For Scottish Democracy
‘Democracy’ is a term that has become tattered and bandied about, it has come to inhabit a similar terrain to words like ‘family’, ‘fairness’, and ‘aspiration’. Democracy in our times Continue reading
Monthly Archives
Archive for: September 2011
Beyond Centralised Power
In any new constitutional settlement it is vital that the question of how we are governed at the local level is addressed. If it is not, then independence may simply mean the perpetuation of national elite rule.
The Word
By Thom Cross I had an animated conversation in an Edinburgh howf during the recent Festival. I attempted to record this dialogue of feeling within the standard structure of the Continue reading
Nokta Animation
Changing Scotland, 4th-6th Nov, at The Ceilidh Place, Ullapool
Based at Jean Urquhart’s world famous Ceilidh Place, ‘Changing Scotland’ is a twice-a-year gathering of minds in Ullapool which brings together thinkers, activists and creatives for a weekend of ideas, Continue reading
The Invisible Occupation
Direct from Liberty Plaza…the protest the MSM’s silent about: As a double dip recession becomes a not so distant probability the world is reminded of that fateful moment in August Continue reading
Is Ed a Robot?
Ed Miliband’s brave new dawn turned out to be a regurgitation of Blairite orthodoxies. But a more worrying issue about our Cicero Rouge is the fact that he appears to be a robot.
Oil Slcic
RBS – Really Botched Sponsorship
Activists dressed as ‘oily bankers’ protested outside the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) sponsored Scottish Low Carbon Investment Conference in Edinburgh this morning. Friends of the Earth Scotland continues its Continue reading
Trader tells the Chilling Truth of Amoral Capitalism
“The Collapse is Coming…and Goldman Rules the World”
For So Long As 100 Remain
After digging around in the shed we’ve unearthed a bundle of 100 copies of the first issue of Bella Caledonia (from October 2007), long thought to be completely out of Continue reading
Program or Be Programmed
Douglas Rushkoff expounds on his new book “Program or Be Programmed’. Rushkoff is an American media theorist, writer, columnist, graphic novelist and documentarian. He is best known for his association Continue reading
Scottish Labour’s Ratner Moment
Jimmy Reid began in the Communist Party, moved to Labour but ended up in the SNP. Latterly, whichever party he was in, he was fond of saying that ‘the rat race is for rats.’ But would he recognise the Labour Party today, or is it as Tom Harris says just less crap than the others?
For the Four Hour Day
Organising the Precarious
First of a series on precarity An excerpt from a lecture delivered at “Towards a Vision of Sexual and Economic Justice,” an event held on November 29, 2007 at Barnard Continue reading
Cybermen v Cybernats?
By Mike Small Alan Cochrane of the Telegraph has written that: “This commentator once, foolishly as it now turns out, suggested that Mr Murphy, a recent past Secretary of State Continue reading
This is What (World) Democracy Looks Like
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas addresses the 66th United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York: (thanks to Luther Blissett)
Beggar Nation
Is describing your own country as racists and beggars a good way to win over popular support? Ask the Labour Party in Scotland?
Québec and Scotland in the same sentence
By Jean-Francois Joubert I am sometimes asked why as a Quebecer I should be so interested in Scotland. Honestly, it seems like a natural thing to me. The individual Scots Continue reading
Bella Review
What are we reading at the moment? Each month we’ll be publishing a series of book, film and music reviews. If you want to write a review articles or send Continue reading
Free Ride
Is ubiquitous free content killing our culture?
Too Comfortable in Canada?
By Jean-Francois Joubert In the 1981 movie Le confort et l’Indiférence, Denis Arcand tried to explain Québec’s 1980 independence referendum defeat by arguing that, once the smoke had cleared, what Continue reading
Visualizing Plenitude
Juliet Schor is an inspiration: “Millions of us have lost control over the basic rhythm of their daily lives. They work too much, eat too quickly, socialize too little, drive Continue reading
Dale Farm – Hurtling Backwards
Going to press tonight news that a temporary reprieve has been won. By Kate Higgins I can’t pretend to have followed the saga of Dale Farm up close and personal. Continue reading
Visca Escòcia i Visca Catalunya lliure!
An interview with Anna Arqué: “We want, we can and we’ll win! Visca Escòcia i Visca Catalunya lliure!”
The Real Cost of the War
Orwell was Wrong (just occasionally)
By Michael Greenwell I have been an Orwell obsessive since I was 11 years old when I read Down & Out in Paris & London. I was obviously too young Continue reading
Towards a Post-Colonial Scotland
By David Tobin Nationalism is about the relationship between people and land. Ernest Gellner’s classic definition tells us that “nationalism is primarily a political principle that holds that the political and Continue reading
Red White and Blue Labour
Just as Brown materialised in fits and starts out of the glaur, Scottish Labour seems to be appearing like some sort of political miasma drifting forth but without any real substance. Gray announced he would resign immediately after the SNP won its overall majority at Holyrood in May, but the new Labour leader will not be in place until 17 December. If Brown was the Undead of British Zombie politics Scottish Labour are the Unborn.
Chaos Cinema: The Rise & Fall of Action Filmmaking
Below is a 2 part video essay “Chaos Cinema” by Matthias Stork. “Chaos cinema apes the illiteracy of the modern movie trailer. It consists of a barrage of high-voltage scenes. Continue reading
