If you want to get away from the adverse effects of mass consumerism, extreme concentration of wealth, social unease and poverty, Cuba is an intriguing destination. Like in many countries your experiences can be filtered both by your cultural prejudices and expectations and by your tour operator. Many tourists just head for the beach resorts
⋯How to argue with awkward purveyors of home truths
Here are just a few strategies you can adopt when confronted with troublesome individuals who insist on expressing politically incorrect opinions that cannot be refuted by facts alone.
⋯All in the mind
Hedonism Ablaze
What a coincidence! Just days after the US administration agreed to raise their country’s debt ceiling and let the global consumption party go on for a few more months or maybe years, In London marauding mobs run riot, loot retail outlets and set commercial and residential buildings on fire. Reportedly it all started in Tottenham
⋯All in the mind, capitalism, communism, corporatism, population, Power dynamics
Why Procreate?
While some of us may seem very self-absorbed thanks to generations of social atomisation and disconnection from our palaeolithic roots, most of us are wired to adore new life. All but the most callous of us have a soft spot for babies or at least are wise and socially responsible enough to give them special
⋯All in the mind, corporatism, limits to growth, population
On The Laws of Probability
Every day we experience hundreds of near misses, accidents waiting to happen unless we take the right precautions and pay constant attention to all potential dangers. Yet the human brain can only actively focus on one event at a time, switching our attention to monitor the progress of other concomitant events. Some of us can
⋯All in the mind
Let's Disown Tony
Has anyone actually read Tony Blair’s much publicised memoirs. Well within 3 months of the book’s release and despite all the media, half-price copies were on display on Waterstones. Don’t get too angry with this guy, for he has only ever been a politician in the sense of a polite public relations guy. He liberated
⋯monopoly, Power dynamics
The Bankers are bankrupt and so are we
Today over a hundred thousand demonstrators will descend on Central London to protest against cuts in public spending. I can sympathise for I’ve joined many similar protests‚ defending the rights of ordinary working people and against wanton waste and wars. Why should ordinary people suffer because politicians and bankers have wasted billions on wars and
⋯capitalism, Computing, human rights, limits to growth, Power dynamics
Forerunners of Modern Globalisation
Homo sapiens sapiens first evolved as a distinct species at least 120,000 years ago with some recent finds in the Middle East dated as long ago as 200,000 years ago. On that time scale, the Neolithic agrarian revolution, which took place in most parts of world between 15,000 and 5,000 years ago and only reaching
⋯capitalism, immigration, limits to growth, migration, Power dynamics
New Labour's 1997 Manifesto
This is the honest manifesto the Labour Party did not publish in 1997 before its historic landslide win, well it did gain 43% of the popular vote with a 75% turnout. Education: We will introduce tuition fees, initially at £1000 per annum, then rising to £3000 per annum, and allow students to repay their loans
⋯capitalism, corporatism, hegemony, Power dynamics