Young Master Smeet

Forum Replies Created

Viewing 15 posts - 46 through 60 (of 3,079 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • in reply to: Bill Brand #252300

    Finally made it all the way through: I particularly enjoyed Arthur Lowe as the slippery Prime Minister.

    I’ve just run across another cracking series:

    The Guardians, Britain falls to a military coup…

    in reply to: Labour Party facing bankruptcy #252293

    Possible row back on the Starmer quote:

    “Asked if he would use that word to describe himself, Sir Keir told the BBC: “Yes, I would describe myself as a socialist. I describe myself as a progressive. I’d describe myself as somebody who always puts the country first and party second.” (reported in the Telegraph).

    in reply to: Letter to the Islington Tribune #252285


    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-69063295 18:04

    • This reply was modified 5 months, 4 weeks ago by Young Master Smeet.
    • This reply was modified 5 months, 3 weeks ago by ALB.
    in reply to: Mod Log #252264

    Forums › General discussion › Russian Tensions
    #252259

    Rule 1

    in reply to: Michael Gove #252229

    Seems our stern letter did the trick: he’s gone. That’ll learn them: you don’t mess with the Socialist Party….

    in reply to: What’s an elephant, grandma? #252171

    Mod Note:

    Rule 3. Do not use the forums to send spam, advertisements, charitable appeals, solicitations, or other messages primarily intended to promote a particular product, service, campaign, website, organisation, venture, or event, unless it is relevant to the SPGB or its companion parties, without first obtaining permission from the moderators.

    in reply to: “Decolonising” Hadrian’s Wall? #252045

    ‘“And this also,” said Marlow suddenly, “has been one of the dark places of the earth.”’

    There is an interesting argument to be had about the role of antiquity and the imaginary Roman Empire in justifying the British Empire (and today it emerges in some of the fash right who look back to Rome).

    The Wall did not ‘keep the barbarian’s out’ – I read somewhere it was as much about tax and regulating trade as anything. Likewise, ‘unconquered Scotland’ forms part of the imaginary ideology of national identity that is worth picking at a few threads of.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadrian%27s_Wall

    in reply to: “Decolonising” Hadrian’s Wall? #252043

    https://www.twmuseums.org.uk/news/tyne-and-wear-archives-and-museums-seeking-a-freelance-decolonisation-specialist

    So, first off, it’s for an entire area, not just Hadrian’s Wall

    This is from the scoping document that prompted the post:

    “Note: There is no agreed definition as to what Decolonisation means for museums and it can often be misrepresented or misunderstood. Here we use the term to describe how we can acknowledge that the origins of collections might be connected to the acts of colonisation of other countries, and how we can ensure these stories are not overlooked. It also acknowledges that decolonisation is about addressing institutional power structures.”

    “The history of the collections at the Great North Museum: Hancock (GNM) spans over 250 years. This means that a number of our objects are inextricably linked with Britain’s colonial past and systemic racism. We acknowledge this and are working towards using these collections in an equitable and just way. ”

    A key point (from the job ad): “Fee: Up to £5,700 including VAT and travel. This work is offered as a freelance contract, for a fixed fee including VAT and all expenses. The appointed individual will be responsible for all tax, national insurance, etc. This equates to approximately 12 days’ work.”

    Considering they have an ethnography collection, and a maritime history collection, it is probably worth those 12 days of sitting, talking to collection specialists and formulating a strategy.

    The Daily Mail are lying scum, who knew?

    in reply to: Anti-Zionism is not anti-semitic #252036

    https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/10/middleeast/israel-sde-teiman-detention-whistleblowers-intl-cmd/index.html

    Stories of internment/filtration camps are starting to come out (standard counter-insurgency practice):

    “For those who repeatedly breached the prohibition on speaking and moving, the punishment became more severe. Israeli guards would sometimes take a prisoner to an area outside the enclosure and beat him aggressively, according to two whistleblowers and al-Ran. A whistleblower who worked as a guard said he saw a man emerge from a beating with his teeth, and some bones, apparently broken.”

    This form of abuse has been recognised as falling short of torture by https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng#{%22itemid%22:[%22001-181585%22]} but is clearly abusive and degrading.

    in reply to: Our London Assembly Election Campaign #252024

    https://www.london.gov.uk/who-we-are/what-london-assembly-does/assembly-member-press-releases/sian-berry-steps-aside-welcomes-zoe-garbett-london-assembly-green-group

    Well, that’s a bit shabby:

    “Zoë Garbett will be joining the London Assembly today, after Siân Berry stepped aside for the councillor in Hackney and recent Mayoral candidate. ”

    So, they put their mayoral candidate 4th on the list (maybe they were being hopeful), but now Berry (who will, I think be taking a crack at Brighton in the GE) has stepped down and allowed Garbett in as 4th on the list.

    in reply to: Waiting on the vote results #252023

    Mod note: if we could leave the football banter now, please, and return to topic…

    in reply to: Mod Log #252003

    Forums › Off topic › New Music Thread
    #251735

    Edited for copyright compliance, rule 4.

    in reply to: New Music Thread #252000

    in reply to: Our London Assembly Election Campaign #251993

    Barnet & Camden 1639 (1%)

    Labour 70,749 43.2%
    Conservative 51,606 31.5%
    Green 18,405 11.2%
    Liberal Democrats 12,335 7.5%
    Reform UK 7,703 4.7%
    Socialist (GB) 1,639 1.0%

    So, our results are about par, a bit down on our best in Lambeth…

    Walter Benjamin’s definition:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aestheticization_of_politics

    “Fascism attempts to organize the newly proletarianized masses without affecting the property structure which the masses strive to eliminate. Fascism sees its salvation in giving these masses not their right, but instead a chance to express themselves. The masses have a right to change property relations; Fascism seeks to give them an expression while preserving property.”

    I think this includes the notion of fascism as mobilised dictatorship: fascists aren’t content to just rule, but also to ensure that everyone is involved, you cannot be a quiet bystander.

Viewing 15 posts - 46 through 60 (of 3,079 total)