politics
Politics does not dictate our collective cultural mindset as much as it simply reflects it; We've got to look in the mirror sometimes, and we've got one.
Hungry And Homeless In America
The most recent statistics on the homeless show an unsettling truth that few of us want to hear. These alarming statistics hit awfully close to home—and to the fact that any one of us, due to an unanticipated medical challenge, sudden unemployment, housing loss, or other unanticipated life event—can easily wind up on the street.
By Marlene Affeld9 years ago in The Swamp
Head of Council Should Be Arrested for Grenfell Tower Fire
The leader of the Royal Borough of Chelsea and Kensington Council, Nick Paget-Brown, should be the first arrested for the Grenfell Tower fire and the local authorities immediate response. The responsibility for the Grenfell Tower fire is currently being batted around all the guilty parties. But the Conservative head of the local council Nick Paget-Brown has shown a complete lack of respect to all local residents. In his YouTube video entitled ‘Meet the New Leader’ which was uploaded 23rd May 2013, Councillor Paget-Brown sets out his vision for the future. He doesn’t once mention the safety or security of his council constituents, instead, he talks about cost cutting and cracking down on department spending. He speaks of remodelling and reshaping the post-war estates to make them ‘attractive’ places to live. In this 2013 video, on the Kensington & Chelsea YouTube channel, Paget-Brown talks of increasing the quality of the housing for residents but says nothing about increasing their quality of life.
By Johnny Vedmore9 years ago in The Swamp
The Queen's Official Birthday Message
To be honest, I'm not a royalist. If somebody was to tell me that one family was able to live in multiple palaces, whilst I, a lowly student, struggle to pay rent on a single room, the notion would usually make me nauseous, and it still does. But, my love of history and symbolic tradition gets in the way; unfortunately, I'm stuck being able to see what the royal family has to offer us, and it has endeared me to them in such a way that they are impossible to dislike. Even as people were stuck sleeping in a sports hall because of the devastating Grenfell Tower fire, the Queen's presence to survivors brought a calming and supporting effect, especially when compared to the ambivalence of our own dear Prime Minister. But that is not what I want to talk about, as instead, I want to turn our attention to a more celebratory affair; the Queen's birthday.
By Sarah French9 years ago in The Swamp
Political Correctness and I
Political correctness has become something of a taboo subject in the UK, with a general disdain towards the concept felt by most, coupled with the fear of being labelled a xenophobe, racist or misogynist. There seems to be an ever thinning line between what is acceptable and what isn’t.
By Jordan Catto9 years ago in The Swamp
How The Handmaid's Tale Isn't Too Far-Fetched
I've only recently become obsessed with Hulu's latest series The Handmaid's Tale. The season finale has landed, and I couldn't be even more ravenous for the next episode. If you're not familiar with this dystopian masterpiece that came from Margaret Atwood's genius mind, I highly recommend you watch it or read the novel itself. For someone that has only watched instead of read (guilty as charged), I can only base this article on the way the world of Gilead is portrayed with the help of Elizabeth Moss as Offred (or Joan, if you decide to remember she was once a free human being at one point.)
By Idrian Pandtop9 years ago in The Swamp
Blue Crab Blues
Last weekend I drove down to Venice, La., the last town accessible by car before the mouth of the Mississippi River. It is popular among fisherman who put in there to fish the fecund waters of the Gulf. It is dotted with fish camps that extend from the levee into the wetlands and lakes that open up on the Gulf.
By Mike Bernos9 years ago in The Swamp
Strong And Stable, But At What Cost?
“Strong and stable” has been repeated over and over during the last two months, since UK Prime Minister Theresa May called a General Election on 18th April. But what does that mean? We have been asking the same question of “Brexit means Brexit” and we still don’t have an answer. But we can shed some light on the former by analysing her behaviour since the Brexit vote.
By Katy Preen9 years ago in The Swamp
Sup Pop?
When I came into this world, it was as an American, for which I am grateful. I was not associated with any particular political party. My knowledge of politics filtered into my life like most things I learned. I remember my father getting spiffy, every once in a while, and heading out early in the morning, to return later in the evening. Now I knew that on these occasions he was up to something different because my dad rarely got spiffy. He was an electrician and spiffy was not a job requirement.
By Carol Gatewood9 years ago in The Swamp
"The Media Lies" Challenge
Media Challenge Mainstream media does not “lie.” There. I said it. It's trendy nowadays for people of both ends of the political spectrum to talk about and act as if it’s a pre-existing condition that the “media” lies. But it doesn’t. Yes, some media like the New York Times has a mildly left-of-center worldview, but that is not a lie. If the Washington Post chooses to run a story critical of Trump over a story about cute puppies, that is not a lie. It may be biased but one can be biased without being a liar.
By David Bulley9 years ago in The Swamp
