All Politics Is Identity Politics

There is a large discourse ongoing regarding the importance of identity politics, particularly in America. Most articles on the topic criticise it, in fact the term is rarely used in a positive manner. Many argue that identity politics has a toxic influence on politics and is a distraction to the real issues. Some goes as far to blaming recent electoral defeats for the Democrats on an obsession with identity politics. But all politics is identity politics. It is not just the Left that appeals to people based on their background and identity, all ideologies do so. All politicians campaign by highlighting their similarities with the voters, their common identity and by claiming to best represent the people. The Right is … Continue reading “All Politics Is Identity Politics”

May 14, 2017PoliticsAmerican Politics, Class, Democrats, Identity Politics, Left, Politics, Race Leave a comment

Are The Discworld Books Overrated?

Terry Pratchett is one of the most famous British writers and his Discworld series has been read by millions. He has been praised by many as one of the funniest writers and master of the fantasy genre. His books have been hailed as literary classics and it has even been said that Terry Pratchett’s Discworld Might Be The Highest Form of Literature on the Planet. So naturally hearing such praise (and being a fan of Douglas Adams and fantasy), I gave it a go. While I found them enjoyable, I wasn’t blown away. They were good but nothing great. So, I thought maybe I was missing something and wasn’t appreciating him fully (Pratchett hardly has critics so the problem must … Continue reading “Are The Discworld Books Overrated?”

March 24, 2017BooksBad, Books, Characters, Disappointing, Discworld, Ending, Opinion, Overrated, Plot, Pratchett, Review, Terry Pratchett, Women Leave a comment

What Went Wrong With The Gentlemen Bastard Series?

When The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch was released in 2006 it was a massive hit. Not only did it become a bestseller, but it is also considered something of a modern classic. It won high praise and Lynch was counted among the most promising writers in the fantasy field, standing shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Brandon Sanderson, Patrick Rothfuss and Joe Abercrombie. This was an amazing achievement for a first novel, so expectations were high for the rest of the series. Did we have a new classic before us? Yet, the follow-up books were something of a disappointment. Instead of soaring high, the rest of the series went downhill. Complaints began to pile up about … Continue reading “What Went Wrong With The Gentlemen Bastard Series?”

March 15, 2017EconomicsBook Review, Books, Gentlemen Bastard, Gentlemen Bastards, Locke Lamora, Red Seas Under Red Skies, Review, Scott Lynch, The Lies of Locke Lamora, The Republic of Thieves Leave a comment

What Are The Main Esperanto Magazines?

One of the best way to use and learn Esperanto is by reading magazines. You get to practice using the language while seeing the views and opinions of Esperantists from all over the world. There are loads of Esperanto magazines, covering a wide range of topics, so there’s certainly going to be something to interest you. There are hundreds of magazines in total as most countries and interest groups have their own review. I won’t be able to discuss all of them in this post, so I’ll just focus on the main international journals. Esperanto magazines do not have one flat subscription rate, instead the price varies by country, with poorer countries paying less and richer countries paying more. (This … Continue reading “What Are The Main Esperanto Magazines?”

November 25, 2016EsperantoEsperanto, Magazine, Practice, Reading Leave a comment

5 Ways Esperanto Is Easier Than English

When people ask me why I speak Esperanto, my answer is simple; it’s really easy. I’ve always had difficulties learning languages and Esperanto is the only language I’ve ever succeeded in learning. The arbitrary pronunciation, random grammar rules, infuriating irregularities, endless exceptions that had to be memorised, silent letters, obscure tenses and half a dozen other rules in every language, drove me mad. I spent countless frustrating hours trying to decipher these Byzantine codes, usually without success. I would complain to my teacher (and anyone who would listen) about how these rules were unnecessary and added nothing to the language, couldn’t someone just remove the irregularities? Well, it turned out that someone did. Esperanto is like a language designed by … Continue reading “5 Ways Esperanto Is Easier Than English”

October 24, 2016EsperantoBest, Easy, English, Esperanto, Language, Language Learning Leave a comment

How Fascism Takes Over

Have you ever watched a historical documentary or perhaps a Second World War movie and wondered how the fascists ever took over? How did they convince people to follow them? How did they reshape a nation in their mould? How could anyone support that kind of hatred? Why weren’t they stopped, why did more people not stand up to them? Have you ever wondered what you would have done if you were in that situation? Surely you would have stood up to them, right? Surely they would have no appeal to people like you? A lot of people don’t see the relevance of Fascism today and view comparisons with modern day as exaggeration, if not hysteria. To them, Fascism is … Continue reading “How Fascism Takes Over”

October 16, 2016Politics2016, America, election, Europe, Fascism, Politics Leave a comment