Obama, North Korea and Social Media

Notice how we’re suddenly talking about North Korea, just a short while after a change in leadership? Except we’re not – the Americans are doing most of the talking, along with China, who are eagerly trying to mediate the whole thing down. Do you wonder why these threats from North Korea’s Dear Leader need to be taken seriously? Wonder why its all being talked about now?

My life 10 years on

I’m not the only person who has spent the last fortnight reflecting back over ten years of conflict in Iraq. A military conflict as controversial as Iraq is likely to continue to provide discussion fodder for the media for years to come, and more so when government files regarding the conflict are ‘unlocked’ in decades to come. But for myself, its also a very important personal anniversary to look back on.

Olympic Weapons of Mass Distraction

There’s been a lot of general anger on twitter and facebook over the last 48hours concerning the positioning of missiles on residential buildings for use during the Olympics. Its a terrifying thought in some ways, but its also kind of irrelevant to civil liberties, and a very big distraction from the more worrying, and lasting, changes brought on by the games.

Global Justice in a time of Austerity

in just 6 weeks time, I’m running an event of a fairly unprecedented scale at York Friend’s Meeting House, drawing together over a dozen local campaign groups for an afternoon of talks and discussions spanning the length and width of “Global Justice”. All this seemed so much more urgent before the cuts became the defining issue of the moment, and now its hard to even feel excited about the range of issues beyond our doorstep.

Child-like Politics

Passing by the York Against the War stall yesterday, I happened to witness something that really reminded me of the extent to which adults go so far in over-complicating politics. A child (probably about 10-12 I guess) approached, asking to sign a petition, did he have to pay to sign and did we know… (I forget the name).

Draft Statement on Millbank Occupation

I’ve been asked to write something for a Christian website with a radical edge on how we as radical Christians see the Millbank Occupation and the ensuing media furore. This is not a perfect finished draft, and its written in plural where currently it only has my endorsement. If you’re interested in signing (which would obviously imply you have affinity with the Christian faith) please get in touch. Several parts are based on comments from the ad-hoc group in question.

Tazers: In the public interest?

We were told yesterday that it would not be in the public interest for an inquiry to be held into how police came to be using an un-licensed weapon during the Raoul Moat episode. In fact, it appears there is acknowledgement that a fire-arms offence took place, but that nothing should be done about it.

Cults of Infamy, or “Forgiving Blair”

This last week I, like everyone in the UK, have been forced to encounter once more the face of Tony Blair beaming from shops, newspapers, TV sets, and even from my own computer. I’m no less convinced that the man is a murderer and a war criminal than I was, say, 5 years ago. But I’m becoming aware of the need to let go of some of my loathing for him as an individual, before it gets the better of me.

What the Israeli soldier facebook photos tell us

I’m in a huge hurry to get a train, but couldn’t not use these few minutes to address this one news story from the last few days: an Israeli soldier’s photos of herself posing with blindfolded Palestinian men that have been posted to facebook. Whilst the IDF seems determined to make this “an isolated incident”, I think it shows us far too much to simply pass it by.

The Return of The Nuclear Distractor

Its a long while since I’ve dealt with the dichotomy between Nuclear and so-called “Conventional” weapons, those where society has little or no trouble condoning usage, as long as some conditions are assured. In fact, I first raised it in my second ever post. But in the last week its come to the fore-ground, with both Obama’s media-stunt conference and the Lib Dems promising reductions on Labour’s commitments.