Henry Farrell has the best round-up on the disgusting remarks by Silvio Berlusconi that I’ve found. “Berlusconi has not only managed to reinvigorate European debates about whether hes fit for office; hes insulted Germany, the most powerful state in the European Union, in the most offensive manner possible.”
“According to [Médecins sans Frontières], more money is invested in treatments to increase sex drive and beauty than in drugs for tropical diseases.” Such reports make one despair about the next 60 years (see below). Of course, organisations like MSF are trying to hold back the tide.
Spencer Wells: “Around 20,000 years ago there are no people in America; 40,000 years ago you notice a change in Europe — the Neanderthals are in charge. At 50,000 years ago Australia is part of an uninhabited continent. Before that (apart from the Neanderthals) you only find people living in Africa. Interesting. You head back to 100,000 years ago just to make sure. There seem to be more people – but still limited to Africa — and finally settle on 60,000 years ago as the low point. Then there were as few as 2,000 humans in existence. The worst time in the history of our species; one we nearly didn’t survive.”
Having listened this morning to a radio programme about vulcanology (ah, the joys of Radio 4), 60,000 years really does seem a blink of an eye ago. I am struck speechless by this statistic. In only 60,000 years, to go from near extinction to our current civilisation and 6 billion people. It’s humbling to think of the uncertainty of the next 60, 600, 6,000 and certainly 60,000 years.
Fresh from seeing Dave at Harvard, Neil McIntosh has a balanced report on the movement to ensure weblogs transform electoral politics for the better.