Walking on the Far Left

What constitutes a nation is a question with many definitive answers, all of which being heavily influenced by socioeconomic development, position and integration into world systems, and level of superpower status, not to mention the countless other more culturally ingrained practises that define one's national identity and the social and cultural significance of this globally, arguably presenting one's status as a nation state as considerably more nuanced than merely being defined by their individual international sovereignty and self governance on a global scale, and how this affects their integration and cooperation in international agreements. It is through linking this back on my perspective as an internationalist that I will argue whether the existence of these nation states in question is entirely problematic in all respects, and whether abolishing them is likely to effectively bring about the freedom and diplomacy that it sets about to facilitate, or if this can purely ...

A stone walled city nestled within a rugged expanse of mountains and jagged coastline punctuated by hidden caves in the typical karst topography of Southwestern Europe, and running parallel to a multitude of small islands submerged within the Adriatic sea, waters glistening blue and green in the Mediterranean sun, is what seems like any other coastal tourist destination. Yet amidst the beachside bars and restaurants, souvenir shops, bike and car rentals, and all things typical of many European tourist destinations, one can notice the more subtle facets of the Croatian economy past and present. Tucked away within the many ornate Baroque and Renaissance era buildings and typical rural abodes are a few indicators of a heavily religious society, several churches and cross carvings, sculptures and images, as well as some museums, artwork and graffiti indicative of its past as part of former Yugoslavia. It is through visiting Dubrovnik's Red History Museum that one can further recognise ...

When taking a naturalist and dogmatic stance on the chronic perpetuation of outdated and ableist ideals regarding the integration of the disabled population within society, what can be made apparent is the overriding prevalence of Marx's theory on alienation put into practice. This can be reflected on through recognising the common view that one's position in society is largely determined by their ability to engage with the "reciprocal influences amongst government" which would supposedly related to their involvement in "the economy, social classes, state, and status groups" present within a  capitalist society (Oliver, 1999), these all being things which would put disabled people into an increasingly marginalised position, and a supposedly lower status and level of influence on the society in which they coexist amongst others. Observing the inability for the disabled population to effectively integrate within society in this way, appears to be very obviousl...

"Sure. Your parents got the property boom, but we've got vegan bacon that tastes like bacon" This was a slogan remember seeing on a billboard at a bus stop advertising plant based bacon once. What they may have thought of as a genius marketing slogan set to appeal to a younger demographic struggling to find affordable housing, it came off to me as condescending and demeaning of the actual struggles that the UK's low income population have to face, and seemed to do little more than alienate them further from the interests set about through the establishment of a failing economic system which only sought to repress them further and exacerbate the disparities they face. In fact, it seemed like the perfect visual representation of capitalism: seeking to market a non-essential rarely recognised new product which many would buy purely for the novelty appeal of it, this appearing to further entice them to buy it by making its supposed environmental benefits and comparatively...

In present political discourse, it is widely regarded that NATO is a military alliance that operates with the core intention to effectively preserve and maintain sovereignty and establish diplomatic ties between member nations, so as to provide additional security against potential international and geopolitical threats to their socioeconomic and political stability that could likely be prevalent. This has arguably always been their main role by which they were set up to fulfil in that they were developed in that they were founded to deter and protect against the threats posed by the Soviet Union when it was at its peak, as well as having been set about with the support from the UN Charter so as to effectively maintain this in relation to international law (this being led and heavily influenced by maintaining diplomatic relations with the US, thus further fostering any of the potential militarist and neo-colonial intentions that said nations may have). During the era after the Second W...

  Photo my comrade got of me after the festival. Che Rosenberg perhaps?! Whilst being an avid SWP member and a huge fan of the much awaited Marxism Festival and the many other smaller national events within the party, being on the Marxism team was not something I'd ever done before. In spite of the long hours (starting qt 9:30- long before festival goers arrived- and ending late into the evening) the making of sacrifices of not attending certain meetings, and the effort of stewarding and organising large groups, it was a really enjoyable experience for me and one I would like to have again. From the very beginning helping set up all the chairs in the venue to the final singing of the Internationale by all to close the festival, I immediately felt confident and proud to be representing a party I valued so much, and give something in return for all the many opportunities they had given me in developing my activist profile. I felt a huge sense of pride at being welcomed into such a fa...