I’m going to teach you one of the most powerful sentences in the English language — four words that define what it means to be British: Mind your own business. The sworn enemies of every true Brit are the bossy bureaucrat, the nosy neighbour, the local gossip, and the curtain-twitching nebbisher. The nosy Parker. The … Read more
The American right are freaking out about autism. I’m neurologically diverse, and most people who know me won’t be shocked by that revelation. I first found out when I was in hospital and the neurosurgeon showed me a scan of my brain. Robert F. Kennedy Jr — the conspiracy-minded Secretary for Health and Human Affairs … Read more
America is in the middle of its third great era of political violence. The first came after the Civil War, when thousands of Black Americans were lynched and murdered. The second was the 1960s, marked by political assassinations and the murders of civil rights activists. Both of these eras had racial animosity at their heart. … Read more
Corbyn and Musk Have New Parties “The first thing that must strike any outside observer is that Socialism, in its developed form, is a theory confined entirely to the middle classes. The typical Socialist is not, as tremulous old ladies imagine, a ferocious-looking working man with greasy overalls and a raucous voice. He is either … Read more
Imagine a right-wing regime where private business and authoritarian politics are so closely intertwined that the boundary between the two ceases to exist. A system where businessmen sit at the cabinet table, making decisions not for the public good, but to further their own corporate interests. In this world, politics and profit collude. The demand … Read more
Lockdown: Five Years On Five years ago, we were at the start of the COVID-19 lockdown. I don’t think anyone is throwing an anniversary party. Boris Johnson’s speech announcing a temporary lockdown was broadcast on March 23, 2020, and came into effect on the 26th. I watched it in the pub, knowing already that I … Read more
What does Elon Musk want with all of this data? Elon Musk has been gaining access to vast amounts of data held by the U.S. government about its citizens. Assisting him in this effort are his own employees, some of whom have been seconded into government service to manage the process. At times, it’s hard … Read more
Hegel remarks…. that all great world-historic facts and personages appear, so to speak, twice. He forgot to add: the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce. Karl Marx 18th Brumaire. I get reminded of this quote on a daily basis when people make comparisons between our current age and the 1930s, in particular … Read more