What follows is from a forthcoming publication with the above title by eyeglass books which contains extracts from my lockdown diary. MATERIAL DREAMS : SOME AFTERTHOUGHTS Edwin and Morcar, the earls of Mercia and Northumbria, declared for him: and even Stigand, the patriotic archbishop of Canterbury, found it advisable--"'`Found what?' said the Duck.` Found it,' the … [Read more...] about ON THE UNHOMING OF FAMILIAR THINGS
Political Mindfulness and the Pandemic : an interview
In this interview Phil Cohen discusses his latest project and two linked publications from the Left wing think tank Compass. How did this project come about? For me the starting point in this journey goes back to the 1980’s , the Kinnock years, when having abolished the Young Socialists because it was controlled by Trotskyists, they launched an initiative called Labour … [Read more...] about Political Mindfulness and the Pandemic : an interview
The Pandemonic Dialogues
1. We don’t want to be heroes, even for one day We are not heroes. We do not want to be fallen martyrs. All this war imagery makes us very uncomfortable. It distract people from the reality. We are ordinary people who have chosen to become health workers and carers. We are professionals and highly trained. All we want is to be given the tools we need to do our job … [Read more...] about The Pandemonic Dialogues
SAID THE JOKER TO THE THIEF Political Mindfulness and the Crisis of the Left Part 2
There must be some way out of here The title of this discussion might at first sight appear to be a plea for some kind of radical escapology. We are in a mess, how do we get out of it? There are currently a number of escapisms on offer on the Left. An escape into the past via nostalgic evocations of a world of working class community support which has been lost . … [Read more...] about SAID THE JOKER TO THE THIEF Political Mindfulness and the Crisis of the Left Part 2
Politics’ Other Scene : some reflections on the times of Brexit
On Mindfulness [i] We are living through a conjuncture which almost defies conjunctural analysis, where politics are taking an increasingly toxic turn and we are indeed entering uncharted waters. Against this background, the propagandists of neo-liberalism urge us to cultivate ‘resilience’ and ‘mindfulness’ as a way of seizing and surviving the present moment. Mindfulness in … [Read more...] about Politics’ Other Scene : some reflections on the times of Brexit