Socialist Standard Past & Present Blog
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Posts
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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.
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.htmlNew Page: Aspect column (1967-1971)
https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/2025/09/aspect-column-1967-1971.htmlNew Page: Letter From America column (1977-1978)
https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/2025/09/letter-from-america-column-1977-1978.htmlSad 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.htmlPeter Watkins: A Revolutionary Film-Maker (2015) – part 2
https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/2015/11/peter-watkins-revolutionary-film-maker.htmlReview of The War Game – 1966
https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-war-game-1966.htmlAnother review of The War Game – 1980
https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-war-game-1980.htmlYes, 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.
‘It’s Clichéd to Be Cynical at Christmas* . . .’
I posted this last year but why not post it again one year on? Think of it as a re-gifting.
A selection of Christmas-related articles that have appeared in the Socialist Standard (and elsewhere) down the years.
https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/2024/12/its-cliched-to-be-cynical-at-christmas.html
The Christmas-related articles are great, Darren. And often amusing too. I wonder what Steve Coleman would think now of what he wrote then.
– Imposs1904
Here’s a great Christmas-related article that’s missing from your list:
The Waiting Game by Clifford Slapper
https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/2024/12/the-waiting-game-1985.htmlMoo,
Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll make a note of it.
In other news, a bit later than usual, the list of the 21 most popular articles on the blog in 2025:
https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/2026/01/january-february-i-dont-understand.html
Please click away.
A short post to mention that the pages for the regular, longstanding Socialist Standard columns have been updated on the blog. The pages provide easy access to all the individual columns in chronological order:
Cooking the Books column:
https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/p/cooking-books.htmlMaterial World column:
https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/p/material-world-column.htmlPathfinders column:
https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/p/pathfinders-column.htmlI’ve not updated this thread for the longest time, so a little update about the blog:
https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/2026/06/blog-update.html
As mentioned in the post linked to I have been trying to post more material on social media – using our extensive back catalogue – so if anyone can suggest articles or reviews which are particularly worthy for inclusion, I would appreciate it.
Just posted a new page on the Socialist Standard Past and Present blog.
2026 is the 15th anniversary of the Socialist Standard’s excellent Proper Gander TV review column, and that’s a good enough excuse to put together a dedicated page to it where all the columns are listed in chronological order. (Where I could, I’ve provided a brief description of each column.)
Mike Foster was kind enough to provide an introduction to the page.
https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/2026/07/new-blog-page-proper-gander.html
Hi all,
Sorry to read on Spintcom of the recent passing of longstanding Socialist Party member, Alwyn Edgar.
As many list members will know, Alwyn was a longstanding writer for the Socialist Standard, going back many decades, and to mark his passing, I put together on the Socialist Standard Past and Present blog a page which lists his articles, columns, book reviews and cartoons in chronological order:
https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/p/alwyn-edgar-1949-2018.html
1949 is the year of his first appearance in the Standard and January 2018 marks the date of his last appearance in the Standard. (Though Alwyn’s books on the Highland Clearances were mentioned in the Standard post-2018.)
If you click on the month and year on the left hand side of the linked page it will lead you to the individual pieces.
It’s not the complete list of Alwyn’s writings for the Standard but it is the overwhelming majority of his writings that appeared in the Standard, and eventually all his articles and columns will be online.
I’ve just updated the Ralph Critchfield (‘Ivan’) page on the blog.
It’s a chronological list of articles, book reviews and regular columns that Ralph wrote for the Socialist Standard between 1949 and 2018:
https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/2026/10/updated-ralph-critichfield-ivan-1949.html
Just a wee further update on this page.
Though Ralph in later years was best known for his regular columns in the Standard – ‘Caught in the Act’ and ‘The Greasy Pole’ – I think I should give a special mention to the short stories that he would occasionally write for the Standard over the years. They were a nice blend of humour and political insight. I’ve posted the links for them below ‘cos I think people will appreciate them.
Cheers.
Short Stories
Dec 1964: In Youth is Pleasure
Mar 1973: . . . A Much More Private Letter
Dec 1981: Ghost of Christmas past
Dec 1983: Having a rotten Christmas
Back in July I posted on the blog a page dedicated to the Proper Gander TV Column, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary in the Socialist Standard this year.
Following up on that, I thought I would compile a list of the twenty most popular Proper Gander TV Columns . . . according to blog stats, that is. Any opportunity to prod readers of the blog into exploring the Socialist Standard archive.
If you click on the month and year, it will lead you to the article.
https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/2026/10/new-blog-page-proper-gander-extras.html
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