A simple conversation
Just under a week ago I was cycling across Waterloo bridge on my way from work in Brixton to an evening Italian class in Holborn. As usual I assumed I was late. It was dark, being late October and after 7pm. As my pedals pumped to haul me closer to my destination I saw a … Continue reading
Still Hating War: A general reflection on British policy towards Iraq
Phil Holtam In spring 2003, along with a few thousand other young Londoners, I took part in protests against the invasion of Iraq. We were school kids on strike, bringing noise to parliament square over a period of weeks by singing songs against Blair & Bush and on several occasions, when feeling bold, blocking the … Continue reading
My walk home in Cartagena
The historic centre of Cartagena is a splendid Spanish colonial town where cruise ship tourists buy coconuts and t-shirts. It’s surrounded by thick walls and patrolled by street vendors and scores of police. Here you can sip cocktails on what looks and feels like Miami Beach. As you walk out of that enclosed space however, things begin to … Continue reading
Sweatshops on the seas
Arriving at the port in Le Havre is far easier when the French football team is half way through cruising to a 3-0 victory against Honduras. The immigration officials at the port did little more than wave me through as I explained to them that I was a passenger, not crew member, on the steel … Continue reading
Trading vital medicines for ‘cheap’ meat
This blog originally appeared on campaign group Farms Not Factories’ website, here. Public awareness that antibiotics are on the wane as, arguably, the most effective weapons in western medicine’s arsenal has been increasing over the last decade. What is still foreign to many is the idea that food production could be a major culprit in … Continue reading
You cannot be Syrias
I’m not sure a pun in the title of a blog on this topic is acceptable. What is surely not is military assault on a population already ravaged by violence. This is a blog I’d quite obviously rather not be writing, so I’ll attempt to keep it brief and to the point. I’ve read this … Continue reading
An Auspicious Day for the World’s Peasants
Wednesday the 17th of April 2013 saw a curious combination of events for land workers the world over. It was, of course, Thatcher’s funeral; an ironic orgy of public funds in commemoration of the grand architect of the neoliberal model. It was also International Day of Peasant Struggle, a day established to commemorate the massacre … Continue reading
Why I am going to Thatcher’s funeral. And why you should too.
Thatcher Thatcher Thatcher Thatcher Thatcher Thatcher Thatcher Thatcher Thatcher Thatcher Thatcher She’s dead, you know? With the passing of a political monolith is born a very modern PR battle. And it is one Thatcher’s advocates, acolytes, admirers, political dependents and press pushers are winning. Let’s get my position out of the way first. Thatcher did … Continue reading
A royally dangerous obsession
I haven’t had the time, nor do I have the inclination, to do any in-depth research on ‘the royal pregnancy’. As a result, this may be misinformed, or not comprehensive in analysis. But it is exactly my instinctive sentiment towards this issue that prevents that being a realistic possibility. I simply refuse to spend much … Continue reading
Tell the Church of England to stand up to the anti-gay bill in Uganda
Help #blockthebill against homosexuality in Uganda – ask the Church of England to condemn the criminalisation of homosexuality! The bill against homosexuality in Uganda will be passed by the end of 2012 as a ‘Christmas gift‘ to Ugandans, according to the speaker of parliament in Uganda, Rebecca Kadaga. The bill proposes that gay people are imprisoned … Continue reading
