Is a future beyond neoliberalism possible? Justin Reynolds begins a new series of reviews of recent books that seek to imagine an alternative (left) economic and political order.
Archives for December 2015
Scenes from a broken Spanish marriage
Spaniards go to the polls nationally on December 20 – just over three months after Catalans voted in a parliament with a pro-independence majority and three weeks after the constitutional court in Madrid “annulled” its vote for separation. Spain needs a new constitutional settlement – and a deal on debt – to emerge from Sunday’s vote.
Britain in Europe: confusion or delusion
David Cameron’s last-minute demand for EU treaty reform on the free movement of labour means this month’s summit won’t reach a deal on his renegotiated membership demands. Britain’s drift from Europe over the past two decades looks set to accelerate.
Istanbul: epic in its details
Orhan Pamuk tells the epic story of Istanbul, scene of many of his previous books, over the past four decades as it grows into one of the world’s mega-cities and Turkey becomes a major global player.
Overloaded, under stress: Forth Road Bridge
Who’s to blame for the closure of the Forth Road Bridge? No-one, or perhaps everyone. George Rosie counts the ways we have overloaded the fifty-one year old structure.
Greece: denial of human rights in today’s Europe
First of our new student blogs: The eyes of Europe are focused on Syria and the plight of thousands of refugees from conflict. But member states of the EU continue to suffer under the yoke of austerity. Greeks in particular are still suffering from the systematic denial of their basic rights in a manner that destroys Europe’s ethical integrity.
1707 and a’ that
The recent History Festival re-examined what really happened in – and before and after – the Treaty of Union was signed. Historians disagreed, as ever, over the events and their import and, no doubt, will still be doing so in another 300 years.
Defeat Daesh and honour the dead
France and its people have reasserted republican values and proclaimed the primacy of love in the fight against ISIS. But how best to ensure that the 130 Daesh victims in Paris are honoured – and to prevent similar atrocities happening?