Articles
Saturday, March 19, 2022
The loyalty of fans to the clubs they support runs deep, but football is increasingly big business. The ownership of Newcastle United by Mike Ashley and now the Saudi Public Investment Fund tests fan's loyalties and raises ethical questions. But there are other models of ownership which could address these issues.
Friday, March 18, 2022
Dopesick is a TV miniseries based on the book by the same name. It exposes the aggressive marketing of Oxycontin a prescription pain relief drug and the subsequent epidemic of addiction, ill-health and early death that it fueled in America. It shows up the failings of a health care system where profit is a central motive rather than people. Whilst Dopesick throws the spotlight on the company and individuals involved, the system that gave rise to them should also be in the dock.
Wednesday, February 2, 2022
Although the United States has managed to pull other Western countries into line, prior to the war the developing crisis in Ukraine exposed the differences between them. Differences which have not gone away but which have been submerged for the time being. Western tensions have an economic as well as a geopolitical dimension. Of central importance was the Nord Stream 2 pipeline which would have brought natural gas from Russia to Germany. The US did not want to see this level of collaboration between the two countries and sought markets for its own gas. Part of the US strategy was to to provoke Russia into armed conflict, forcing European countries into line and killing off Nord Stream 2.
Tuesday, February 1, 2022
The background to the war in Ukraine should not be forgotten. There was the relentless expansion of NATO and towards the borders of Russia, the failure by the West and Ukraine to implement the Minsk agreement and continued attacks on Donetsk and Luhansk. the willingness of the US to create this instability is making the world a dangerous place.