Devoy, General Secretary TEEU outlines background to hunger strike from Frank Schnittger on Vimeo.

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• Juan Cole | Harvard Professor’s Modest Proposal: Starve the Gazans into Having Fewer Babies

  Cole dismantles Martin Kramer's astonishing claim that forcing the Palestinians to have fewer children by starving them would resolve the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
  "Martin Kramer revealed his true colors at the Herzliya Conference, wherein he blamed political violence in the Muslim world on population growth, called for that growth to be restrained, and praised the illegal and unconscionable Israeli blockade of civilian Gazans for its effect on reducing the number of Gazans.

  M. J. Rosenberg argued that Kramer's speech is equivalent to a call for genocide. It certainly is a call for eugenics."

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• Charity worker safe after mob’s adoption anger | Independent.ie

  Haitian's concerned about foreign nationals taking advantage of the catastrope in their country to take children - a justifiable concern - are described as an 'angry mob of Haitian men' when confronting an Irish female 'charity worker' (as opposed to an agent of a private adoption agency).
  "When we arrived at the airport we were surrounded by an angry mob of Haitian men," she told the Irish Independent. "They started getting very aggressive and were shouting at us. It was very scary, especially for the kids."

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• Shell Corrib Gas - Who are the real Thugs & Bullies? | Indymedia Ireland

  A number of high profile Shell to Sea campaigners including 'the Chief' Pat O'Donnell and Maura Harrington sought to appeal certain criminal convictions in cases heard last week at Castlebar Circuit Court from 9th - 11th February. A few of the appeals were successful but some of the convictions were upheld by the court.

  Also Facebook | Pat O'Donnell http://bit.ly/dyK5jh

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• Palestinian Avatar « Louis Proyect: The Unrepentant Marxist

  Bilin Reenacts Avatar Film A.K.A The Palestinian Avatar!

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• Sex, Lies, and Economics: The Amazing Story of Economics and Economists Before Adam Smith | Michael Perelman
  

  Michael Perelman provides some details and short excerpts from his current project a book which he hopes to publish called Invisible Handcuffs. It includes an incredible story of 17th Century economist William Petty, who:

  Besides having the distinction of being the first economist on record to have raised someone from the dead, [...] went on to become one of the dozen founders of the Royal Society, as well as a naval engineer, professor of music, scientist, inventor, assistant to Thomas Hobbes, cartographer, pioneer in public health and demography, member of Parliament, leader in the conquest of Ireland, an adviser to the King, and a notorious land pirate who accumulated hundreds of thousands of acres of confiscated Irish land.

  Proposal

  
  See Hugh Green’s post on William Petty’s economic proposal for Ireland. In fact, there are two Irish connections, as he talks about William Cantillon, of Kerry, too.

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