Japan, England and the Social Aspiration Gap
By Mike Small Imagine a country riven by a culture of deference and conservatism, wholly dependent on nuclear power and desperately short of a drive for social aspiration for change. Continue reading
Bella Caledonia
It's time to get above ourselves
All is Not Lost
It is important to identify this development in order to juxtapose it to the traditional structures and institutions of power. Similarly if the concept of a Scottish left is to have any meaning it may need to be considered as an emerging fuzzy entity rather than ring-fenced in advance by rigid absolutism or fixed ideology.
The End of Nuclear Energy
This week, high profile environmentalists like George Monbiot (‘The Fukushima crisis should not spell the end of nuclear power‘) and Mark Lynas (‘What does the Japanese Quake Crisis Say About Continue reading
The Eds of March
By Thom Cross Once again Ed Miliband (accompanied by his ‘consigliere’ Ed Balls) visited Scotland last week to help shore-up Iain Gray’s leadership. For two-Eds are better than wan Gray Continue reading
Susan George, Crisis & Solutions
For more than three decades ground-breaking scholar and activist Susan George has written expansively on the effects of neo-liberal economics on the poor. Product & Bella interviewed her. Your latest Continue reading
On Being the Cartographers of a New Scotland
By Lallands Peat Worrier Those of you who have been lurking about here a good while will be familiar with my ideas about Alex Salmond’s speech-making powers. Of his remarks Continue reading
Notes from Tokyo
Tokyo 12:20 hrs, 19 March 2011 Not all doom and gloom despite what the media may sometimes say ( or me, ha ha). Expressions of support by the Scottish parliament Continue reading
The Struggle in Wisconsin
Events are still unfolding in Wisconsin, and may yet escalate further. But we can already draw some conclusions from them, which can guide us in the months ahead–for Wisconsin is surely only the first of many states that will see public outrage over austerity measures.
First Wales, Now Berwick?
By Ray Bell Is Wales part of England? Is Berwick upon Tweed? I suspect most people would answer “no” to the first, and probably “yes” to the second. With the Continue reading
Fukushima, Private Company – Public Catastrophe
“The emergency shutdown has been conducted but the process of cooling down the reaction is currently not going as planned,” explained Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano, according to CNN.
Another World Is Possible
We all spend far too much time online staring at lightboxes. Here’s a chance to get out and get to some great live events you won’t find in The Skinny Continue reading
Independent Women
As we approach the full-on Holyrood election campaign, there will be few poltical parties putting women centre stage of their platform for government which is unfortunate. We need politicians who are prepared to think the unthinkable and totally redesign how we approach the design and delivery of public services.
Madmen
The economic collapse has forced some unusual casualties. Woolies and the RAF went, Trident and Relocation Relocation Relocation didn’t (follow the logic if you can). Could the Old Firm derby be the next institution to be forced out of existence? Decades of bad blood and bigotry have not been enough to motivate politicians or administrators to act. Now simple economics might do what they manifestly failed to.
Who are Scotland’s Fianna Fail?
By Mike Small Scottish nationalists are often obsessed by the ‘unionist media’. Sometimes we are guilty of this at Bella. At times this all gets a bit tired. The Scotsman Continue reading
A revolution against neoliberalism?
If rebellion results in a retrenchment of neoliberalism, millions will feel cheated. This article first appeared on the Al Jazeera website (on 24th Feb) under the pseudonym of ‘Abu Atris’ Continue reading
MayDay! MayDay for Britain!
The primary role of the British state is to stop the nation happening, in the nation’s proper, civic, dialectical, inclusive sense – and the replacement of a workers’ day by a ‘British day’ is an entirely normal sign of how Britain works.
Irish Ayes
Rampant capitalism has brought the country to its knees so the only cure is more rampant capitalism. Not that anyone really has engaged in policy debate to any extent in this election given that the major parties all agree on the IMF/ECB approach and all vow to slash public spending. No, the main motivation of many voters seems to be to destroy Fianna Fail and the, if anything more despised, Greens whose principles melted in hubris the day they signed the pact.
AV – Alba Voice
AV: It’s a smokescreen for real change. It’s British politics at it’s dire turgid worst. It’s puerile tinkering dressed up as change. As the people of North Africa are intent on throwing off tyrannical rule and exploring new democracies we are faced with some regurgitated constitutional sick which the Liberals, complicit in the wholesale dismantling of the public sector are – for some inexplicable reason – delighted about.
Wales Begins with a Yes
On the 3rd of March, people in Wales shall be voting on greater powers for the Assembly. This is a huge step forward for the country, and another nail in the coffin of the UK. Despite some narrow-minded gibes about Wales being the “slow boat in the convoy”, by Scottish activists, this is in fact not the case. Wales is unlikely to overtake Scotland, but for the last ten years, it has actually travelled further and faster than Scotland has in that time.
Neu Reekie 2
* It’s Neu like pie not Neu like Neo… “Neu! Reekie! is the very visceral meeting of avant-garde poetry and film. The night promises to shock and stun, playing host Continue reading
Irish Election 2011
‘Out with the bankers. We need a new Republic,’ a lad of barely 16 shouts. Regardless of their politics, not too many in Ireland would dispute the young man’s sentiment.
Berlusconi and the Libyan Connection
This re-posted from Craig Murray who’s blog is under (re) construction… A very senior diplomatic source told me yesterday that Berlusconi is frantic lest Gadaffi falls and the channels are revealed by Continue reading
Not Burns
By Dougie Strang Last month the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum was officially opened by the First Minister and by Liz Lochhead, our new Scots Makar. Earlier, it had opened to Continue reading
Perception is All
A quick update across some of our stories from the last week…Alastair McIntosh writes notifying us with some regrest that his epic Ode to Donald Trump has not succeeded in Continue reading
These are my Principals, and If You Don’t Like Them I Have Others…
With the UCU-EIS conference in Edinburgh today we publish this by Chris Harvie (with research assistance from Stefan Buettner) Principals of Scottish Universities, currently undertaking drastic restructuring, recently gave themselves Continue reading
10 Things You Didn’t Know About RBS
By Adam Ramsay…10 things you may not have known about the bank you own: We own 84% of RBS. They’ll be announcing their profits this week, and UK Uncutters across the country Continue reading
Take Caledonia
‘Stop the World – Scotland wants to get on!’ said Winnie Ewing after winning Hamilton for the SNP in 1967. As revolutionary action sweeps the world how can we find new ways of participating and building political movements and embolden Scottish political expectations?
The Scotsman makes the alternative case to Independence
By Eddie Barnes & Andrew Whitaker This morning’s edition of The Scotsman newspaper puts the economic case for Scotland staying in the union. It’s not a very strong case it Continue reading
Bye Bye Wendy
So Go Lassie Go has the lowdown on the story behind Wendy’s departure here. The reality is she had to resign not because of dodgy expenses (she was definitely more Continue reading
Bill Aitken Must Go
By Grace Murray As this goes up the Facebook page ‘Bill Aitken Must Go’ has over 500 people supporting it. The title of this page is not ‘Bill Aitken is abhorrent’ or Continue reading
