NY Observer > United Kingdom

U.K. Shedding Brokers

Tom Acitelli — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:17:40 -0400

Across the pond, as many as 15,000 real estate brokers could be out of work by the end of 2008, the Wall Street Journal reports this morning. That's roughly 5 percent of the United Kingdom's 300,000 brokers.

The cause? High seller expectations and buyer skittishness. Things aren't as bad in the U.K. as in the U.S., but the psychology of home-hunting, like here, has changed.

Mr. Harrison, a 23-year-old first-time buyer in Liverpool, said he and his partner had viewed 27 properties and considered all but two to be overpriced. They made an offer on one. "It needed £10,000 [$20,000] of work, so we took off £10,000 and [the seller] wasn't very happy. If we don't find [a place to buy] by the end of July, we'll rent for another six months," he said. "It's well worth the wait to save astronomical amounts of money."

Brace Yourselves--Trouble Across the Pond

Tom Acitelli — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 11:54:05 -0500

The once-mighty British economy is buckling, and the effects could be felt in New York City. The Wall Street Journal reports this morning:

The investment-banking business is already stalling, potentially eliminating thousands of high-paid jobs and demand for everything from tailored suits to high-end hunting trips. read more »

T.G.I.M., Really!

Moira Hodgson — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 20:00:00 -0400

The Monday Room is no ordinary restaurant. read more »

International Popularity: North Korea Up, Iran Down

Observer Staff — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 04:17:23 -0500

A nationwide Quinnipiac poll gauged the popularity of various countries with American voters and found that North Korea became slightly more popular, Iran became less popular and Hugo Chavez's Venezuela stayed the same. Here are the current approval ratings of the most popular and least popular countries, along with their scores from a Quinnipiac survey back in November.

1) England - 77.9 (78.9)

2) Canada - 75.4 (73.4)

3) Israel - 66.5 (68.2)

[skip]

12) Venezuela - 30.3 (30.9)

13) Iraq - 27.1 (25.9)

14) Palestinian Government - 24.3 (23.8)

15) Syria - 23.8 (24.3)

16) Cuba - 21.8 (24.1)

17) North Korea - 15.7 (13.5)

18) Iran - 13.5 (15.5) read more »

The full list is after the jump. -- Azi Paybarah

Mad About Madras; Durang, They Sang

John Heilpern — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 19:00:00 -0500

All of Harley Granville-Barker’s great Edwardian plays are about moral corruption, which accou read more »

Apted’s Ledger of Life Is Labor of Love

Andrew Sarris — Sun, 08 Oct 2006 20:00:00 -0400

Michael Apted’s 49 Up continues and possibly concludes the most remarkable chronicle of a slic read more »

Apted's Ledger of Life Is Labor of Love

Andrew Sarris — Sun, 08 Oct 2006 20:00:00 -0400

Michael Apted’s 49 Up continues and possibly concludes the most remarkable chronicle of a slice of read more »

Daniel Pipes Raises the Issue of Dual Loyalty

Observer Staff — Sat, 22 Jul 2006 08:27:18 -0400

In a recent column, neocon Daniel Pipes openly questions the loyalties of British Muslims.

Polling indicates that a majority of Muslims perceive a conflict between their British and Muslim identities. Two polls show that only a small proportion identifies itself first as a British (7% and 12%), but they differ widely on the number who identify first with their religion (81% and 46%).

Pipes concludes, "Britain's potential terrorists live in a highly nurturing community."

His point is well taken. Terrorism is a hearts-and-minds issue. Terrorists draw strength, both in finances and in morale, from law-abiding communities. One reason I am for Islamic reformers.

Pipes's point also opens the door on my question: How important is Israel, politically/religiously, in the hearts and minds of the neoconservatives and other Jewish hawks? I think, very large. For instance, former Bush speechwriter David Frum describes America as "this new Israel," while Elliott Abrams, Bush's aide on Middle East matters, writes:

Outside the land of Israel, there can be no doubt that Jews, faithful to the covenant between God and Abraham, are to stand apart from the nation in which they live. It is the very nature of being Jewish to be apart--except in Israel--from the rest of the population....

The neocons, along with a lot of Democratic hawks, have thoroughly conflated American and Israeli interests, to the detriment of U.S. foreign policy. They honestly believe our interests and Israel's are congruent. I think they're wrong, and Americans should debate this. And if it's legitimate to talk about how Muslims identify themselves, and I think it is, it is also fair to ask how important Israel is to rightwing Jewish-Americans who have pushed for war with Iraq, Syria and Iran.

Bye-Bye to Brick Lane- Monica Ali Changes Tack

Celia Mcgee — Sun, 25 Jun 2006 20:00:00 -0400

Monica Ali is not a subscriber to the guest-worker school of fiction, the vaguely held assumption th read more »

New Yorkers' Anglophilia: Will Nothing Cure Them?

John Heilpern — Sun, 25 Jun 2006 20:00:00 -0400

God preserve us from the British upper classes! read more »