Reading the press and the usual on-line outrage factories, you’d think Britain is being ruled by an authoritarian regime deterimed to lock people up posting things on the internet. The story goes like this: Labour got into office, a wave of censorious lefties took over, and suddenly the police are marching into bedrooms at midnight … Read more
People have lost their minds. The latest outrage that angry people are getting angry about is adverts — specifically, too many non-white people in adverts. Normally I’d start with some statistics to see if this complaint has any basis in fact. But not this time, because this isn’t really about numbers or representation. It’s about … Read more
Fake content and far-right radicalisation online are reshaping our politics and society. We live in an age of unreality, where everything is fake — except the hate. The internet has rewired how we think, argue and even feel. The exponential rise of online porn alone suggests future historians might call this the golden age of … Read more
This month I decided to fill a few gaps in my record collection. I already own nearly complete sets of singles by The Jam, Dexys, The Undertones, The Who, Small Faces, The Kinks, and a few others. Just a few dozen records, each costing £2–£3, would be enough to complete the sets. The most expensive … Read more
The Decline of Reading for Pleasure The decline of reading for fun is undeniable. In the last 20 years, the number of Americans who read for pleasure has nearly halved. When people do pick up a book, they choose something shorter and simpler. I’m no different—these days I read far more short books than long … Read more
Do We Really Spend £1 Billion a Week on Benefits for Foreigners? No. Last weekend, The Telegraph ran an eye-catching headline: Cue a flurry of shares from Reform UK supporters and the usual angry right-wingers on social media. Unsurprisingly, most hadn’t read the article—just the headline. The piece itself was behind a paywall, which didn’t … Read more
White Genocide, the Great Replacement, and the New Face of Fascism Two remarkable—and terrifying—moments this week. In the Oval Office, Donald Trump once again embarrassed America, ranting to the President of South Africa about white genocide conspiracy theories. At the same time, Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok told users it had been “instructed by my … 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
AI, Journalism, and Manipulation For the past few months, I’ve been using AI to sub-edit my blogs. I’ve never hidden the fact that I’m experimenting with AI. But a few weeks ago, while writing a blog on Elon Musk, I noticed something odd—the AI had added an extra paragraph that I hadn’t written. I’ve also … Read more
The UK Online Safety Act: More Harm Than Good? The UK’s Online Safety Act is set to come into force in just a few weeks. Last month, I wrote about why Elon Musk is furious about it. While making Elon angry is always entertaining, this Act presents a serious problem—one that could have lasting consequences … Read more