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.
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
Two Sides of the Same Manure
With the events of the last year or so, America has seemingly been boiled down to just two sides that absolutely hate each other. There is no room to work together or get anything done as long as there is a two party system and our founding fathers knew this when they formed America. Yet what happened to their ideals and hopes for this country? The entire scheme has been reduced to two completely separate sides that get at each others' throats whenever possible over whatever possible. It's no wonder anything can be accomplished in this nation when the only people in power (no matter who is president) don’t actually represent the public. This system has been divided for so long that every single person that was in the middle can only vote for the person they ever so slightly disagree with less.
By Timothy Zawodny9 years ago in The Swamp
Don't Be Hoodwinked
General elections are oh so civilized and bring out the best in people, not! Roll on Thursday, the general election is getting boring. Political campaigns are the biggest hypocritical joke on the planet and it's now got to the mud-slinging final days. Each of the main party leaders have had everything but the kitchen sink flung at them to slight their character and policy has long gone out the window.
By Harmony Flower9 years ago in The Swamp
