Politics
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Scorched Earth: Across the Tongariro
“You’ll be starting your walk a little later today.” The kuia was short and sturdy. Her lips, darkened by the moko that crept from her mouth to her chin, were stretched into a smile, but her eyes were fierce in… Continue reading
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East Coast, North Island
The first encounter between Captain Cook and the Māori of Aotearoa was disastrous. Cook’s instructions had been to forge amicable relations with the indigenous peoples he met, but within hours of his ship Endeavour sailing into Poverty Bay in 1769,… Continue reading
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Waitangi
The Waitangi Treaty Grounds are a suitably impressive setting for the birthplace of a nation. Pristine lawns flow down to the sun-speckled waters of the Bay of Islands, while in the distance the pretty white buildings of Russell – once… Continue reading
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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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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
Dead Academic 