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Not Pretty

by Douglas Johnson    
July 1, 2008 at 10:39 am

Welcome to Tuesday’s netcast. Tips and/or gratuitous abuse in the comments, or to tips[at]liberalconspiracy.org

Pickled Politics – Has Bishop Nazir-Ali just destroyed his base amongst Anglicans? I do enjoy a good schism…

The Daily (Maybe) - Nominations for the Green Party Executive are now open. Oh, and wish a happy second birthday to the blog.

Robin Lustig - Considers a mess in the Middle East. And no, it’s not pretty.

Open Democracy - On Disability vs. the Government.

Dave’s Part - How do you summarise Brownism? Three Words: Triangulate, triangulate, triangulate.

Adrian Ramsey – Illustrates why David Davis is as unconvincing a champion for civil liberties as Thatcher.

Obselete - Will churnalists please, please take to heart their own articles?

It’s all about the money?

by Douglas Johnson    
June 25, 2008 at 8:54 am

Another early one today: why is it that I’m getting up earlier after my exams have finished? Something is wrong.

Morgan Tsvangirai - explains why he withdrew from the Zimbabwean presidential run-off.

Splintered Sunrise – doesn’t agree.

Shan Oakes - And, in Howden and Haltemprice, the real civil libertarian has stood up. Excellent.

Stumbling and Mumbling - Brown needs to realise that equality of opportunity requires some equality of resources. Not that socialists haven’t said that all along, no…

The Daily (Maybe) - considers behind-the-scenes white collar hanky panky. With money, of course, with money…

Philobiblon - hosts the latest Carnival of Feminists.

Bad Science - Second generation fundamentalist loon vs. well-respected biologist: rounds 1,2 3 and knockout.

Tips to the usual address.

A distinct lack of humanity

by Douglas Johnson    
June 24, 2008 at 8:40 am

Welcome to the (Early Edition) Wednesday NetCast. I need to dash out soon, so here’s a brief collection in the meantime:

Kubatana – wants liberty or death, and an election.
Rowenna Davis - Infantile adult attitudes infantilise sex education to the point of uselessness. And young people suffer for it, again.
Peter Cranie - If Labour think they have trouble with money, they should try being a minor party…
Remembering the Ability in DisAbility - gives me yet more reason to question whether anyone in the Home Office quite grasps the concept of human decency.
The enemies of reason - The Telegraph manages to bewail below inflation pay increases for the middle class wealthy – and condemn the striking council workers. Inconsistency much?
Stroppyblog - The left needs to wake up and fight the BNP, not itself. If the SWP can get over itself, of course.
Lee Griffin - You can argue all you like about the nuances of the 42-day debate, but it remains an opportunity to further liberal ideals, which mustn’t be missed.

Remind me…

by Douglas Johnson    
June 18, 2008 at 1:50 pm

Apologies today’s netcast is up late; my morning was spent explaining to Edexcel why Bakunin and Nozick just aren’t the same. What fun…

Huffington Post  – Democrats in Congress are moving to extend state surveillance in the US. Remind me why they’re Democrats again?

Stroppyblog -  Cuba moves further from a Marxist dictatorship to a state capitalist dictatorship. Remind me why anyone ever supported that government?

Rachel from North London - The Sun executes yet another reverse ferret. Remind me why anyone reads anything owned by Murdoch?

Soundings - begins a debate on class and culture.

This is Zimbabwe - carries a map of Zimbabwe’s election terror.

The Devil’s Kitchen - A plea on behalf of web developers. Never use Internet Explorer again, please…

Bad Science - An MP gets it while the media don’t. Halfway there, then…

Now, off to prepare for impending Wordsworth related doom.

Caressed by Dave’s kinky sub-green yoghurt

by Douglas Johnson    
June 17, 2008 at 10:36 am

Welcome to today’s web review, please feel free to post your own recommendations in the comments…

Obselete – Kelvin MacKenzie doesn’t want to get on the wrong side of public opinion. Shouldn’t he have thought about that 20 years ago, though?

