Let’s just imagine that the Greek work ‘demos’ (δῆμος) means ‘the people’ and the Greek word ‘kratos’ (Κράτος) means ‘power’. You might hope that ‘democracy’ in our modern world had come to mean ‘power of the people’, or that the will of the people should prevail. If it were only that simple! The will of […]
Democracy by Paul Cartledge Read More »
Any casual observer can see that Lanark, like thousands of other towns, is a shabby, moribund little backwater with rapidly deteriorating public services. At the same time, we’re treated to the sight of billionaires parading their wealth on “Eamonn & Ruth: How the other half lives” (http://www.channel5.com/show/eamonn-ruth-how-the-other-half-lives) And any trip to the smarter parts of London,
The Great Divide by Joseph Stiglitz Read More »
Have you ever wondered why the rich are getting richer, and the poor poorer? Why is Lanark, like thousands of other towns, a shabby, forlorn place with rapidly deteriorating public services? The answers lie both far away and close at hand. Ultimately, it is due to the rapacious greed of the powerful, their lust for
Dark Money by Jane Mayer Read More »
On 23rd June 2016 the British electorate voted for the country to leave the European Union https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_European_Union_membership_referendum,_2016. Votes for ‘Brexit’ were concentrated in certain regions and in certain social classes. Scotland largely voted to remain. The day was the culmination of about 12 weeks of saturation debate, claim, counter claim, lies, distortion, exaggeration, scaremongering, passionate
Sovereignty by Francis Hinsley Read More »
Perhaps life hasn’t turned out entirely as you’d hoped? Your car is less prestigious than the BMW Series 7 next door. You’re holidays are not exotic, your marriage has not endured as a lovestruck dream, your children’s behaviour is disappointing. You’ve been overlooked in the race for promotion. In your early 20s your ambition was
Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syed Read More »
If you’ve ever thought the social class system in Britain was a thing of the past, think again. Professor Mike Savage of The London School of Economics (http://www.lse.ac.uk/sociology/whoswho/academic/savage.aspx) shows in this book, Social Class in the 21st Century, that it is as entrenched as ever. The author, with a team of sociologists responsible for the
Social Class in the 21st Century by Mike Savage Read More »
Perhaps at this very moment you are lusting after an iPhone 12 Pro? How about a new BMW Series 7 in Ruby Black Metallic finish? A new luxury fitted kitchen? Expensive holidays in exotic locations that take a huge amount of jet fuel to get to? The very latest designer label clothes, handbags, shoes? The
Prosperity without Growth by Tim Jackson Read More »
Professor Clay Shirky (http://web.archive.org/web/20110102195231/ http://www.shirky.com/bio.html and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay_Shirky) of NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program offers us this analysis of a phenomenon which has rapidly become a feature of modern life – social media. Shirky argues that Web tools are now flexible enough to match and shape human social relationships. He shows we are flattening organisational cultures while assembling “rungs
Here Comes Everybody by Clay Shirky Read More »
Have you noticed recently in bookshops how the shelves are groaning with self-help guides on happiness? This is accompanied by endless newspaper and magazine advice columns on how to be a happy (or happier) bunny. Whereas at one time the church and religion instructed us on how to pursue a rich and fulfilling life, now secular
The Happiness Industry by William Davies Read More »
