comedy
The Market Personified
A friend of mine asked me a question: “if the free market is a person, what would the person be like?” Here is my answer. The market is the embodiment of everybody, in aggregate. The […]
Politics
Essays & Opinion
Asking Questions of Pilger’s Research
The beginning is a good place to start a story. The Euro-American attack on Libya has nothing to do with protecting anyone; only the terminally naive believe such nonsense. After the heading and sub-heading, that […]
Essays & Opinion
UK Cut Loose
I used to be a leftie. The past tense is important; it does not denote a change to my values or beliefs, but it does denote a change of identity. Identity cannot be wholly negative. […]
comedy
Placating Placards
Like many distant observers of US politics, I was heartened by the Stewart-Colbert Rally for Sanity and/or Fear. These two presenters of topical comedy conspired to deliver a unique event: part-spoof of other rallies, part-statement […]
comedy
Progress Without End
In the year 4010, U2 lead singer Bono is hosting a dinner party for his rich, beautiful and powerful friends. Their meal finished, the group adjourn to the forward viewing bay of Bono’s personal star […]
Essays & Opinion
Losing a General Election (and hoping nobody notices)
In the immediate aftermath of the 2010 UK General Election, there was a lot of talk about whether any party won and which party or parties lost. Labour’s stock line was that nobody won. The […]
Essays & Opinion
Leak the Truth, but not Speak the Truth?
For some people, the internet does not exist. For others, the internet is not a free, anarchistic haven but is instead carefully policed by the state. These two important facts were easily brushed aside by […]
Poems
After The Voting Was Done
In celebration of the birth of a new style of British politics, and the overdue education of the British voter about how their constitution really works. I. On election day, the voters made their decisions. […]
Poems
The Ballad of Election Night
In memory of Britain’s anachronistic electoral system, which hopefully died on May 6, the evening of the 2010 General Election. I. He did not wear his azure tie, For blue is calm but sad, And […]
Essays & Opinion
The Real Bigot is Brown
Move on. Everyone makes a mistake. Nobody is perfect. There are three phrases you will not hear Peter Mandelson, Harriet Harman, or least of all Gordon Brown utter when talking about their rivals. “It’s the […]