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Whether lazing by the seaside during the summer, or escaping to exotic beaches during the winter, coastal regions have always been a space for relaxing. This form of travel is called ‘Coastal Tourism’, which is defined as  the temporary movement of people to aquatic environments or ‘blue spaces’. 

The post Beaches, when did they stop being sexy? appeared first on Progress in Political Economy (PPE).

Somebody needs to give him a big steaming cup of covfefe to wake him up!

It would be fairly uncontroversial to describe Ukraine’s recent military advance into Russia’s Kursk region as a deliberate provocation. Kyiv’s claim that it was intended chiefly to prod Moscow towards a negotiated peace, if true, appears to ignore Vladimir Putin’s tendency to stick to his guns in the face of embarrassments. Emboldened by the initial Continue reading »

This short history of China over the last three decades is mainly based on the first of a three part series in the SCMP. It describes how the adoption of neo-liberalism by President Deng made China rich but also created social problems that President Xi is trying to fix. President Deng enabled China to become Continue reading »

In many ways the American capitalist economy has been a remarkable success story. But is it any longer compatible with environmental or social stability. Should countries like Australia be so closely connected to it? Continue reading »

The organisation Physicians for Human Rights Israel issued an urgent global appeal on 17 June on behalf of the children of Gaza, demanding “immediate and decisive action from the international community to prevent further loss of life and to address the dire and immediate needs of Gaza’s most vulnerable population”. The care and protection of children Continue reading »

How comfy the throne, how rapid the change; a humble Republican from a riverbank shack is plotting to be King of Indonesia surrounded by his regal family of political courtiers. Young Indonesians have had enough of outgoing President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s blatant nepotism, the rise of dynastic politics and a return of the oligarchs. Furious Continue reading »

One of Lyndon Johnson’s sage pieces of political advice was that one should never get into a piss fight with a skunk. Kamala Harris should take note. But so should Anthony Albanese, who is inadequately equipped for an argument over AUKUS and the submarine deal with his predecessor Paul Keating. The want of equipment is Continue reading »

I read the daily Pearls and Irritations email without fail. I read the daily Pearls and Irritations email without fail and usually find various pieces I want to read. Its speciality is comments on current policy debates from former senior public servants, who write with insight and much more candour than they did in former Continue reading »

Past experience of Donald Trump is fuelling intense anxiety among the allies and partners of America; that oddly fearful collection of wealthy supplicant states. As Trump’s prospects of electoral success seem to fade, the issue becomes, will Kamala Harris carve out a different foreign policy path as president from Biden’s failed doctrine? For American commentators Continue reading »

How walking in the woods changes your brain.

The post Can Trees Heal You? appeared first on Nautilus.

The Guardian went to Pennsylvania: As Donald Trump emerged to a thunderous roar of approval in the heart of Pennsylvania’s Rust belt, he was back in his comfort zone among the people who once put him in power. But by the time he stepped off the stage nearly two hours later, even some of the former US president’s supporters were wondering whether his rallies are doing his re-election campaign more harm than good. Apparently this county is indicative of the entire region where Pennsylvania could be decided by turnout. The Republican party there has been overwhelmed by infighting with hardcore MAGA weirdos who have recently taken over the local party so they really need Trump to get out the vote. Frank Scavo, a businessman and ardent Trump supporter who was part of a coup that took hold of the county Republican party earlier this year, was clear before the rally about what he wanted to hear from Trump. “These rallies fire up the base to go out there and knock on doors. His base will walk on fire for him, but plenty of other Republicans don’t vote. Are they demoralised? Do they think their vote doesn’t count? Most of it is apathy.

As Harris vows to tackle grocery store prices, the grocery chains are doing everything they can to bypass regulators and merge into a price-gouging behemoth.

If faced with a Democratic Donald Trump what would you do? Someone once asked me who I thought would be the Democratic equivalent of Donald Trump would be and I said Kanye West. He’s world famous, extremely wealthy, narcissistic, unstable, politically ambitious, totally unself-aware and manifestly unfit — except it turned out that he’s actually a right wing anti-semite. I might have said Robert F. Kennedy Jr too at one time, except he’s now endorsed Donald Trump. I’m sure there must be some truly crazy lefty out there who would be a bridge too far for many Democrats but that combination of authoritarianism, pathological character flaws, overwhelming ignorance and demagogic talent seems to inevitably drift toward the right these days. That is not to say that voters aren’t always subject to emotional attachment to their leaders in both parties. In recent decades, Republicans practically worshipped Ronald Reagan and Democrats were head over heels for Barack Obama. There was even a time when even George W. Bush was practically deified.

Trolling, trolling, trolling the Trump campaign The Harris campaign is trying some mind-fuckery with the former president over debate rules. Donald Trump is still looking for a way to back out and complained Sunday night about holding the next debate on ABC, reports The New York Times: “I ask, why would I do the Debate against Kamala Harris on that network?” he wrote. He continued, misspelling the name of the Democratic strategist Donna Brazile and using a disparaging nickname for the news anchor George Stephanopoulos: “Will panelist Donna Brazil give the questions to the Marxist Candidate like she did for Crooked Hillary Clinton? Will Kamala’s best friend, who heads up ABC, do likewise. Where is Liddle’ George Slopadopolus hanging out now? Will he be involved. They’ve got a lot of questions to answer!!! Why did Harris turn down Fox, NBC, CBS, and even CNN? Stay tuned!!!” Hand the nuclear codes again to that infant?

Achilles had his heel It doesn’t require and advanced degree in psychology to see it. Donald Trump has grumbled his entire adult life that “the world” is laughing at “us” (meaning the United States). Mr. Bundle of Insecurities harbors deep anxieties about being laughed at himself. He’s not very bright. He’s undereducated. He’s overweight. He’s a “tycoon” who sucks at business and cheats at golf. He got where he is with daddy’s money. Underneath the bluster and bullying in recesses of his psyche he dare not explore (self-examination is for the weak), he knows it. Throughout the sad history of Trumpism, comedians have garnered tons of laughs at Trump’s expense. At the White House Correspondents’ dinner in 2011, Seth Meyers famously quipped, “Trump said he’s running as a Republican. Which is surprising; I just assumed he was running as a joke.” The audience roared. Trump seethed. “That evening of public abasement, rather than sending Mr.

Durov’s Russian, and an interesting guy. He refused to cooperate when Russia asked him for user information, for example. He appears to believe in the principle of freedom of speech, which is radical at this point. Telegram was banned in Russia from 2018 to 2021.