Aled Dilwyn Fisher – points out how hearing Tory greenwash is akin to being caressed by natural yoghurt. And so is only moderately kinky, it’d seem.

BlairWatch – The Lisbon Treaty is an exercise in linguistic dishonesty and obfustication. What would Orwell say?

The Daily (Maybe) – Npower’s bills are up 17%. Their profits are up 41%. The figures speak for themselves when it comes to rising fuel costs.

Guy Dammann - explores the value of anonymity.

A Very Public Sociologist - on reclaiming the concept of public value from the market fundamentalists.

France Profonde - Is there something rotten in the (supra-)state of Europe?

CiF tips and why pissed-off Clintonites shouldn’t vote McCain

by Douglas Johnson    
June 11, 2008 at 9:49 am

Welcome to today’s web review, please feel free to post your own recommendations in the comments…

Jim Killock – Who should be on the Green leadership ballot? Time for a poll!
Daily Kos – has found a way to hammer home to Clinton supporters threatening to vote for McCain just how stupid they sound.
Tory Troll – Boris has managed to give away his planning powers. Already. And to a man who was willing to cut services to the housebound…
Obselete – Brown needs to be punished over the 2008 Terrorism Bill. And not just punished…
Pickled Politics – on how to write for Comment is Free. Tip: Don’t, if you value your eyes.
Scribo Ergo Sum – is liveblogging the Commons debate on 42 Days detention without charge. Join in!
The Daily (Maybe) – Brown has a super-strategy to win back voters everyone! It’s all about alienating them.

I *heart* Kucinich!

by Douglas Johnson    
June 10, 2008 at 11:10 am

Welcome to today’s web review, please feel free to post your own recommendations in the comments…

Kubatana – Zimbabwe’s propaganda organs are giving off mixed messages – though both still add up to starvation on the streets.
Harpy Marx – asks who would be a young person these days. The paranoid parents, the tabloid press, the government, the opposition, neoliberalism and the tabloid press make it entirely too much bother…
Obsolete – picks up on a similar theme, identifying a more insidious form of child abuse amidst all this talk of “Broken Britain.” And guess who’s doing it? The tabloids, the paranoid parents, the government, the opposition, the tabloids, paranoid parents…
Dave’s Part – Do the Tories care about homelessness? About as much as they do about all those young people they’re busy stigmatising, I suspect…
Beau Bo d’Or – detects some discrepencies in Boris’ views of George Bush. Splatter them around London before the visit! It’s important that he knows, after all…
Jay Griffiths – Forced invasion with the intent of fundamentally changing an indiginous culture is racist. Isn’t it?
Huffington Post – Denis Kucinich tilts at windmills again. And don’t we love him for it?

Tony and his missionary position.

by Douglas Johnson    
June 6, 2008 at 10:41 am

Welcome to Liberal Conspiracy’s daily web review. As always, please feel free to share your own recommendations in the comments.

Stroppyblog – Blair wants to promote faith. And, bizarrely, thinks this can be achieved by putting his much maligned weight behind it?
The Enemies of Reason – Women! The Mail has decided you are LYING LIARS! Because, of course, the previous sentence couldn’t refer to the paper at all.
Red Box – You can take the Tory party away from Thatcher, but…”we will be as radical in social reform as Mrs. Thatcher was in economic reform…” Back to the 19th century, you permissive dogs! Back!
The F-Word – The DAS seem to have forgotten that men drink. And that women might just be more worried by liver failure, death and doom than a lined face…
Green Ladywell – Be a Councillor! Well, visit the website at least, and then see about getting elected…
Dave’s Part – The unions shouldn’t disaffiliate from Labour – not if they want any influence, at least. The other socialist parties are sectarian jokes.
Remembering the DisAbility in Ability – The rumours of DisAbled housemates were more than true. A whole extra person true, in fact.

Something is wrong…

by Douglas Johnson    
June 4, 2008 at 11:20 am

Welcome to Casting the net, Liberal Conspiracy’s daily web review. As always, please feel free to share your own recommendations in the comments.

