Sunset on the Billy B by Emma Alessandri
Dear Bubble readers,
those of you who know me already will also know that I tend to use this space to explain a bit of Brexit (except on Valentine’s Day – on Valentine’s Day, I discuss Tesco Rinse Aid). However, today I am in the mood for telling you a very Italian story – and not only because, when it comes to Brexit (and potentially other topics), I can confidently claim that I understand absolutely nothing.
It will be a beautiful year. These exact words were pronounced at the dawn of 2019 by the Italian premier Giuseppe Conte, who was leading possibly the most ill-assorted coalition government ever formed (between the far-right Lega party and the populist Five-Star Movement).
To the surprise of those who are pure in heart, 2019 has not been beautiful to Italy. The aforementioned ill-assorted coalition government was brought down by Salvini (the leader of the Lega) to be replaced by possibly the second most ill-assorted government ever formed, from which Salvini’s party was left out. To some of you, this may seem like an utterly stupid political move, but if you take some time to develop a more sophisticated understanding of the facts, it is actually even more utterly stupid than it first appears.
The bottom line is that the Italian version of the sentence It will be a beautiful year now drips sarcasm from every word.
The Bubble too has undergone many changes in the last few months. We have a brand new Exec and many new additions to the editorial board. All these wonderful people will work with me to keep this boat afloat and make it go the distance. With them on board, I am absolutely certain it will be a very unironically beautiful year.
With the Editor’s picks of the week, I feel we have already kicked it off with a bang:
Annalise Murray – Lab-grown Grub: Watch This Space
Photo by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
“Good news for vegetarians, vegans, and anybody else of a plant-based persuasion: we can now grow meat in space.”
Cara Balen – The Ernst and Young Seminar: What it Teaches us About Gender Essentialism
“Ernst and Young has made the news recently by contributing to the ‘Me Too’ movement. Unfortunately it is not lending its voice to the powerful women who have shared their stories about sexual discrimination, but instead adding to the harmful stereotyping carried out by large-scale corporations on a daily basis.”
Niccolo Balducci – The Enlargement of The European Union: a Goal (Not) to Strive Towards
Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images. Available on Needpix.com under Creative Commons
Niccolo Balducci discusses why enlargement would be harmful to the EU at this current time.
Will Guy – Protests in Chile: It’s Not The Place You Think It Is
Fire raging amidst protests in Santiago by Will Guy.
In this breath-taking piece, Will Guy explains the current Chilean situation with the detailed knowledge and emotional impact that only an eyewitness can convey.
Harrison Newsham – Can Poetry be Silent? A Review of Raymond Antrobus’
Spoiler: shush, no spoilers.
May it be a horrible year! All the best,
Æ
Featured Image: Sunset on Elvet Bridge by Rebecca Winstanley