I tried writing various Christmas posts this morning. Unusually for me, several drafts hit the bin.
It's not a year for inappropriate sentiment.
It hardly needs saying that for most of us this is the weirdest Christmas ever.
I could add some politically relevant comment, but most readers here now the outlook on that front.
Put together, I am aware how stressful Christmas might be.
And, come to that, disappointing too.
Equally, I can't help but feel some hope. This Christmas is about taking pleasure where we can find it. That means it is about finding the right lens. And what underpins much of my work is the belief that there is a chance of peace on earth and a tangible goodwill to all that has the prospect of improving the lot of everyone. I can hope for that this Christmas.
Have the best time that you can.
Take cheer however it is possible.
Happy Christmas, because we know we can do better than this, and that's the hope we celebrate.
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Happy Christmas to you and yours Professor. May it recharge your vigour.
My thoughts are with my aged mother who I am not allowed to visit across the country. And my single friends far and local, who are not allowed to gather with even one other person tomorrow.
I am spending rest of today and tomorrow on phoning each and everyone – with the knowledge that things will certainly get worse before they get better. It is just a day and to make the most of it without the usual orgy of spending drinking and over eating that we have been trained into over the decades.
To embrace the chance to escape such excess and mindless consumption.
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Thanks for your dedication in demystifying and educating us in the dark arts of public finances and breaking the spells of these supposed wise old Wizards who have bamboozled us through the ages with lies about Money and still do through all their stooges – political , media and academic.
Let’s use this Covid Christmas to free ourselves from these chains.
Happy Xmas all and thanks for the chats.
Best wishes for the best Christmas you can have in these strange times.
And to you
Where there is life there is hope, it always should be a duty thing to try and change the world for the better,
All the best to you and all the kind commenters on here.
Richard,
All I can say is that from the point of view of political economy, which is the foundation of the wider social life, you have been one of the few consistent lights in a year marked by the darkness of “doom and disaster” – and it’s not over yet!
Have the Happy Christmas you and your family thoroughly deserve, and I wish for you a successful New Year, for the valuable work you do, and which inspires and enlightens so many of us.
I also extend the best wishes of the season to all your regular interlocutors.
Happy Christmas, Richard, and to all who read this blog.
I too hope things will improve.
Craig
Happy Saturnalia and wassailing.
Nadolig llawen
A Blwyddyn Newydd Dda
Richard
Happy Christmas to you, your family and all your followers.
Yes, Happy Christmas and a Good New Year to you, yours and all the sensible commentators on the blog – the ones who will take no for an answer, and hence illumiante and increase my understanding. Many thanks for all your your efforts.
A bit of a downbeat message for you, Richard, but nonetheless appropriate and heartfelt as usual. Thanks for yet another year providing so many of us with what’s always a thought provoking, interesting and sometimes challenging blog. Although I seldom comment these days I remain an avid reader and hope that long continues.
So, very best wishes to you and your boys for what for all of us, here and abroad, will be at best a constrained and at worst a painful Xmas and New Year. Hopefully 2021 will see a gradual improvement on the Covid front, though I doubt the same can be said of the political, not least becuase the people of the UK will gradually learn the true and enduring cost of the insanity of Brexit.
Ivan
Always good to have you on here
Have a good a Christmas
Richard
Best wishes for Christmas, Hogmanay and 2021. Back to the old in Scotland as Christmas Day only became a public holiday in 1961 I believe, and Boxing Day still isn’t officially a holiday. While of course we still have the 1st and 2nd of January as holidays. It is an ill wind that blows no good and in this case perhaps the orgy of excessive commercialism that Christmas has turned into for many will have been permanently restrained somewhat.
Maybe….
I’m not strong on any Gaelic (Welsh, Scottish or other wise) and feel some what lacking in culture department so I’ll make myself look interesting by saying:
‘Samtsirhc Yppah dna a Raey Wen Yppah’
Hmmm……………..somehow I don’t think it works.
All the best to you Richard and to all who visit this great site. I find it a bit strange when I am getting cards wishing a ‘merry xmas’, there is little merry about it. Covid19 is horrendous, but, the added stress of Brexit looming, is another horror facing the people of the UK. Scotland in particular though, in being dragged out of the EU against their will is another dreadful added tradegy, it really adds insult to injury in the extreme.
2021 has to be the year that Scotland leaves the UK.
Nollaig Chridheil agus Bliadhna Mhath Ùr! (especially for PSR!)
Wishing a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to Richard, with my thanks to him for providing so much opinion, learning, insight and debate on this forum, and also to all who contribute to that debate here. My earnest hope for 2021 is that we’ll see a taming of the Covid threat worldwide, a realisation globally that preserving the planet for all its species is the biggest and most important priority of all nations and their citizens, more sense and principle in politics, which might result in positive action on the climate emergency. For my homeland I wish for the emergence of a state where real democracy prevails, where we can actually vote out governments which fail us, where we don’t live under the constant threat of nuclear annihilation and where a more egalitarian society thrives.
I’ve got a bottle of very good champers waiting in the cupboard for Scottish Independence, but I’d be happy to open it for any one of the other wishes and buy replacement(s) for all the rest.
Go well Ken
And the same to you Ken.
You’ve inspired me to dig into my Scottish ancestry that’s for sure!
Up early this morning, getting the log burner going (dried wood and all of that) warming up the living room for when the kids comes down.
Scottish oats for breakfast!
But also awoke thinking about those less fortunate than one’s self and what a year they have had as a result of having a Government who cannot help them because its sole aim is to destroy what is left and not sustain it.
“Take cheer however you can.” That about sums it up this year. And we who say it, and hear it, are all still around, so that’s a good thing.
I plan to shut away news today, and just chill. Contact a few friends, have a nice meal with my husband, open a couple of packages, and maybe listen to some of my favourite music. We are warm, housed, solvent, fed, and still ambient to some extent. That’s enough for today.
I hope you do the same, Richard. And maybe take a nice walk and do some birdwatching?
It looks good for that
And the dog needs to go out….
Have a good one
Happy Christmas Richard to you and yours.
Thank you for your blog. It’s compulsory reading for me every day and anyone within earshot. All power to your keyboard.
Thanks
Happy Christmas
Nadolig Llawen, Richard – and to all of good will where-ever they may be.
And to you Jeni
Best wishes to you and your family too Richard.
We celebrate Christmas and the solstice on Christmas Eve in the Thomas family (I’m unable to give up the French tradition) as well as today. House usually full of noise and laughs, and some controlled chaos with 2 extra dogs…not this year.
There will be nice food and some bubbles, I hope there will also be laughs, there will be lots of love without hugs because although it’s always there, it needs to be shared more than ever in anxious times….but it’s such a strange one…looking out of the window, a magnificent sunrise, pinky purple, let’s enjoy.
Enjoy!
Happy Christmas
Richard
A belated Happy Christmas Richard, and to everyone else who posts on here. Here’s hoping for a better year next year…..
There are glimmers of light; the vaccines, a ‘deal’, however poor, rather than the insanity of no-deal. And as Jan says, I at least can count my blessings. Solvent, able to wfh on 100% salary, in a warm house with ample (especially of the alcoholic variety) supplies of the necessaries, and in an area where I have easy access to walks and fresh air.
Three dogs tend to keep me occupied in that respect. Thanks for the vast amount of work you put in, and, especially , for your tireless promotion of MMT. Whpo knows, it might bear fruit sooner or later, even with this government.
And thanks for publishing my rants.