On the function and future of the British monarchy

Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning monarch in British history, has passed on, having died peacefully in her summer home in Balmoral and surrounded by loved ones. Her eldest son is now King Charles III, and his reign ushers in the end of what has been called the “Elizabethan era”, that is to say the…

What is a socialist to make of China? – Part One

Introduction: The Poisoned Well of Discourse Nothing has caused more consternation, heated debate, and in general bad takes in our time than the discourse around the self-described People’s Republic of China. In the 21st century, it has assumed the role previously played by the USSR as the big bad “communist” superpower in Western—particularly American—imagination, only…

The national mythology of Brexit Britain

Introduction: The True Meaning of Brexit Six years ago, I voted Leave in the EU referendum, and was at that time a vocal critic of the Remain camp. Disillusioned with the left as misrepresented by people like Owen Jones and Jess Phillips, I could already feel myself drifting to the right back then, and yet…

The socialist case for Welsh independence

Introduction: The Impasse of British Wales I have written frequently about the dire state of my country on this blog. Our economy has suffered greatly as a result of both the COVID-19 pandemic and the complications of the government’s Brexit deal. We are soon to be hit with a cost of living crisis that the…

Meades’ tacsi to a linguistic straightjacket (a reply to Jonathan Meades)

Wales is a nation, with its own language, culture, history and identity. This may come as a shock to some people in England who think we’re basically just England’s backyard, but it is a fact, and occasionally those forgetful Englishmen have to be reminded of it. Ever since devolution (and perhaps before), there has been…

The enabling of Éric Zemmour

Only a year ago, nobody outside of the French media was talking about Éric Zemmour, the far-right journalist, author and professional provocatuer, as a serious presidential candidate. Beginning in the summer, however, he emerged as the dark horse of the French far-right, and after months of speculation, polling upsets and media hype, Zemmour is now…

Left-wing superpatriotism: An infantile disorder

One aspect of sectarianism in the left is that it may reflect varying ideological or political interests. Earlier in this blog I covered an example of sectarianism which advocated for the left to police the “tankie” tendencies within our ranks in capitulation to liberal orthodoxy. Sadly, this is not the only mode of sectarianism plaguing…

What is British culture anyway?

Just when you think this country can’t sink any lower, it finds new ways to surprise you. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister reshuffled his cabinet, and the decision everybody has been talking about is the appointing of Nadine Dorries, a controversial Tory politician who compared gay marriage to incest, thinks the BBC is run by…