Obsolete – When an article on Comment is Free isn’t savagely mauled, something is wrong. When that article is by a Tory…
Green Ladywell – hosts the 130th Carnival of the Green.
Scribo Ergo Sum – Wards with high proportions on income support declined to vote for Boris in the GLA elections. Now, why that might be…
Socialist Unity – on why Frank Field is (surprise!) wrong on the Barnett Formula.
Jonathan Freedland – Hillary’s campaign against Obama has written the script for McCain in the next few months. But won’t that make it easier for Obama now?
Five Chinese Crackers – The Daily Heil is being selective with the truth on immigration again. Yesterday was the turn of James Slack.
Rupert Read – Away from the sound and noise of the Hillary and Obama show, it’s Green on Green in America. So long as they don’t let in McCain, why not…
Political Wire – Another great day for David Cameron, as he secures the support of Robert Mugabe.

Big brother and sour grapes

by Douglas Johnson    
June 3, 2008 at 1:55 pm

Stumbling and Mumbling – explores the roots of bastardy. And yes, it’s probably the economy again (stupid?).
Open House – Rupert Murdoch is just a very astute businessman, not an election-winning god. Or should that be demon?
This Is Zimbabwe – wants you to tell Mugabe exactly what you think of him…
Remembering the Ability in Disability – provides a reason to watch Big Brother, beating the previous 8 series in doing so…
Program your Mind – Oh look! They’re awful government apologists over on Harry’s Place who know neither decency nor appropriate detention limits. Nothing unusual there then…
Tory Troll – on Tory accusations of sour grapes which smack of…sour grapes.
Daily Kos – When a protester isn’t really a protester.
Splintered Sunrise – George Galloway is deeply upsetting in tabloids. And everywhere. What else would you expect?

It’s the turbofolk, stupid

by Douglas Johnson    
May 28, 2008 at 10:32 am

Welcome to our daily web review. Feel free to share your recommendations in the comments.

Splintered Sunrise – Voting in Eurovision isn’t just political. When was the last time Croatia and Serbia cooperated on anything but turbofolk?
Stumbling and Mumbling – Single parent children miss fathers’ money, not fathers themselves. It’s the (household) economy, stupid?
Daily Kos – Do you know what? Bush isn’t running for President. Really. Ask the White House…
Johann Hari – Mary Whitehouse was a paranoid fundamentalist. Surely the BBC at least would accept that, given how much trouble she caused them…
Lynne Featherstone – Is it time for name-blind employment?
Heleen Mees and Femke van Zeijl – The recent discovery of child abuse by UN Peacekeepers in the Ivory Coast comes as little surprise. Women and children always suffer in war.
Socialist Unity – Both the road lobby and the government have the wrong approach to road taxes. We need a more innovative approach.

Zimbabwe, abortion, and the Olympics

by Douglas Johnson    
May 27, 2008 at 10:41 am

Welcome to our daily web review. Feel free to share your recommendations in the comments. Today’s review was compiled and written by Douglas Johnson, who blogs over at Scribo Ergo Sum.

This is Zimbabwe – It’s not just Zimbabweans who are watching the elections anxiously. Ethiopians too…
Tory Troll – The BNP exploits discontent with falsity and outright lies to push a racist agenda. Again. Why am I not surprised?
Obsolete – Tory proposals for unemployed youth show they’re still the Nast(ier) Party. Howard would be proud.
Huffington Post – McCain holds typical Republican attitudes towards abortion, contrary to his moderate image. Pro-choicers will have to (gosh!) vote Democrat, it seems…
Shashi Tharoor In an emerging pattern, McCain’s “League of Democracies,” proposals would undermine the United Nations. Just like the rest of his foreign policy, then…
The Economist – hosts a debate on whether Beijing should ever have been given the Olympics. Loathsome as the publication is, it could be quite interesting.
Pickled Politics – Blogging will change politics. The abortion debate was a turning point for the left.

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