Young Master Smeet
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Seems our stern letter did the trick: he’s gone. That’ll learn them: you don’t mess with the Socialist Party….
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‘“And this also,” said Marlow suddenly, “has been one of the dark places of the earth.”’
There is an interesting argument to be had about the role of antiquity and the imaginary Roman Empire in justifying the British Empire (and today it emerges in some of the fash right who look back to Rome).
The Wall did not ‘keep the barbarian’s out’ – I read somewhere it was as much about tax and regulating trade as anything. Likewise, ‘unconquered Scotland’ forms part of the imaginary ideology of national identity that is worth picking at a few threads of.
So, first off, it’s for an entire area, not just Hadrian’s Wall
This is from the scoping document that prompted the post:
“Note: There is no agreed definition as to what Decolonisation means for museums and it can often be misrepresented or misunderstood. Here we use the term to describe how we can acknowledge that the origins of collections might be connected to the acts of colonisation of other countries, and how we can ensure these stories are not overlooked. It also acknowledges that decolonisation is about addressing institutional power structures.”
“The history of the collections at the Great North Museum: Hancock (GNM) spans over 250 years. This means that a number of our objects are inextricably linked with Britain’s colonial past and systemic racism. We acknowledge this and are working towards using these collections in an equitable and just way. ”
A key point (from the job ad): “Fee: Up to £5,700 including VAT and travel. This work is offered as a freelance contract, for a fixed fee including VAT and all expenses. The appointed individual will be responsible for all tax, national insurance, etc. This equates to approximately 12 days’ work.”
Considering they have an ethnography collection, and a maritime history collection, it is probably worth those 12 days of sitting, talking to collection specialists and formulating a strategy.
The Daily Mail are lying scum, who knew?
Stories of internment/filtration camps are starting to come out (standard counter-insurgency practice):
“For those who repeatedly breached the prohibition on speaking and moving, the punishment became more severe. Israeli guards would sometimes take a prisoner to an area outside the enclosure and beat him aggressively, according to two whistleblowers and al-Ran. A whistleblower who worked as a guard said he saw a man emerge from a beating with his teeth, and some bones, apparently broken.”
This form of abuse has been recognised as falling short of torture by https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng#{%22itemid%22:[%22001-181585%22]} but is clearly abusive and degrading.
Well, that’s a bit shabby:
“Zoë Garbett will be joining the London Assembly today, after Siân Berry stepped aside for the councillor in Hackney and recent Mayoral candidate. ”
So, they put their mayoral candidate 4th on the list (maybe they were being hopeful), but now Berry (who will, I think be taking a crack at Brighton in the GE) has stepped down and allowed Garbett in as 4th on the list.
Barnet & Camden 1639 (1%)
Labour 70,749 43.2%
Conservative 51,606 31.5%
Green 18,405 11.2%
Liberal Democrats 12,335 7.5%
Reform UK 7,703 4.7%
Socialist (GB) 1,639 1.0%So, our results are about par, a bit down on our best in Lambeth…
Walter Benjamin’s definition:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aestheticization_of_politics“Fascism attempts to organize the newly proletarianized masses without affecting the property structure which the masses strive to eliminate. Fascism sees its salvation in giving these masses not their right, but instead a chance to express themselves. The masses have a right to change property relations; Fascism seeks to give them an expression while preserving property.”
I think this includes the notion of fascism as mobilised dictatorship: fascists aren’t content to just rule, but also to ensure that everyone is involved, you cannot be a quiet bystander.
Indeed, there were specific historical instances for the Hitler & Mussolini regimes. But we have an ideologically fascist government in Italy right now, but the historic circumstance of Italy now means they can’t just sweep away democracy (or that they have no interest in doing so). I think there is a real chance that the front national will have the next presidency of France, but I think they are unlikely to behave in office much different than Trump did in the states.
To discuss this meaningfully, we need a working definition of fascism that distinguishes from conservatism, authoritarianism, militarism and nationalism – things we have seen in government many times over.
