Socialist Standard Past & Present Blog

[imposs1904]

Just scanned in.

An excellent Socialist Standard article, ‘Kenya and Berlin’, from August 1953 by Alwyn Edgar (A.W.E. in the Standard) on the ongoing hypocrisy of the ruling class during the Cold War:

https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/2025/08/kenya-and-berlin-1953.html

Well worth reading, Well worth sharing.

[imposs1904]

Added some new pages to the blog.

The pages are dedicated to particular columns from the Socialist Standard from yesteryear.

New Page: Letter From Europe column (1979-1986)
https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/2025/09/new-page-letter-from-europe-column-1979.html

New Page: Aspect column (1967-1971)
https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/2025/09/aspect-column-1967-1971.html

New Page: Letter From America column (1977-1978)
https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/2025/09/letter-from-america-column-1977-1978.html

[imposs1904]

Sad to read about the death of the radical filmmaker Peter Watkins at the age of 90.

Best known for the banned BBC documentary The War Game, some of his work has reviewed in the pages of the Socialist Standard.

Click on the links for the reviews:

Peter Watkins: A Revolutionary Film-Maker (2015)
https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/2015/10/peter-watkins-revolutionary-film-maker.html

Peter Watkins: A Revolutionary Film-Maker (2015) – part 2
https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/2015/11/peter-watkins-revolutionary-film-maker.html

Review of The War Game – 1966
https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-war-game-1966.html

Another review of The War Game – 1980
https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-war-game-1980.html

[Mike Foster]

Yes, it was sad to hear about Peter Watkins’ death, and thanks for posting the links. The War Game is rightfully lauded, and there’s much of interest in his other work too. ‘Privilege’ (1967) describes how pop culture can be used by the elite as a means of control. The film opens with a riot at a gig, deliberately-engineered by the state to channel youthful anger away from dissent. This was filmed in Birmingham’s Town Hall, and I went to a screening of the film in the same auditorium, which was quite unsettling (although there was no riot when I was there!). Watkins’ 1971 film Punishment Park is an astonishing piece of work, depicting the trial and punishment of characters representing the strands of 1960s counter-culture. Most of the actors were non-professionals, improvising their dialogue and reactions, giving the film added realism and impact. These films, though, used techniques which Watkins would later reject as he developed his own style, intended to counter the prevailing manipulative style of film-making. He was one-of-a-kind.

[Author]

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