What is fascism? — a myth of national rebirth, an in-group to be defended and the scapegoats cast as enemies within. Calling someone a fascist holds a lot of weight. After all, no one wants to keep company with Nazis (right?—). I’ll admit, I’ve accused a few people of being one myself—I won’t say who,… Continue reading Fascism (for dummies) — how to spot one
The superficiality when you may hear, “Can I have a chai tea matcha latcha latte”, is almost as superfluous as the exaggeration sounds. Of course, this is a hyperbolic extension of the real issue; one culture idealised and “Westernised” to become nothing more than a simplified idea with a complete loss of meaning (at least… Continue reading Colonialism on Crack
Wherever you may look, whether it’s on social media, news networks or even within your local community, there seems to be an undeniable feeling of disdain and hatred, reflected by angry accusations, false news and far-right protests. Within a time of political uncertainty, where the UK’s recently elected Labour government already appears to be crumbling… Continue reading The capitalisation of hate within UK politics
The fact that Nigel Farage’s attitude to risk matches that of the British establishment is no surprise or mere coincidence. Tony Blair was the first prime minister for more than a generation to have been brought up in this sense. He was only three in 1956—too young to remember Suez—but he was later able to… Continue reading Blair, Farage and political precaution
“Being born a woman is my awful tragedy”, Sylvia Plath journalled in 1959, four years before her death. “From the moment I was conceived I was doomed to sprout breasts and a womb and to adore men who are the enemies of my kind”. A year later, in 1960, poet Anne Sexton underwent an illegal… Continue reading The womb is a haunted house — looking to the works of Plath and Sexton as a woman in our times
Since the dawn of time humans have waged war. Day by day, year by year and generation after generation we have banded together in our tribes and troops to defeat that which we cannot comprehend, the other, each other. After all, all of the great foundational myths and legends are possessed with war, victory and domination – George and the Dragon, Fionn… Continue reading How history has hampered England’s sporting success
“What gives me strength in this difficult time is my faith. Praying together, reminding each other to stay strong, believing that better days will come”, this is how Zaher, 56, a resident of Gaza City, begins his account, while the internet connection cuts in and out during our conversation. Around him, the city lies in… Continue reading Living under the bomb — Zaher’s hope from Gaza
In the 1995 cult-classic film Before Sunrise, the main character Celine says: “You know, I have this awful paranoid thought that feminism was mostly invented by men so that they could, like, fool around a little more. You know, women, free your minds, free your bodies, sleep with me”. Although I am strongly opposed to… Continue reading Sexual liberation or exploitation?
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) stands at a complex crossroads where immense natural wealth coexists with protracted humanitarian crises, entrenched political fragility and persistent insecurity. Currently, the country’s trajectory is shaped by overlapping dynamics: conflict and displacement in the east; an uneven political transition following contentious elections; macroeconomic pressures in a mineral-dependent economy;… Continue reading Congo at a crossroads — humanitarian urgency, political flux and public health risks
In every corner of the world, a new language of defiance is being spoken — and more often than not, it is spoken by women. From the streets of Tehran to the squares of Santiago, from the alleys of Kabul to the boulevards of Warsaw, women have become the moral backbone of modern resistance. Their… Continue reading The female face of resistance — women redefining protest in the 21st century
