Alex Massie

Ramesh Ponnuru has written a splendid op-ed for today's New York Times. Splendid, not because it is new or especially original, but because, alas, it's central message needs repeating until, eventually, even the more dunderheaded class of Republican Congressman hears the message. And it is a simple message. Namely, that asking 'What would Ronald Reagan do?' is almost about as useful as mining Martin van Buren, George II or Charlemagne for policy advice that will help solve today's problems. I exaggerate of course, but only for effect. We are not now as we were then. Or, as Mr Ponnuru puts it: Republicans are very good at tending the fire of Ronald Reagan’s memory but not nearly as good at learning from his successes.

I see that Con Coughlin is at it again. Apparently, you see, Barack Obama has "taken leave of reality". How so? By declaring that al-Qaeda is but "a shadow of its former self". That seems a reasonable statement to me. Moreover, the sensible response to that declaration is surely I should bloody well hope so. Otherwise what have we - that is, chiefly, the US Armed Forces - been doing these past dozen years? According to Con, however, the President is, at best, hopelessly naive and, more probably, abdicating from his responsibilities. You see: Is he forgetting that it is only five months since Chris Stevens, the US ambassador to Libya, died following an attack on the American Consulate in Benghazi by al-Qaeda militants?

I've been on Jura on a Wedding Planning Immersion Course* these past few days so, apart from noting that the Pope is retiring (upon which I have no opinion), I've not been paying little attention to the outside world. Some things have crept through, however. Among them this splendid obituary in today's Telegraph. The intro is arresting and in the best tradition of Telegraph obituaries: Jungleyes Love, who has died aged 56, was an Old Harrovian hippie who traded in runic jewellery, dinosaur eggs and fossilised animal excrement, which he sold from his shop on the tourist trail to Kew Gardens in south-west London. Well, you want to know more, don't you? It may not surprise you to discover that Mr Love died unmarried. *Which, I'll have you know, I survived more or less intact.

Borgen - the title refers to the Danish equivalent of Holyrood or Westminster - has been terrifically popular amongst those people interested in sub-titled political dramas from Denmark. I fancy that viewers in England have simply enjoyed the programme for what it is: a well-made but impossibly smug piece of "progressive" political propaganda. In Scotland, however, it has been seen as something different: a glimpse of the future. Or, at any rate, one future. In one sense this is reasonable. Even if it is only a TV show, one can see why Scots - and nationalists especially - should be thrilled by a drama showing how the ineffably right-on leader of a small northern European nation can make a mark upon the world. No wonder Nicola Sturgeon is on record expressing her admiration for Borgen.

Some jokes just write themselves. Hurrah for Ireland: The former head of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland has been appointed chairman of Horse Sport Ireland. Prof Patrick Wall, who was the first chief executive of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and has been a prolific commentator on the recent horsemeat in burgers scandal, takes up his position on the board of equine body today. [...]  "The thoroughbred guys have a saying, Brazil for the coffee, France for the wine and Ireland for the horses," he said, and public reaction to the horse meat scandal was evidence that "horses have a special place in Ireland". Indeed.