Big Brother has recaptured reality TV's original mission – holding a mirror up to society
Kuba Shand-Baptiste for the i news site
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Israeli liberals have been radicalised by this war
David Swift for UnHerd
Many Israeli liberals are "now reevaluating their assumptions around the cause of and likely cure for organisations such as Hamas", writes David Swift for UnHerd. "They are beginning to abandon hope of a peaceful future with two states, and have broadly shifted in their view of military action." The problem is, when "even those who normally oppose escalation are now committed to it, the limits of international pressure become clear".
How WhatsApp is ruining Westminster
Katy Balls for The Times
Like in many workplaces, WhatsApp groups "are a part of daily life in Westminster", writes Katy Balls for The Times, but that "can mean official processes around government decisions are circumvented". The use of the app also promotes greater "vitriol" and "factionalism", with MPs happy to "write things on WhatsApp they wouldn't say in an email or text". WhatsApp, of course, "isn't going away", but MPs "would be well advised" to think before they type.
It's time to open up the European Court of Justice
Ilaria Fevola for EUobserver
Very little attention is paid in the EU to "a crucial tenet of democratic accountability – how the EU institutions regulate themselves", writes lawyer Ilaria Fevola for EUobserver. "In stark contrast to several other regional courts, the EU court does not allow for public access to many of its key documents, including those about ongoing proceedings." This must change as the "lack of transparency hinders accountability and undermines trust in EU institutions".
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Political cartoons for December 20Cartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include drowning rats, the ACA, and more
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5 fairly vain cartoons about Vanity Fair’s interviews with Susie WilesCartoon Artists take on demolition derby, alcoholic personality, and more
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Joanna Trollope: novelist who had a No. 1 bestseller with The Rector’s WifeIn the Spotlight Trollope found fame with intelligent novels about the dramas and dilemmas of modern women
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