Peter Ling
As seen in:
Illumination,
Medium,
MDPI,
Taylor & Francis Online,
The Conversation,
The Irish News,
Emerald Publishing,
MENAFN,
Lexology,
History Today
and
Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Peter Ling
Nottingham: The English Origins of Italian Football
Nottingham: The English Origins of Italian Football A story of shirts, politics, and people. Press enter or click to view image in full size Photo by Ben Weber on Unsplash Judging by the times Italy has won the football World Cup compared to England’s solitary 1966 triumph, the English don’t have a lot to teach the Italians about the “beautiful game.” Yet it remains a common bond. This became readily apparent to me when I first visited my wife’s Italian parents.
H.L. Mencken’s Prophesy
H.L. Mencken’s Prophesy Read the following quotation and tell me if it has come true. H.L. Mencken by Ben Pinchot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons “As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people.
MLK: Prophet & Practitioner
MLK: Prophet & Practitioner Martin had a dream, but he also had a plan. He used both nonviolence and oratory pragmatically. Press enter or click to view image in full size Photo by Unseen Histories on Unsplash Whenever the public holiday approaches on January 19, highlights from King’s speeches get an airing. But every day it is fitting to consider how we should remember him.
This is an Insight article, written by a selected contributor as part of GAR's co-published content. Read more on Insight Introduction Few areas of intellectual property combine the technical complexity, commercial stakes and jurisdictional challenges of disputes over standard-essential patents (SEPs) and the obligation to licence them on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms.
Give Lady Liberty a Second Look
Give Lady Liberty a Second Look An ambiguous emblem of America that speaks to our times. Press enter or click to view image in full size Photo by Atahan Güç on Unsplash This July 4th is a good time to reassess some of America’s symbols. You may already know that the Statue of Liberty was given to the United States by the people of France.
Trump’s 80th
However, the steer from the producer was that they wanted to talk about the ways in which Trump might embody the secrets of a long life. That gave me pause. But like anyone in this day and age, I looked it up and the main rules boiled down to seven. Surprisingly, Trump only ignored two. No one, not even the doctors who signed him off as being in good health recently, would say that Trump follows standard advice on diet.
Choose a Life!
Choose a Life! “What is the good life?” Arguably, the biggest question anyone faces: but is it better to seek contentment, meaningfulness, or rich variety? Press enter or click to view image in full size Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash I read the Washington Post most days. It’s a genuflexion to my professional study of American culture. Recently, in its well-being section, there was an interesting piece on what it means to have a ‘good life.’ It offered a very American perspective.
Peter Mandelson: The UK’s Prince of Darkness Takes A Fall
Peter Mandelson: The UK’s Prince of Darkness Takes A Fall Press enter or click to view image in full size Photo by Nicola Ripepi on Unsplash In recent weeks, the news in Britain has been all about the Mandelson Affair. At one point it seemed it might even force Prime Minister Keir Starmer to resign. Overall, it is a parable for our times. Peter Mandelson never came close to the top job (Prime Minister), yet had a special status due to fervid journalism and rancour.
John Milton and Donald Trump
John Milton and Donald Trump Just another day in Hell. Press enter or click to view image in full size Photo by James Lee on Unsplash I suspect that I am not stretching my neck out too far when I say that there is an excellent chance that Donald Trump has never read Paradise Lost. Milton’s epic poem belongs to that large library of books that most people know only by title.
How to Win Consistently at Small Stakes | David Hipkin Betting Strategy Explained
We’ve just released a new video in our members only How I Bet For Profit series, and this latest one is a must watch. In it, David Hipkin from Sharp Betting explains his approach to winning consistently at small stakes, and why that can still lead to meaningful long term profit when done the right way. This is not about flashy staking, trying to go full time, or chasing unrealistic returns. It is about building a disciplined, repeatable process that works in the real world.
“Madness in great ones must not unwatch’d go.”
“Madness in great ones must not unwatch’d go.” Hamlet, Act III, Scene 1. Shakespeare’s play as a text for our times. Press enter or click to view image in full size Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash Last night, we went to see a touring production of Hamlet by the Royal Shakespeare Company. Neither my wife nor I had seen the play in years, but we knew it would be fun to tick off the familiar phrases in idiomatic English that come from it.
We Live With the Fairies: New Media and Belief.
We Live With the Fairies: New Media and Belief. New technology gives rise to new beliefs and new derangements. In May 1920, the president of the British Theosophical Society, Edward Gardner, received an unusual letter from a friend. It contained two photographic prints at a time in England when photographs were still typically acquired from photographers in their studios. The photos purported to show fairies, and the original prints sold at auction in 2025 for £3,100.
