May 1 2024 William White is right (Letters, April 29) to say that John Maynard Keynes regarded the rate of interest as “highly conventional”, but he should have quoted the whole sentence from chapter 15 of The General Theory: “The difficulties in the way of [full employment] ensue from the association of a conventional and … Continue reading Letter: The reason Keynes argued for an active fiscal policy
Category: Journalism
The Language of Political Control
April 19, 2024 ROBERT SKIDELSKY George Orwell’s great contribution to dystopian literature was not his depiction of the modern surveillance state, but rather his insight that if everyone used only state-approved language, surveillance would become redundant. The difference today is that Newspeak has emerged from the mechanisms of liberal democracy itself. LONDON – Language shapes … Continue reading The Language of Political Control
Post-Capitalist Pessimism
March 21, 2024 ROBERT SKIDELSKY Faced with a choice between parasitic capitalism and emerging neo-fascism, it is no wonder that Western societies are increasingly pessimistic. While pessimism has pervaded previous eras, today's mood is sustained, and partly defined, by the absence of a redemptive vision. LONDON – In 2003, the literary critic Fredric Jameson famously observed … Continue reading Post-Capitalist Pessimism
The Lost Peace (Short Version)
As the Ukrainian war enters its third year, there has been renewed, if rather limp, talk of a ceasefire followed by negotiations. The premise is that since neither side can ‘win’, it makes sense to start making peace. Few now remember that the war almost ended before it got going. On 24 February 2022, Russia … Continue reading The Lost Peace (Short Version)
The UK Labour Party’s Green-Energy Debacle
February 19, 2024 ROBERT SKIDELSKY Labour leaders' decision to abandon their highly publicized Green Prosperity Plan underscores the party’s ongoing failure to articulate a coherent response to Conservative criticism. Instead of focusing on bolstering their fiscal credentials, Labour leaders should reconnect with the party's Keynesian roots. LONDON – Following months of speculation and infighting, the … Continue reading The UK Labour Party’s Green-Energy Debacle
What we should tell our grandchildren about AI
They will see the promise—it is incumbent on us to alert them to the threat, or humanity will perish 14th November 2023 My new book, The Machine Age, is an ambitious—possibly overambitious—attempt to understand the human condition at this moment in time, through the prism of our relationship with machinery. The book is structured around three … Continue reading What we should tell our grandchildren about AI
Marx and Keynes can free Labour from its budget bind
Rachel Reeves needs a new economic narrative to break the fear of deficits and debt 24th November 2023 To observe the basic thinking behind Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement on 22 November, and how Rachel Reeves will respond, is to find that the Chancellor and his shadow inhabit the same mental universe. They both aim to … Continue reading Marx and Keynes can free Labour from its budget bind
Britain’s Post Office Scandal and the Rule of Law
January 18, 2024 ROBERT SKIDELSKY The wrongful prosecution and conviction of more than 900 postmasters highlights the erosion of the systems designed to uphold institutional accountability in the United Kingdom. It also underscores the growing threat of a legal paradigm in which individuals are presumed guilty until proven innocent. LONDON – A new TV drama … Continue reading Britain’s Post Office Scandal and the Rule of Law
How to Prevent an AI Apocalypse
December 19, 2023 ROBERT SKIDELSKY While techno-optimists celebrate AI’s potential to reshape the world, we must mitigate the risks these new tools pose to communities and to humanity. To prevent the rich and powerful from monopolizing the fruits of technological innovation, we must ensure that the benefits of increased productivity are distributed equitably. LONDON – … Continue reading How to Prevent an AI Apocalypse
Peacekeeping, Past and Present
November 20, 2023 ROBERT SKIDELSKY Between 1815 and 1914, the Concert of Europe served as a crucial peacekeeping mechanism, enabling the continent to avoid a major war. Drawing the right lessons from its successes and eventual failure can help us strive to recreate the conditions that led to an imperfect but durable peace. LONDON – … Continue reading Peacekeeping, Past and Present
Robert Skidelsky 