Notes
Shocked. I would not like to be a member of the Government having to make a decision on this. So much is at stake. Lives that may be lost if Covid gets out of control again, businesses that may never re open. Jobs lost. The problem now compared to March is that a significant percentage of the population will refuse to comply. What then?
The only possible solution I see is that the Central Bank goes full helicopter cash direct to the private sector.
Facebook says it may quit Europe
Hurry up already. FB’s latest court action is the equivalent of giving two fingers to our European data regulations.
RIP the rule of law in the UK Astonishing, but not surprising behaviour.
The future of Retail
I’m thinking a lot about retail. 3 pieces that have caught my eye in the last few days.
How to save Irish retail. Stephen Kinsella.€ subscription required. Worth it if interested in Irish business. One crucial factor not mentioned here is logistics costs. It costs us €6 to ship a box to a customer in Ireland, including Northern Ireland, but more than 3 times that to Britain. Amazon is a logistics company operating at enormous scale. If we want to help Irish retailers sell more in Europe, looking at innovative ways to reduce logistics costs would be a good place to begin.
Just finished reading: The Man Who Solved The Market: How Jim Simons Launched The Quant Revolution by Gregory Zuckerman 📚
Interesting read. Also made me think more about the influence of money on politics which I didn’t expect.
[The French will have to build a wall … – Progressive Pulse](www.progressivepulse.org/brexit/th…
Headline of the day for me.
After the race. Howth 17
How Covid-19 Signals the End of the American Era - Rolling Stone
“No empire long endures, even if few anticipate their demise”
Restrictions on Kildare, Laois and Offaly could be extended to other counties, NPHET warns
If meat plants can not be operated safely and result in regional lockdowns which affect everyone, perhaps we should just close them.
Farmers dont make much, if anything. So who benefits?
On not opening pubs
Am relieved the Government has delayed phase 4 reopening. I feel for pub owners that don’t offer meals but there is really no choice but to keep them closed if we want to keep this virus at a low level.
The Government should, however, just be honest and tell them it’s unlikely that they will be allowed open for the rest of the year at least.
TikTok and the Sorting Hat — Remains of the Day
Interesting read.
Fire and Fawning Good questions from Scott Galloway.
Adam Tooze · Whose century? After the Shock · LRB 30 July 2020
Interesting read.