Finding the Words
Given the relentlessness of the Trump presidency, I am already exhausted after barely a year of his second term. It is testing the limits of my vocabulary and my patience. A while ago, in 2024, when Trump was still out of office, but never, of course, out of the news, I offered the terms "" and "gobemouche" as useful when describing our Trumpean times.
Follow the Money: The Arts in the 21st Century
Are you a writer or a content creator? Press enter or click to view image in full size I suspect the UK is not unique in being a place where retired academics gather to lament the state of the world. Nor are their sighs without echoes. Recently, I was talking to former colleagues and found myself complaining about how, over the arc of my career (1980s-2020), commodification of higher education took a firm hold.
How to Bet Like a Sharp: David Hipkin on £200K Profits, Multiples, and Beating Bookmaker Limits
In this episode, Pete speaks with Sharp Betting co-founder David Hipkin – who started out as a boxing trader before pivoting into professional betting, using the same data-led methods that would later form the basis of Sharp Betting to generate over £200,000 in profit from soft bookmakers alone.
Draft Bill On Communication Platforms And Search Engines In Switzerland
LS Lenz & Staehelin More With over 200 lawyers and offices in three major economic centres, Lenz & Staehelin is one of the largest law firms in Switzerland. Known for its high professional standards, the firm provides its domestic and international clients with a full range of services in the main areas of law. It is ranked amongst the leading practitioners in business law.
The Andrew Formerly Known as Prince
Royalty. Scandal. The media. The rich variety of hypocrisy. The younger brother of King Charles III of the United Kingdom has been stripped of his assorted royal titles because he has been unable to shake off the scandal of being not just one of the people known to have frequented Jeffrey Epstein’s parties, but someone whom Virginia Giuffre named as a person with whom she was obliged to have sex during the period when she was trafficked as a sex worker by Epstein.
Populism: Democratic Threat or Democratic Promise?
Spot the parallels. It’s seventy years since historian Richard Hofstadter published his Age of Reform (1955); there, he lamented the nostalgic agrarian ideal that, in his view, fueled populism. This dark side of populism believed that the true America was being lost in the 1890s, and that the yeoman farmer should be rescued to save it.
The EU AI Act: New Prohibitions And Transparency Take Effect And What Is Yet To Come
LS Lenz & Staehelin More With over 200 lawyers and offices in three major economic centres, Lenz & Staehelin is one of the largest law firms in Switzerland. Known for its high professional standards, the firm provides its domestic and international clients with a full range of services in the main areas of law. It is ranked amongst the leading practitioners in business law.
Proposed bill on remuneration for online snippets in Switzerland
LS Lenz & Staehelin More With over 200 lawyers and offices in three major economic centres, Lenz & Staehelin is one of the largest law firms in Switzerland. Known for its high professional standards, the firm provides its domestic and international clients with a full range of services in the main areas of law. It is ranked amongst the leading practitioners in business law. Switzerland Intellectual Property
JFK Files: ‘Howard’ and Oswald
Latest CIA record release fuels conspiracy theory Photo by History in HD on Unsplash Media excitement over Donald Trump’s order that all records relating to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and Robert F. Kennedy continues. Some of the records predictably fit into one or more conspiracy theories.
Trump’s Bill: Big, Yes….
Beautiful, No. Bad: You bet. Tax cuts and welfare cuts. On balance, it’s Robin Hood in reverse: you take from the poorest and you give to the richest. For instance, the tax cuts that Trump gave high earners and the rich during his first term were set to expire, but they are now renewed, thus ensuring that the next tax year will not see millionaires paying more, but less.
The Labours of Labour: Starmer’s First Year.
U-turn upon U-turn. A wounded Prime Minister. A party without clear leadership. We have reached the one-year anniversary of Labour’s landslide victory. It gave them a majority in Parliament of 165 votes. Surely, this was a sign that the people were fed up with the Conservative Party, which had run the UK for fourteen years under five successive leaders? The subsequent rise of Nigel Farage’s Reform Party seemed further proof that the Conservatives had lost their way.
Trump Is Predictable: Patterns from His First Term
Why are we surprised by Trump? In the first months of his second term he has remained largely consistent with his first term and his campaign rhetoric. He remains the man he has always been. I doubt whether there are many people out there who have changed their minds about him, but I am trying hard to be even-handed. It is already striking how it already seems far longer since Trump returned than the January inauguration; the angst reported during his first term has returned.
Epicurus and Aging
Does the Greek philosopher offer us a guide to enjoy life’s later stages? Epicurus, who lived between 341 and 270 BCE, did not believe in an after-life. This was the vital premise on which he based a philosophy centered on making the most of one’s time. If the premise is wrong, he may be turning in his grave.
