Society & Politics
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On Marx’s Final Letter to Arnold Ruge
September, 1843. Karl Marx was feeling stifled. His editorship of Cologne’s Rheinische Zeitung had come to an abrupt end following the publication’s termination by Prussian censors. Authorities were clamping down on anti-monarchical, pro-democratic voices and free political discourse was becoming… Continue reading
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Athena
This article contains spoilers The opening scene of Romain Gavras’ Athena is one of the most thrilling single-shot set pieces of recent years. Those familiar with the French filmmaker’s music video oeuvre will recognize his hallmarks: Molotov cocktails and police… Continue reading
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The Worst Person in the World
(This article contains spoilers) How do we determine our priorities in life? Is purpose granted to us, or are we responsible for its creation? The angst that accompanies questions of personal meaning can leave us feeling particularly isolated. With the… Continue reading
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Israel’s Bombardment of the Gaza Strip Does Not Constitute Self-Defence
“Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of collective or individual self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken the measures necessary to maintain international peace… Continue reading
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A Coup Against Football
Seeing last week’s defiant response to the now abandoned proposals for a European Super League in football left me feeling a curious mixture of encouragement and sadness. Make no mistake, the massive mobilisations were a win for football fans everywhere.… Continue reading
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Does Massive Attack’s Eutopia Constitute a New Form for Political Music?
The notion that music can be used as a medium for expressing political or socially engaged ideas is hardly new. Throughout the twentieth century disparate genres were used as vessels for the spread and popularisation of radical ideas, from the… Continue reading
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Politics of Language. Languages of Politics.
At the start of last week’s Premier League fixture between Manchester City and Burnley, as both sets of players finished taking the knee in support of Black Lives Matter, a plane flew over the Etihad Stadium pulling a banner that… Continue reading
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Run The Jewels – RTJ4 (Review)
There is a cliché in the music industry that states you have your whole life to prepare for the first album, and only a year to prepare for the second. Longevity is a hard game, and many artists who happen… Continue reading
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Division and Reconciliation in Darren McGarvey’s Poverty Safari
Back in the early 1980s, my Dad, still a schoolboy, was taken on a school trip to Glasgow. The trip was part of his Higher Modern Studies programme, an opportunity to see first-hand the redevelopment projects taking place in the… Continue reading
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Flowers For Algernon: When Knowing Is Not Enough
A few months back, when such luxuries were still possible, a friend and I spent a weekday evening drinking at a pub near Queen’s Park. With the closing bell having already rung, and wishing to postpone the cold walk home… Continue reading
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Covid-19 Is Laying Bare the Fantasy of Individualism
For much of the past forty years we have lived in a society that has doubted its own existence. Thatcher made it clear: There is no society, only a collection of atomized individuals seeking prosperity for themselves and their families.… Continue reading
Dead Academic 