Culture
The UK's Pandemic Response has been Hamstrung by Political Cronyism
Article by Ben Dzialdowski
The high-stakes nature of COVID-19 policy, with its amplified health and financial implications, has exposed the rampant cronyism that runs throughout Johnson’s government. With a string of errors from PPE to free school meals coinciding with huge government contracts going to friends and donors, cronyism will be seen as one of the defining characteristics of Britain’s COVID-19 government response.
Waste Colonialism is on the Rise in Post-Brexit Britain
Article by Alida Browne
High GDP countries capitalise on the fact that countries like Vietnam will accept their plastic at an inexpensive price due to its less regulated waste disposal laws. At face value, this may seem like a win-win situation. However, the sheer amount of plastic being exported by countries such as the UK has become too much for these nations to deal with sustainably.
What Does It Mean to “Be Kind” in the Social Media Age?
Article by Damilola Omotoso
"Be kind" is something we are taught from childhood: to be kind to others and to ourselves. This simple mantra, philosophy or way of life has been co-opted in recent years to mean something else altogether. In the age of the Internet and the ever-prevalent social media, this phrase is often used in an attempt to shirk responsibility. The response "be kind" is usually employed when someone is trying to defend their (or someone else's) actions that could otherwise be deemed "problematic".
The UK’s Eugenics Mindset: Engineering Bodies and Minds
Article by Justine Brooks
The story of eugenics did not end with Nazi extermination camps: it is entwined into current UK politics. Despite their harrowing history and continuous scientific negation, eugenic ideologies concerning human desirability continue to be welcomed into the country’s political inner circle.
The Myth of ‘British Values’
Article by Ben Dzialdowski
Britishness is hard to define. To many around the world, there are myriad interpretations of British culture and the values it embodies. With Boris Johnson saying “We are proud of our history and traditions” and calling to protect Britain’s culture, it begs the question: what are these supposed ‘core values’, and do they truly reflect Britain’s past and present?