Swimming Against the Tide: Eleanor Roosevelt in 1940
In February 1940, opinion polls showed that, despite the Nazi invasion of Poland and the Soviet invasion of Finland, only 1.2% of Americans agreed with the statement ‘we must help the democracies.’ Most just wanted America First. Having previously worked with pacifist groups, Eleanor Roosevelt was now an advocate of rearmament and intervention. I’ve started a new project: to write a book about First Ladies, and Eleanor’s my obvious starting point.
The China Shop
To many economists, Donald Trump’s on/off tariff policies resemble the actions of the proverbial bull in a china shop. My wife collects china. Occasionally, I accompany her as she visits different stores looking for bargains. Once in a while, we visit Stoke-on-Trent, the traditional centre of the British porcelain industry. On such occasions, I move cautiously; acutely aware that almost everything around me is just one drop away from shattering oblivion.
A Nation of Immigrants, And Nativists, Too.
Member-only story Peter Ling · Follow Published in Curated Newsletters · 7 min read · -- Photo by Cristina Glebova on Unsplash The current Trump administration is intent on deporting as many migrants as it can. Court challenges make clear that it is straining at the boundaries of legality.
Tariffs, Trade, and Currency Exchange: Trump’s Threats
Member-only story Peter Ling · Follow Published in Curated Newsletters · 7 min read · -- Donald Trump has imposed tariffs as part of trade war and he has backed bit-coin or crypto as an alternative currency. A dangerous combination? Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash Economists have long debated the significance of protectionist policies in deepening the international crisis that followed the Wall Street Crash of 1929.
Lost in the Kennedy Files
On 18 March 2025 the US government began to make good on Donald Trump’s promise to release all federal records related to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert, and Martin Luther King. ‘People have been waiting decades for this’, Trump said on the day of the files’ release; as a biographer of both Kennedy and King, I was among them.
Lost in the Kennedy Files
On 18 March 2025 the US government began to make good on Donald Trump’s promise to release all federal records related to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert, and Martin Luther King. ‘People have been waiting decades for this’, Trump said on the day of the files’ release; as a biographer of both Kennedy and King, I was among them.
An epistemology of education research: Consequences for reporting
Abstract This paper is a philosophical piece relating to an issue in education theory: what is the epistemological nature of the product of education research and what are the consequences for the reporting of findings and conclusions in particular, what form of contribution to knowledge and/or understanding can emerge from education research? Education research takes many forms, so the answer to the question addressed may vary according to the research paradigm adopted.
Attention: Your Life Is Being Stolen
Member-only story Peter Ling · Follow Published in Curated Newsletters · 8 min read · -- The dangers of convenience and distraction Photo by Jonas Leupe on Unsplash I randomly counted the number of people I saw outside looking at their phones. It was the overwhelming majority, especially if one added all those with ear buds that deliver calls and podcasts discreetly. The same was true in the cafes and pubs into which I glanced; thus, for many, the phrase ‘my life is on my phone’ rings true.
Trump and Martin Luther King Share A Day
Member-only story Peter Ling · Follow Published in Curated Newsletters · 8 min read · -- January 20, 2025. But do they share anything else? Photo by Maria Thalassinou on Unsplash The national holiday and the inauguration of a new president only occasionally coincide. But their simultaneity this year is provocative, to say the least. As a candidate, Donald Trump has been apt to vilify minorities and to promise vengeance against his enemies.
Check Your References or the Art of Being Kind
Peter Ling · Follow 5 min read · -- Photo by Hyoshin Choi on Unsplash Last week, I was asked to write a letter of reference. It hadn’t happened since I retired, but was once an occupational hazard; part of teaching at a university, and thus being someone to whom new graduates turned when they hit the job market or applied for a postgraduate course.
Influence of Electrical Conductivity on Plant Growth, Nutritional Quality, and Phytochemical Properties of Kale (Brassica napus) and Collard (Brassica oleracea) Grown Using Hydroponics
All articles published by MDPI are made immediately available worldwide under an open access license. No special permission is required to reuse all or part of the article published by MDPI, including figures and tables. For articles published under an open access Creative Common CC BY license, any part of the article may be reused without permission provided that the original article is clearly cited. For more information, please refer to https://www.mdpi.com/openaccess.
Trump and Escaping the Bubble
Peter Ling · Follow Published in Curated Newsletters · 5 min read · -- You know the story about how Trump followers live in a bubble watching Fox News and believing things they read on social media? Well, we all have a bubble, too. Photo by Joshua Reddekopp on Unsplash I had a foreboding about this election, watching from the UK. Sure, the foreboding was weaker once Biden dropped out, but it grew the longer that Harris failed to build a significant poll lead in the swing states.
