The culture pages review of Alexandrian Sphinx (TNW #450) sent me dashing over to the poetry section of my bookcase, immediately to reread Waiting for the Barbarians, which, when I bought my 1984 Hogarth Press copy of Cavafy’s work, moved me profoundly. Reading it again brought to mind the current Potus, especially the lines about the love of shiny objects and flattery. Sadly our contemporary Barbarian has come to the gates of democracy. Will they be strong enough to repel him?
Sue Lloyd
Tanit Koch highlights the abuse of Germany’s new self-ID system for trans people by Sven Liebich (TNW #450). The suggestion is that allowing self-ID leads to abuse, which in a very small minority of cases may be true.
The article also mentions the 10,000 people who have taken advantage of the new rules since they came into force. This is a huge positive for large numbers of trans people who had been unable to navigate the previous systems, and can now live as themselves. Other than in extreme cases of fraud, as with Liebich, our assumption has to be that people are who they say they are.
Dave,
Brighton
Once again that old canard about Stalin and Hitler being atheists was recently trotted out (TNW #449). Stalin trained as a priest, while Sir Nevile Henderson wrote in his memoirs that “Hitler himself in his speeches constantly referred to the Almighty. He was not an atheist, but merely pro-Hitler and anti-Christian”.
Richard Chatten,
London
Suggested Reading
The great university rip-off
Lucy Reade (TNW #449) makes some good points about the difficulties facing UK university students, but there are two misleading statistics. Not all students incur £46,320 in annual expenses, as 30% of full-time students choose to live at home. There are also many opportunities for part-time study. Nor was 76% of UCL’s “revenue” derived from overseas students. That number applies to “fee income”. Only about 23% of UK university revenues come from fee income – the remainder derives from research grants, endowments, gifts, investments and commercial activities.
Robin Cohen ,
Emeritus Professor, University of Oxford
When Nigel Warburton was a teenager in Bexley during the 1970s (TNW #449) I was a teenager in Bexleyheath. The vile leaflets from the National Front would regularly arrive through our letter-box promising a glorious future if only we made Britain white and brought back the death penalty. I also remember the bookshop in Welling, which most people said was NF, but I learned later was actually run by the BNP. None of us ever thought for one second that these hate-mongers would run anything more important than a car boot fair. Now, sensible political commentators say that Nigel Farage and his hodgepodge of racists, cranks and conspiracy wackos will probably reach Downing St in 2028.
Robert Boston,
Kent
Nigel Warburton in his column on flags shows he is part of the problem. He writes about the women’s Euros: “For a few weeks it even looked as if the flag might be reclaimed from fascists.”
When people like Warburton concede that the flag is controlled by Nazis, they have admitted defeat. The union flag and the Cross of St George are my flags and everyone’s in this country who wants them. They do not need to be reclaimed.
Andrew Napier,
Southampton
As much as flag-flyers claim that they are simply patriots who love their country or who are supporting the England women’s rugby team, you would have to be naive to think that the recent increase in the number of England flags is down to anything but xenophobia. As Nigel Warburton suggests, in a political climate where civilians and politicians are increasingly happy to share their extreme anti-immigration views, the sudden decision of many to display a flag laden with such racist history can hardly be described as innocent.
Ffion Gomersall
The St George’s Cross is the flag of England but more importantly it is the flag of the Church of England, flown on many churches. I wonder how many of those attaching it to lampposts went to church this weekend.
I recall previous visits to Northern Ireland where my hosts were keen to emphasise their Britishness. Many of their compatriots did very un-British things like painting kerbstones red, white and blue; is this where we are heading?
The union flag also often goes on parade displayed upside down; there is a correct way of flying it.
These people are abusing the flag of my country to stir hatred and division. Take the flags down.
Don McCubbin,
Eastbourne
(Re: Paul Mason (TNW #450) The time for nudging and tweaking and worrying about culture wars has long passed. The country demands strong leadership and radical action, and if Labour can’t deliver it, our crackers voting system will give the job to Nigel Farage. Labour’s attempts to defuse the Reform threat are timid, meme-led and, frankly, repulsive.
Do they really think any voters, of any stripe, are impressed?
RSP Zatzen
Tim Clare’s “The Secret History of Monopoly” (TNW #449) describes how in the early 20th century Lizzie Magie developed her own board game to illustrate the evils of monopoly capitalism. She was among many Georgists won over by Henry George’s proposals for taxing land based on its value, rather than taxing work.
George’s ideas became an important plank in Lloyd George’s 1909 “people’s budget”, with its plans to tax land. Eventually the Liberals took the Georgist movement’s battle anthem, The Land Song, as their own, which remains the de facto anthem of the Liberal Democrats, who will undoubtedly be singing it this month at their Bournemouth conference.
Bill Doult,
Kent
Did Diego Maradona ever go around letting people know that he had once played football with Alastair Campbell?
Colin Price,
Ilford
I think it was HG Wells who said back in the early 20th century that he felt it was time for humans to move over and allow another species to become dominant.
Given all the fuck-uppery going on, I’d say it’s long overdue.
Allan Pickering
Below the Line
Farage will win the next election. I take no pleasure in stating this. Call it gut instinct, call it the polls, which are looking dire for Labour right now. The cure for the UK’s sickness? Four years of the Faragists in charge. I will watch developments from across the Irish Sea with interest.
David Newble
(Re: “Did Farage just lie to US congress?”) How can anyone think this man is a suitable candidate to become PM? He has no substance, no credibility, no shame, and it seems a very poor memory! I cannot believe enough of the British people would vote to give him power. He is the worst kind of scaremonger, a con artist. Clever, yes, but entirely unsuited to be PM!
Adam Primhak
(Re: “What happens when AI meets fashion?”) Humans are creative souls and much like the digital wave, we’ll eventually work out where AI fits within our creative mind.
In the meantime, I’ll carry on shooting and developing my own film, using digital sensors whenever it feels right to do so. All while enjoying the creativity of those far more talented with a lens than I am. The future is bright.
Mike McDermott
