A figure hurtles across a car park on a skateboard. On another day he plays punky riffs which echo out of his garage. These are not the weekend hobbies of a teenager whose politics can barely be articulated beyond anger at “the system” and whose intellectual curiosity extends as far as Trevor Noah. This figure […]
Politics
Racism, Revolution and Resistance: France’s current political turmoil
The cleansing wave of ‘Pasokification’ (the process whereby traditional European social democratic and conservative/Christian democratic parties lose their support base) crashed in France in the 2017 election, leaving three populists on the shore with their heads above the water. Macron, the election winner and self-declared ‘Jupiterian’ sun-king, was a populist only in loose terms. He […]
Never Gonna Give EU Up
EVERY time that I think I’m over Brexit, I realise that I’m really, *really* not. It’s been over two years: I’m still deeply angry. I’m angry that politicians sold false promises for their own political gain (and that the British people fell for them), I’m angry that Brexit deal negotiations have devolved into utter shambles. […]
Wanted: Modern- Day Dickens
If there’s one thing that’s on everybody’s mind these days – it’s politics. Who said what, who did what, who trumped who (ha), who’s bad and who’s good. This is a good thing. More people than ever are now beginning to get involved with political affairs, activism and voting and are generally committed to making […]
Civility: The Last Resort against Terror
Online Features Editor Bryan Knight offers an analysis of the divisive nature of international politics and explains why there is a need for a return to civility. In recent weeks, several critics of American President Donald Trump were sent suspicious packages containing pipe bombs. The apparent threat, made to the recipients, seems climactic of a […]
Homophobia in sport – ongoing yet neglected
An ongoing issue which appears relatively stagnant and to a large degree unreflective of wider society, homophobia in sport is having a major impact on LGBTQ+ athletes. Coming out to friends or family is challenging for any individual, as it reveals a personal journey and fundamental part of their identity. In sport however, it seems […]
Populism in Poland: Law and Justice Party
When I arrived in Warsaw’s Castle Square there was a far-right rally going on. At least it looked that way. Polish flags with imperial emblems and placards with multiple exclamation marks poked out of the crowd of bald heads lined up like an egg box. As I watched they started rapping about Poland’s glorious history […]
John McCain: Legacy of an American Hero
John McCain, who began a lifetime in the service of America as a navy pilot, and ended it as a five-term Republican senator, has died of brain cancer at the age of eighty-one. The senator for Arizona ran for president twice, the second time against Barrack Obama in 2008, and became known as the ‘Maverick’ […]
Brett Kavanaugh: Scandalous SCOTUS Confirmation
The confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh concludes a month of partisan rancour in the United States arguably not seen since the 2016 election. At stake at the ‘job interview’ of the century were not only the careers and reputations of Christine Blasey Ford and Kavanaugh, but long-term trends in American politics and society including the centralising […]
Sweden’s Stability Quake and Blow to the Left
One of Europe’s most stable left-wing governments, Sweden, has taken a blow following the national elections on the 9th of September, resulting in a hung parliament between the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and the centre-right ‘Alliance’ bloc. The result led to a confidence vote regarding the current Prime Minister’s position within the Swedish Riksdag. Stefan […]