The Post Refuses to Endorse a Candidate
Peter Ling · Follow Published in Curated Newsletters · 4 min read · -- Breaking the practice of decades, the Washington Post announced that in the 2020 election, it would endorse no presidential candidate. Why? Photo by Christian Wiediger on Unsplash Today, Jeff Bezos, owner of the Post, and of course, owner of the Amazon empire among other things, has an opinion piece in the Post explaining why the policy of endorsement was stopped.
Latino Complexities: Why They Help Trump
Peter Ling · Follow Published in Curated Newsletters · 6 min read · -- Photo by Nahima Aparicio on Unsplash Understanding why people choose Trump has become my preoccupation. It began when I first heard of Hillary Clinton’s use of the term ‘deplorables.’ I shared her sentiment, but recognized that it was a political miscalculation of monumental proportions. The standard explanation for the loyal Trump base is rooted in the politics of resentment.
Swiss Court Rejects FIFA's Bid To Remove Offensive Google Search Results
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) sued Google Ireland Ltd and Google LLC (collectively, Google) in the Zurich Commercial Court for violation of personality rights. The dispute centers around a website operated by a third party that publishes content highly critical of FIFA. The articles accuse FIFA and certain individuals affiliated with the organization of criminal conduct, particularly bribery.
100 Years of Trying to Do the Right Thing: Happy Birthday, Jimmy Carter
Peter Ling · Follow Published in Curated Newsletters · 3 min read · -- How very different from Trump! Photo by Library of Congress on Unsplash When Jimmy Carter defeated Gerald Ford to win the 1976 presidential election, he was seen as a symbol of America’s disaffection with Washington politics in the wake of Watergate and Vietnam. The Georgia governor was relatively unknown when he announced his candidacy and it was precisely that sense that he was an outsider that seemed to galvanize voters.
Swiss Court Rejects FIFA's Bid to Remove Offensive Google Search Results
A recent decision by the Zurich Commercial Court has clarified the conditions under which search engines can be ordered to delist certain search results that allegedly violate personality rights. Facts The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) sued Google Ireland Ltd and Google LLC (collectively, Google) in the Zurich Commercial Court for violation of personality rights.
Do the British Still Have National Pride?
Do the British Still Have National Pride? The National Centre for Social Research in the UK has just released its annual survey on British Social Attitudes. It has been asking the same set of questions of a representative sample of Brits since 1983. Predictably, its findings excite diverse media and political responses.
Federal Patent Court Highlights The Importance Of Protective Briefs
In a recent landmark decision, the Federal Patent Court underscored the critical role of protective briefs in preventing preliminary injunctions (PIs). The court reaffirmed its practice of rejecting PI requests without notifying the alleged infringer when a compelling protective brief is on file.
Beyond “Us” and “Them:” An Analysis of Barack Obama’s DNC Speech
Beyond “Us” and “Them:” An Analysis of Barack Obama’s DNC Speech Barack Obama was bound to feature at the 2024 Convention, not least because it was held in Chicago, where his political rise began. More importantly, the success of the Harris-Walz ticket rests largely on their ability to revive the 2008 Obama coalition in terms of turnout in the battleground states. His keynote address followed his wife Michelle’s stirring speech, which I analyzed in my previous piece in Illumination Curated.
Rhetorical Exercises: An Analysis of Michelle Obama’s Convention Address
A master class in how to connect with the voters I have always felt that American politicians give better speeches than their British counterparts, although in other respects they tend to be no better. And by better speeches, I mean more skillfully crafted in rhetorical terms. Michelle Obama’s recent address proves my point since I cannot imagine anyone in UK politics delivering it.
The Biden Scandal: Presidential Health Matters
Biden has ended his campaign for a second term but remains President until 2025. I was recently at dinner with a cosmopolitan group: Americans, Austrians, British, Dutch, and Italian. I was invited to introduce my latest book Not surprisingly, the conversation quickly moved onto the current US presidential election.
Swiss-US Data Privacy Framework - Swiss adequacy decision for US certified data recipients
At its meeting of 14 August 2024, the Swiss Federal Council recognized the adequacy of data protection applicable to transfers of personal data to US companies certified under the "Data Privacy Framework" (DPF). The United States will be added to the list of countries with an adequate level of data protection with effect as from 15 September 2024, limited to US companies certified under the DPF.
UK Politics: A Month of Horrors
Children are stabbed to death and then, racist mobs burn cars and buildings. Context sharpens horror, but it can also distract from deeper problems. Three murdered and ten more stabbed is shocking anywhere, anytime, but when the dead and injured are children — girls aged six, seven, and nine, with five of the eight children in critical condition — then, the reaction sharpens.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Peter
Contact Peter, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack