Yesterday, The Daily Mail ran an article entitled, “Ukip on brink of going bust: Party hit by huge fall in members after flop election“, which sort of did what it said on the tin. While one should always be careful not to take too much account of what the Mail might say about anything, the […]
Archives for November 2015
The western press has developed a cavalier approach to liberal democracy of late, hasn’t it?
Late last week, social media alerted me to a TIME article entitled, “Azerbaijan Is an Oasis of Tolerance in the Middle East“. If that title didn’t cause you to at least raise your eyebrows if not laugh out loud, you probably don’t know much about Azerbaijan. I have spent time in Caucasian country in question, […]
Why a debate in parliament on David Cameron’s premiership is meaningless
Some people out there are getting very het up about the fact that a petition to have a no-confidence vote on David Cameron as prime minister is closing in on the 100,000 signatures mark. The significance of the six-figures is that once the petition reaches this many signatories, it can be considered for a debate […]
The really sad thing about last night’s #MillionMaskMarch was this
I recall being sixteen and going to a “protest march”, for no other real reason than because I was trying to get off with a girl who really wanted me to attend it with her. As we travelled to the site of the protest, I have to confess I didn’t even know what we were […]
What are the upsides and downsides to Theresa May leading the EU Out campaign?
Nigel Farage has told the world how he would be delighted if Theresa May were to lead to the campaign for Britain to leave to EU (it’s unclear which specific campaign for Britain to leave the EU Nigel means, but let’s leave that for a moment). While I can imagine he thinks it would be a […]
The Labour Party reminds a bit of “The Long Good Friday” at the moment
“The Long Good Friday” is perhaps the quintessential British gangster film (it’s only real competition being “Get Carter”). Bob Hoskins plays the lead role, that of a London gangster who is trying to move into mainstream business. Along the way, one of his lackeys gets into trouble with the IRA, stealing some money off of them […]
I have no idea if there really is a financial crash imminent, but if it happens it will help the Tories, not the Left
Over the weekend, I read a fascinating article from Paul Mason about how not only is another financial crash a la 2008 just around the corner – it may already have begun. It was the usual Mason shtick: moments of genuine insight accompanied by gaping holes in logic. Let’s dissect Mason’s argument: the whole reason […]
So could the Commonwealth be an alternative to the EU?
This question comes up a lot on social media and I always have a very simple answer to it: no. However, the question does deserve a longer answer, explaining why exactly that is. Consider this as the sort of foreword to a longer piece that would explain everything in detail; this is my macro view […]
John Lennon’s bitterness v Paul McCartney’s: a tale of two songs from the 70s
John Lennon’s 1971 album, Imagine, is for most people the ultimate in hippy laidback aural wallpaper. High on vibes and life. Imagine all the people, sharing all the world. That’s why the 1988 documentary film, Imagine: John Lennon, is such an interesting document. The recording sessions for the album in question seem to mostly have […]