Monthly Archives: January 2013

Punching Above Our Weight

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Matt

After a mild drop in the military budget over the last two years,   the government has announced that it plans to spend £160 billion over the next ten years on new weapons systems that include Trident missile submarines, aircraft … Continue reading →

Posted in Militarism, UK politics | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Peter Mandelson’s Civil Wars

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Matt

Those who pay attention to such things will not be entirely surprised to hear that Peter ‘Lord’ Mandelson has been recruited by Steven Spielberg to help run the PR campaign for his film Lincoln in the UK.    After all, presentation … Continue reading →

Posted in UK politics | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Gangsters

Posted on January 29, 2013 by Matt

A couple of weeks ago we went to see Gangster Squad on a cinematic family outing.  It was predictable fare, but stylish and enjoyable enough for those of us who like that sort of thing – and I am one … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Evan Davis, Mali and the cock up theory

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Matt

The mainstream British media tends to view foreign policy through a very narrow lens at the best of times,  and the BBC’s worldview tends to be more circumscribed than most.   On Monday Evan Davis interviewed William Hague on the Today … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Militarism, UK politics | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments