The German chancellor has insisted there will be no change to her country’s policy towards immigration and refugees. “We can manage our historic task – and this is a historic test in times of globalisation – just as we’ve managed so much already, we can manage it.” But the task is daunting and not just for Germans.
Archives for July 2016
Ooh la la! The myth of the sexy French
“Each country’s culture perpetuates myths about its closest rivals that often have no basis in reality and which puzzle those from elsewhere”, says the author as she examines the origins of why we always talk of “French kissing/pox” etc. (While they talk of le vice anglais, filer à l’anglaise…)
Roch Winds and the illusions of Civic Nationalism
A review of a fine new book by three young writers that offers a much needed razor-sharp critique of Scotland’s emerging political monoculture.
Is Momentum a mob? No – this is what democracy looks like
Jeremy Gilbert argues that a few unpleasant incidents are being highlighted to undermine a huge, peaceful, democratic movement.
Is Corbyn’s Labour a democratic centralist party?
In our continuing series on UK Labour the author examines whether Jeremy Corbyn plus/minus Momentum et al are turning Labour into a Leninist party treating MPs as representatives to be de-selected at will or does it remain wedded to representative parliamentary democracy and socialism?
Strange death of Labour – and the SNP?
Where do radical reformist voters go these days? Labour is a spent force – and the re-election of Jeremy Corbyn will not bring with it a policy agenda worthy of the name. Here a SNP voter laments this and the fact that the SNP lacks reforming zeal. So far.
Are you as smart as Alan Cumming?
The post-EUref blame game continues in a political world darkened by terror and hate. Here Loki pokes fun instead at some crass remarks on the ‘stupid English’ by pro-indy actor Alan Cumming (who now says it was a joke…)
Are we really more European?
Judging by the referendum result, it may seem obvious that Scots are more European than their neighbours to the south but the binary choice in a referendum masks a more complex picture.
Boris: Don Quixote reincarnated
On reading newspapers in English and French while lazing by the pool or in the cafe – and turning to Cervantes and his rueful knight who bears an uncanny resemblance in his manners to arch-Brexiteer and new foreign secretary BoJo.
Defining Labour: socialist or social democratic?
Labour’s bitter leadership struggle is often presented as a contest between socialists and social democrats. But what do these terms actually mean? And what resonance do they have today?