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The UK’s Handling of the ‘IS Beatles’ is Illegal, Immoral, and Dangerous
Regardless of the horrendous nature of their crimes, the UK’s handling of the cases of Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, sets two very dangerous precedents: stripping them of citizenship, and refusing to demand assurances that they will not receive the death penalty.
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What next for the DFLA?
Originally posted on lives; running: Some six thousand supporters of the Democratic Football Lads Alliance marched through central London yesterday, outnumbering anti-fascists by around ten or twenty to one. Speakers included Milo Yiannopoulous and Tommy Robinson, while spotted in the crowd were members of the London Brigade of the Ulster Defence Association, the Racial Volunteer…
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Stories from the Way: The Camino Donativo
Reaction to the BBC’s ‘Pilgrimage: The Road to Santiago’ has been somewhat mixed amongst those who have completed the journey themselves. Indeed even before it began, more than one friend expressed their concern that such a programme could not possibly do justice to the great and ancient mysteries of the Way. I likewise had concerns, but…
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“Why Are You Not Communist Like Jesus Was?”: Anarchists on Christianity
For some time now I have been thinking about how to open this blog up to allow voices other than my own to be heard. Recently I ‘reblogged’ a piece from elsewhere for the first time, and soon a series of guest bloggers will be posting on issues close to them. For this piece though, I…
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They Say Class Doesn’t Matter: But it Matters to Me.
Maybe you’ve never really thought about social class. Maybe you wouldn’t put yourself in a class bracket or maybe you’ve always been comfortable with your class, so you haven’t really considered it. Perhaps, you don’t think class matters anymore. Surely in the 21st century social class has nothing to do with a person’s ability to…
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The Problem With Policing
Expressing your aversion to the police as an institution immediately elicits some variation of the same question each time: “what if someone’s breaking into my house?” or “what if someone attacks me?”. People worry about being the victim of, or witness to a crime, and this is completely understandable. Problems soon come though, when such…
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Why Immigration is Caused by Colonialism
Featured image courtesy of Polyp.org.uk CW: Pictures and discussion of racism, famine, poverty, and death. In my all too frequent procrastinatory forays into social media, I am regularly challenged when I link colonialism, capitalism, and the plight of refugees and other migrants. It can become tedious having to repeat oneself so much, so I want…
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5 Steps to a Communist Christmas
With Christmas Day imminent, it can be easy to get caught up in the last minute dash to the shops, or the frustration of planning something everyone will enjoy. The whole Christmas season can become overshadowed by things that have no right to take up our time and thoughts, so with that in mind, here…
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Joy in Enough: Economics for People and Planet
“If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.” So goes Henry Ford’s oft parroted quote. It is particularly popular with Donald Trump, who has tweeted it on at least three separate occasions. Of course it’s easy for someone like Donald Trump to say, starting out, as…
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The Poppy Appeal: State Militarism in Fancy Dress
I nearly joined the army once. I was a teenager, a young school leaver, with little to show for my years eking out a miserable existence in a place that didn’t want me. I joined a college course, completely unsuitable for me, and eventually left when my anti-authoritarian streak reared its ruinous head. The course…
Bread and Rosaries 