anti capitalist musings

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Close-up of a British two pence coin, copper-coloured, showing a heraldic lion in a crosshatched frame with fleur-de-lis corners and the words “TWO PENCE” at the top.
Labour Government

Rachel Reeves and the 2p Trap

The chancellor’s proposed income tax shuffle is clever accountancy but toxic politics — a pledge-break disguised as fiscal discipline, and proof that Labour has trapped itself in rules it cannot escape.

An illustration of a red fish (Herring) in profile against a pale background, with the words “RED TERROR” in bold black capitals beneath it.
Charlie Kirk

Red Herring, Not Red Terror

David Frost calls it a new “Red Terror.” The truth is plainer: it’s the Right’s wars, coups and crackdowns that have spilt the deepest blood in politics.

Donald J Trump

The Invention of the Narco-Terrorist

Trump’s latest “kinetic strike” killed three unknown Venezuelans he labelled “narco-terrorists.” The phrase is not law but incantation, a word that strips away humanity and legitimises killing. From Vietnam body counts to Obama’s “signature strikes,” America has always named its enemies into existence, and into death.

Britain

Beyond Creeping Fascism

To call Robinson’s rally “populist” or “right-wing” is to miss the point. Fascism doesn’t require every marcher to be a coherent ideologue; it requires a mass, a scapegoat, and leaders prepared to turn grievance into violence. That is what we saw in London.

Screenshot of a Telegraph article by Camilla Tominey titled “The killing of Charlie Kirk shows just how poisonous Left-wing politics now is,” with the subheading “Speech has consequences – we have once more learnt that lesson from the horrifying events in Utah.” Below the headline is a photo showing two people in jeans holding a poster with a portrait of Charlie Kirk.
Camilla Tominey

Tominey’s doublethink

Camilla Tominey’s sainthood act for Charlie Kirk trades politics for piety. The Right already owns the machinery (press, finance, courts, police) and Kirk was part of the drive shaft. A death certificate doesn’t wash clean a career built on making violence respectable.

Britain

Flatlining Growth, Rising Crisis

The ONS reports zero growth in July. The papers call it “grim news” for Rachel Reeves. In reality, it is the latest entry in a long obituary for British capitalism — a system now sustained only by euphemism, stagnation, and decline.

Against Apologism: Critiquing the Left’s Flirtation with Stalinism

Some on the modern left have engaged in ‘apologism’ for oppressive regimes, whether whitewashing Stalin’s crimes or reflexively supporting authoritarian “anti-imperialist” states. This post argues that defending past and present authoritarianism fundamentally contradicts core progressive principles of liberation, democracy, and human rights.

Urban Wanderings: Keiller’s Cinematic Psychogeography

Patrick Keiller’s Robinson trilogy explores modern Britain through a psychogeographic lens, revealing how landscapes shape collective psychology. The films expose spaces that reflect political and social forces underlying the nation’s fractures.

The Capitalist Roots of the Climate Crisis: The Imperative for System Change

With the climate crisis intensifying, net zero emissions by 2050 has emerged as a key policy goal to limit global warming, but its feasibility and fairness are contested across the political spectrum. This post argues for ambitious climate action to reach net zero, situating the debate within broader capitalist critiques and speculative futures.

The Allure of Conspiracy: Why Conspiracy Theories Persist

Conspiracy theories have proliferated from the fringes to the mainstream, shaped by societal drivers like simplified narratives, confirmation bias, and changes in media. This post explores the roots of ‘conspiracism’ and paths back to reason.

Behind the red eye

The inexorable march of technological progress casts a shadow over humanity’s future, as artificial minds made for war threaten to surpass and subjugate their mortal creators.

Just Stop Oil protestors

The Unanticipated Opera: A Symphony of Dissent at Glyndebourne

On a seemingly ordinary Thursday, at the time-honoured Glyndebourne opera festival, an unexpected interlude of protest emerged. In the sanctuary of the arts, amid the melody of Francis Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites, a dissenting chorus brought the opera to a standstill. Sparked by the cause of Just Stop Oil, the interruption blended a traditional form of high culture with the pressing concerns of our era. This is the narrative of that day, a symphony of dissent resounding from the grand opera house to the streets of London.

GB News Twitter logo

The Muffled Drumbeat of Progress: GB News and the Battle for Truth

As we delve deeper into the tumultuous seas of the 21st century, the airwaves have become a battleground for the soul of society. One such combatant, GB News, has emerged as a rallying point for reactionary rhetoric, a stark contrast to the march of progressive values. Let’s dissect the ways in which GB News stands as a barrier to our shared vision of a more equitable, inclusive, and just society.

A suffragette arrested in the street by two police officers in London in 1914

From Chains to Change: Just Stop Oil Protestors as the New Suffragettes

In the vanguard of dissent, demanding justice, a new breed of rebels is rising, and their fight is our fight. Their actions carry the echoes of a movement that stood firm in the face of oppression more than a century ago—the Suffragettes. Today, we draw parallels between these trailblazers and the Just Stop Oil protestors, not to dilute the significance of either struggle but to highlight the enduring power of civil disobedience in the quest for justice.

Andrew and Lawrence in the spirit of Laurel and Hardy

Andrew Bridgen, Disinformation Networks, and the Radicalisation of the Right

Here we delve into the radicalisation of former Conservative Member of Parliament, Andrew Bridgen, and his alignment with right-wing populist ideologies. Highlighting the pivotal role of disinformation networks and socio-economic factors, we explore the concerning trend of right-wing radicalisation in the UK, its implications for democracy, and potential countermeasures.

Charles-III-do-you-know-the-guilotine-seen-in-Paris

The Unravelling Monarchy

In a world increasingly captivated by images and representations, the British monarchy finds itself at the epicentre of a growing debate on the role of such institutions in a modern democratic society. As the United Kingdom prepares for the coronation of a new king, it is essential to examine the monarchy’s relevance and compatibility with the values of democracy, fairness, and social justice that define the aspirations of a progressive nation.