Newsweek – why doesn’t Chirac step down?

Chirac acts like a man who doesn’t know his wife has moved out. Asked last week who he thought was most likely to succeed him, the president smiled widely and replied, “I think that subject is altogether premature.”

It’s not, of course, so check out this lengthy profile of likely successor Nicholas Sarkozy in Foreign Policy.

Meanwhile in Spain it’s Church vs. State all over again as the Pope tackles socialism (well, Gay marriage at any rate), while A Logical Voice and Dear Kitty are planning to take on pollution by Blogging for Greenpeace as part of the 2005 Blogathon, so give them some support and stuff.

And if you want a struggle, how about trying to get to grips with the workings of the European Central Bank’s monetary policy, via The Economist? Or how about a look at how the political elite is ignoring the people (rather bizarrely that article seems to think this is a new phenomenon…)

Or why not try some of the quandries on show at the Philosophers’ Carnival or the many fascinating tidbits at the History Carnival. While you’re doing that, and in the spirit of Proms season, you could update your classical music library at Classic Cat. Good stuff.

Finally, Anne Applebaum’s attempts to work out the world’s attitude to America are rather entertaining. Loads of statistics, lots of theories, but somehow manages to avoid the basic answer: we like America but we hate Bush. I’d have thought that was obvious by now?

Update: Britblog Roundup 22 is good to go, courtesy, as per usual, of one Mr. T. Worstall.