• Reflections on Remembrance & Nationalism

    Reflections on Remembrance & Nationalism

    Today I went to a Remembrance service at a war memorial followed by one at a church.  At both, the national anthem was sung, and other nationalistic sentiments were expressed in word and song.  It goes without saying that Remembrance is an incredibly important and significant time for many people and for the society we…

  • Truth, Freedom of Speech, and the Poppy

    Truth, Freedom of Speech, and the Poppy

    This blog is a sort of semi-sequel to this one.  If you have not read it, you may like to. In a recent speech, the actor and comedian Stephen Fry expressed his frustration at the apparent death of the political centre ground. The problem, he feels, is that freedom of speech is under attack from both…

  • The Poppy Appeal: State Militarism in Fancy Dress

    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…