Home ›

Pat Lane

Pat Lane

Patrick Lane is a regular contributor to the Harvard International Review. His blog largely focuses on Europe and foreign policy. Lane studied Political Science, concentrating in international relations. His interests include British and Irish history, European soccer, and traveling without maps. He currently resides in Boston, MA.

Blog posts by Pat Lane

England's Own Goal

Against long odds, Chelsea FC overcame both Barcelona and Bayern Munich to win the UEFA Champions League. While Chelsea lost the final (and the semi-final for that matter) by any metric but the score line, goals are all that matters in the end. Style, invention, elegance belong to the football purist, not the pragmatist, and in this case the pragmatist won out. Beauty and efficacy aren’t always bedfellows on the pitch. It was Chelsea’s first Champions League trophy and a muffler to the criticisms that the club lacks a European pedigree. Moreover, it’s a result of which club and country can be proud. But pride should not be the only response, for the victory should give the English Football Association pause. Pause, not for how it was won, but pause because of who won it.

By Pat Lane  |  June 11, 2012  | 
Share|
Read Article »
European Immigration Reform: How Fear Drives Policy

The Schengen Agreement has long been part of what makes Europe unique. With the elimination of domestic border controls, the agreement allows for unprecedented freedom of travel between member countries. One common border now stands between much the European Union and the rest of the world. As soon as international travelers pass through a checkpoint, they are welcome to visit 26 different countries. This arrangement, however vaunted, is now the subject of increased scrutiny from across the continent.

By Pat Lane  |  April 10, 2012  | 
Share|
Read Article »
Austerity's Children

How do you define a generation?

Not easily. With countless exceptions and contentions, the characterization of an era is a project for the masochist. It is an endeavor far easier to criticize than to realize. This point proves especially true when one seeks to define the present generation, as the task is undertaken without the benefit of hindsight. Difficult as it may be, characterizing the present era offers the social sciences a useful predictive tool to gauge what the future holds for politics, economics, and society as a whole.

By Pat Lane  |  March 3, 2012  | 
Share|
Read Article »
Read more articles by this author