Presidential hopefuls' Dilemma

Dear Sir,

Ryan Bourne, in Cruz and Rubio dazzle CPAC, but conservatives running out of ideas to stop Trump – 6 March 2016, does not know how to stop Donald Trump, but he overlooks the simplest answer. If two of the non-Trump candidates (Senators Cruz or Rubio, or Governor Kasich) were to drop out, Republican votes for the remaining candidate would overwhelm those received by Mr. Trump.

The situation is similar to the classic game of Prisoner’s Dilemma, where each person is pursuing rational self-interest by remaining in the race, but the outcome for the group is worse. Should Kasich and Rubio drop out because Cruz has won more states? Or should Cruz drop out because Kasich and Rubio can potentially pick up more seats from moderates and independents in the remaining centrist states and the general election? The solution is clear, but not its implementation.

Sincerely,

Diana Furchtgott-Roth

Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Washington DC, USA     |    @FurchtgottRoth

Trouble Brewer-ing

As a ‘No’ voter in the Scottish Referendum and a Tory voter, the view taken by Julia exactly echoes the the SNP approach to the Scottish referendum. She talks about Project Fear and accuses Cameron of lies.

Meanwhile, just like the SNP last year, she promises a land of milk and honey if we follow her line and vote for ‘Leave’ but does not in any way quantify the benefits.

If any party could be accused of projecting a Fear agenda then it is the Leave campaign who forecast all sorts of problems if we stay in . She does not accept that to renegotiate a new deal with the EU we will have to agree to many of the issues leaving is supposed to eliminate.

When will the ultra right wingers come clean and admit the real agenda behind the Leavers?

Jim Gardiner , Edinburgh, Scotland

I think Julia has been so impressive on “Question Time” and in other media appearances that she should be a candidate for primary spokesperson, leader, of the whole “Leave” campaign. I am sure she would be a formidable opponent for Cameron or Osborne in any debates about leaving the EU.

Michael Kennedy, Reading, Berkshire, UK

Damp Dossier

In response to Brexit would be a disaster for Europe – 27th February 2016.

All fine and dandy Declan, but those continental EU democrats you wistfully refer to had the chance of enhancing Cameron’s timid EU reform program and all 27 of them blew it. Cameron’s final offering, itself further watered down by all of the above, is so risible that it will certainly be rejected by British voters on the 23rd June.

Even journalists at the Mirror, Guardian, and Independent (three of the most europhile titles in Fleet Street) have had trouble keeping a straight face when referring to the Prime Minister’s efforts at EU reform. It will come to be known as the shortest “Dear John” letter in the history of the EU.

Paul Cadier , Hampshire, UK     |    @PaulHenriCadier

Everyone keeps banging about Norway both as a model for Brexit or from the other side that it adopts most of the EU directives anyway. Norway is a country with a high standard of living because it is rich. It is rich because of oil, not because it is, or is not part of the EU.

There is a perception in Norway, rightly or wrongly, that most EU directives are adopted. They are part of Schengen, and have a much worse immigration problem than the UK in relation to their size. Thinking about a Norwegian model makes no sense.

Richard Mocatta, Oslo, Norway

Whole-heartedly agree with, what I think, is the main point of Forget Boris, forget Michael Gove: this is the big EU development – 29th Febraury 2016. Cameron’s “musical chairs” campaign, running around after everybody, waiting to be thrown a bone, has merely confirmed what most of us feel about the unelected Mandarins of the EU. They will throw out the odd verbal platitude “bone” but it will have been picked clean. Since we joined this insidious cartel in 1973/75 we have been campaigning to change one thing or the other (the first being the “wine lakes” and “butter mountains”) and we have got virtually nowhere.

They are so very happy to take our money and then throw us the odd kipper to keep those jolly, good-egg English people quiet and they know that we will almost always play by the rules.

So let’s hope that Cameron has inadvertently spotlighted that the very thing he was hoping would clinch the deal and have us vote ‘Yes’ will, in fact. prove that he has shot himself in the foot and have us marching proudly through the gates and back to where we British belong…….in charge of our own fate.

Michael Lovell, Harols Wood, Essex

TAG Heuer vs. tagging

I’m very much with James Clark on the subject of electronic watches in Luxury smart watches: future or fad? – 4th March 2016. The last thing I need is some digital torturer reminding me that someone has emailed/tweeted/posted etc. It is reminiscent of an increasing trend in domestic appliances, or cars, to have some annoying beep or cheep remind one to do something one is quite capable of doing oneself.

I take great pleasure in using my automatic watches, just as I do my phone or iPad. I just see no need to have them integrated for me by an electronic busybody on my wrist.

Lewis Moonie, Dundee, Scotland

Pirate of the Sub-Saharan

Mugabe, still selling trinkets to passing ships, his just taken his nation back another 300 years, a system he has been criticizing for 30 years, has once again being imposed by himself.
Mugabe, is a walking dead man, he has nothing left to offer in this life.

Darryl Greyling, Gauteng, South Africa