Oliver Wiseman
In defence of globalisation
Free trade is not without costs — but those costs are outweighed by the benefits. And where costs exist, the answer to “open” is rarely “closed”
Where have all the people gone?
Hot and crowded. That is the conventional wisdom on what Planet Earth will be like in the not-so-distant future. But the related question of how many of us there will be in 50 or 100 years matters too
Overrated: Hunter S. Thompson
The high priest of “gonzo” journalism took pride in making stories up — his legacy should be deplored
Liberalism’s identity crisis
The American Left has taken refuge in an intellectual dead end, argues Mark Lilla
Deep History Or Just Conspiracy?
Built on misreadings and deceptive elisions, Nancy MacLean’s Democracy In Chains reframes the colourful tale of the American Right as a dank, dark conspiracy
Overrated: John Bercow
The self-aggrandising Speaker has confused the importance of his office with that of its holder
Trust Westminster On Brexit: It’s All We’ve Got
The anti-politics of Nigel Farage contributed to the referendum result, but it won’t help Theresa May take on Brussels successfully
Underrated: Nick Clegg
The record of the former Liberal Democrat leader and Deputy Prime Minister is too easily ridiculed
Why Remoaners should back Boris
“Boris, ironically, now offers Remoaners the best chance of a soft Brexit, or at least a sensible one. And to those who want a second referendum—’the people’s vote’—there may even be a chance of that too.”
On the road
“In the summer of 1980, in the grip of some Kerouac-ish fantasy, I opted to hitch-hike from Laredo to New York”
Discovering the Great War of China
A third of a million Chinese labourers helped the Allies defeat the Kaiser, but their huge unsung contribution ended in betrayal