Matthew Carr's Blog, page 55
October 15, 2014
Ebola, He Come
As individuals we all have irrational fears of something. For some of us it’s snakes and spiders. For others it’s rats, crowds, heights or open spaces. What makes these fears irrational is their inability to distinguish between the imaginary threat … Continue reading →
October 13, 2014
Immigration: Labour Wades into the Gutter
Within two days of the toxic Ukip eruptions in Manchester and Clacton, Ed Miliband has penned a piece in the Observer on how Labour will attempt to stop them spreading. Miliband’s op ed was probably written before the election results, … Continue reading →
October 10, 2014
Ukip Without Ukip
So the great defector Douglas Carswell took his majority with him over to Ukip yesterday, trashing his Tory rival and adding a few thousand more votes into the bargain. Less predictably, Ukip came within 700 votes of taking away a … Continue reading →
October 8, 2014
The Guardian’s war-lite
When the British liberal press supports the UK’s wars, it generally does so from a very different perspective to the tabloid press. Unlike the Sun, say, it doesn’t make little jokes about drones or entertain its readers with bloodthirsty ‘gotcha’ … Continue reading →
October 7, 2014
Kobane: Chronicle of a Defeat Foretold
Despite heroic and desperate resistance from Kurdish Peoples Defence fighters (YPG) in Kobane, it is now looking increasingly likely that this key Syrian border town will fall to ISIS. It that happens, Islamic State will be able to unite the … Continue reading →
October 4, 2014
2014: A Record Year for Europe’s Deadly Borders
At the end of this month I’m going to Equador to lead a walking group. In order to enter the country all I need to do is buy a plane ticket and arrive in Quito. I don’t need a visa … Continue reading →
October 2, 2014
The Persecution of Moazzam Begg
The collapse of the trial of Moazzam Begg is a cause for celebration for Begg and his family, and for all those who have insisted on his innocence for the last seven months. But this outcome also raises disturbing questions … Continue reading →
September 30, 2014
George Osborne’s Future
I was surprised to hear George Osborne inviting his party and the nation to ‘choose the future’ yesterday. It isn’t just because Trainspotting isn’t the most obvious text for a chancellor to refer to when making a major policy … Continue reading →
September 28, 2014
Through a Glass Bleakly: Cronenberg’s Maps to the Stars
I don’t watch many David Cronenberg movies. This isn’t because I don’t think he’s good. On the contrary, it’s been obvious for many years that he is a brilliant director with one of the most original and disturbing imaginations in … Continue reading →
September 27, 2014
ISIS: the Game of Thrones continues
I have long since despaired of the ability or willingness of the mainstream media to give a full and in depth analysis of almost anything, but foreign policy in particular. With the exception of a few writers, I rely … Continue reading →
