The polls from Focaldata and Savanta point to a terrible Conservative defeat, but not a terminal event, as 1924 was for the Liberals. The French general election, OTOH, may be the most consequential … (View Post)

I think they're mostly populist nonsense, but if they outpoll the Conservatives in this election, I expect you'd see droves of Conservative office holders switching to them. There would not… (View Post)

It's a tax, in practice, even if it's called insurance. (View Post)

I think it wants to be right wing, but is too incompetent to be right wing. (View Post)

Like so many wars, it completely destroyed the State that launched it. The Eastern Empire was bloodied but unbowed, and remained a major power for another 600 years. The Sassanid monarchy was swept a… (View Post)