Extremists and Mental Illness
I watched a documentary last night about how a middle class white boy had somehow got involved in Islamic terrorism via close contact with hate preacher Anjem Choudary. It was quite an eye opener, though many of you may have already seen it as it was apparently first broadcast 2 years ago. Essentially, it was investigating the reasons why people become extremists and how they get drawn into hate and what was fascinating was that all members ...
Who Can Understand an Isis Crisis?
Trying to understand all these different conflicts in the Middle East is like getting a copy of the Guardian cryptic crossword, translating into Russian, and finishing it in five minutes. The first term I heard the term ISIS I thought it sounded like a bank or a pension plan, not the name of an organisation that was disavowed by Al Qaeda for being too extreme and brutal. ISIS I now know, is the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, not an ...
Oh Flower of Scotland!
It is days like today when I wish my mother (a Scot) was still alive, because she was a woman who could start a debate in an empty room. However, the room wouldn't be empty, as she would have organised some sort of referendum party and much to the despair of my father, she would have invited every Tom, Dick and Harry she passed in the street. However she is dead and has been for some time, so it leaves me to wonder whether she would want to ...
Is Fattism the Same as Racism?
Contentious Blog alert, contentious blog alert... Okay, so here goes. A publication from the University College of London says that fattism (discrimination against fat people) is the equivalent of racism. Now, if I was in a classroom and told this, my hand would be raised in the air frantically demanding the attention of my tutor. "Sir...Sir...Surely you can't become Black or Asian over a period of time due to your lifestyle choice?" ...
Scottish Independence – An Omni-shambles of Socio-Economic Chaos?
It is fair to say that down here in England, there only seems to be negligible interest in the Scottish Independence vote that is to be cast on the 18th September. As someone with diluted Scottish blood running through my veins I should really have been paying more of an interest and I have tried, but neither Alistair Darling or Alex Salmond have triggered my brain enough. Not until this week anyway. Whenever I hear Alistair Darling speak, ...