On July 21, California local news site Berkelyside reported: In the latest Berkeley controversy over what speakers may talk about, the progressive radio station KPFA has canceled an Aug. 9 on-stage appearance by the scientist Richard Dawkins. KPFA had invited … Read More »
My friend Sue Beardon posted this on Facebook yesterday. Very few industries can create their own markets, but one industry that can is the vile arms trade. An example of the cynicism these companies are capable of is the growing … Read More »
Only connect – E. M. Forster, Howards End For his well researched work on the British establishment, you couldn’t slide a cigarette paper between Owen Jones and me. The same goes for George Monbiot’s forensic but neatly penned linking of … Read More »
Most of my friends are liberals who do not share the political outlook I’ve come to, these past few years. Since I don’t choose friends on that basis, and nor in the main do they, this does not usually pose … Read More »
The fact Pastor Niemoller was confessing, rather than merely dispensing homilies of the kind we love to blue-tac above our workdesks, not only humanises his words but gives them added power. I’m no Christian but do believe redemption possible while … Read More »
In an age of identity politics it’s fashionable to dismiss talk of a ruling class and imperialism as the fetishism of old fashioned lefties but this animation, from former economic hitman John Perkins, does a pretty good job of explaining imperialism in two minutes. I … Read More »
I never did read Brave New World. But when Tree Fitzpatrick, an American unknown to me, agreed yesterday on Facebook with my view of Hillary Clinton, I looked her up to find this on her timeline. As the west sleepwalks … Read More »
At the time of Britain’s 2015 General Election I posted, here and here for instance, on alleged electoral apathy. More recently I’ve implicitly challenged, here and here, the notion of Clinton as ‘the lesser evil’ given Trump’s extraordinary campaign. A … Read More »
After yesterday’s murder of Labour MP Jo Cox – for which a man linked to far right groups has been arrested – Margareta posted this on FB. By children’s writer Michael Rosen, it was his blogsite entry of May 18, … Read More »