Urban v's the Commentariat
- Thread starter Belushi
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LDC
On est tous des pangolins
Have you watched the video? The actual title of the piece is 'Is the left dangerously out of touch?' so they were discussing what that left needs to do, not just them personally. I'd assume both would also consider themselves part of some wider left project rather than just detached journalists anyway, that's what NM trades on in part.
The39thStep
Urban critical thinker
two sheds
Least noticed poster 2007
I don't really understand the reliance on focus groups, either. The policies that are really popular when national surveys are done are things like support the NHS, nationalize railways and water companies and the like. I suspect, too, that they'd include things like tackling insane rents and house prices. With focus groups I'm assuming they limit the scope of the questions to things that won't actually cost anything.
LDC
On est tous des pangolins
Yeah, I think they're pretty confused really, probably in part due to their position as 'activists' turned popular commentators / journalists. And to be an older moaner they do seem to be of that much more online orientated London-based left. They were properly sucked into, and propagated, Labour under Corbyn as well so must have been politically disillusioned by that as well.
Fozzie Bear
Well-Known Member
It is also striking that Michael Walker seems to think everyone in the UK woke up one day and had been spontaneously persuaded that gay marriage was ok.
agricola
a genuine importer of owls
This is doubly annoying because we have just gone through that rare form of general election where, across the country, local candidates supported by normal people appealed to local issues (rather than on a party slate / "vote for the leader") and significantly more of them than usual were successful at getting elected. There is no future of success in a centrally-led and inspired party (of the left, right, centre or anything else); there is far more of a future in a group of people who honestly represent their constitutents, their local wants and concerns and who collectively come up with left-wing solutions for them.
LDC
On est tous des pangolins
Of all of them he seems the most personable and reasonable though, I quite like his more gentle 'class war social democrat' persona and politics, at least he seems more honest and with less of an ego than the others.
Rob Ray
Weight is meaningless
Honestly for me it's the other way, I think Walker's analysis has always been weak and his trend has been towards staid cobweb leftism resting on old radical laurels. Sarkar at least has a bit more thinking process going on, and Bastani is having an identity crisis because he likes to think of himself as intellectually probing, but actually has a hint of the Rogan in his willingness to suck up and regurgitate bad ideas without much in the way of pushback (his recent interview with Paul Morland being a particular example). I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised if he breaks right at some point, he definitely has a traditionalist streak. They're very much missing James Butler imv, he was easily their most thoughtful contributor (presumably why the LRB nabbed him).
Collectively Novara's biggest problem is they largely rejected radicalism to pick up with Corbynism and have had no idea what to do with themselves since then, other than chug along with a sort of Young Turks style commentary/interview output aimed at a general "leftie respectability" angle. Which is fine in its way but not a lot of point in looking to them for a direction, as they don't reallly have one.
Collectively Novara's biggest problem is they largely rejected radicalism to pick up with Corbynism and have had no idea what to do with themselves since then, other than chug along with a sort of Young Turks style commentary/interview output aimed at a general "leftie respectability" angle. Which is fine in its way but not a lot of point in looking to them for a direction, as they don't reallly have one.
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ska invita
back on the other side
i agree with that to the point i checked his own podcast once - and it was only once - it had him apologising for his days as a student protester and describing it as a phase and generally denouncing the stupidity of it all. which is honest i guess!! things is those student fees protests were impactful and 'radicalised' (to whatever extent) a generation, even if they failed in their aim
ska invita
back on the other side
tbf novara shows covered and gave platform to the independents IIRC
LDC
On est tous des pangolins
Oh his analysis is shit, he just seems the nicest of the bunch! I agree with what you wrote about the others. I know the northern correspondent, he's really sound, shame he got mixed up with them tbh. (Actually just looking at their website he's not on there, wonder if it's still a thing? He seems to have left Twitter as well.)
Serge Forward
Just enjoyin' my coffee.
"Guardian fringe" is a good description. I actually quite like Novara, for what it's worth. Sure, it's not my politics by a country mile and some of the contributors can be annoying, but it's all well intended, punches up rather than down, and it's miles ahead of most stuff on offer.
Rob Ray
Weight is meaningless
Yeah I've ended up listening to it a fair bit because they made the canny decision to do the show around dinner time and as you say, not much similar knocking about in terms of UK news reviews. The actual problem is not their existence but that the UK radical movement isn't also providing this stuff in a more coherent/regular way - Freedom's even started doing its own weekly review, because since Dissident Island went, anarchist-wise it's mostly just Martin (who agree or disgree with him certainly keeps his schedule up!) or endless Yanks (which is now going to be four effing years about Trump).
Fozzie Bear
Well-Known Member
Richard Hames' stuff on there is generally quite decent - his podcasts are the nearest thing they have now to the stuff that James Butler used to do.
I don't hate any of them and it is interesting how successfully they have filled a gap in the media landscape. But y'know, irrelevant ultra leftists gonna critique innit.
I don't hate any of them and it is interesting how successfully they have filled a gap in the media landscape. But y'know, irrelevant ultra leftists gonna critique innit.
LDC
On est tous des pangolins
Come on give us credit, dishing out withering (whittering?) critiques saves us from having to do anything more useful.
LDC
On est tous des pangolins
Some of Bastani's longer interviews are actually quite good. There I said it. Something complimentary.
Fozzie Bear
Well-Known Member
I include myself in there too obvs.
Serge Forward
Just enjoyin' my coffee.
On the subject of Yanks, Lucky Black Cat does decent stuff, though it's generally more theoretical stuff explained accessibly rather than topical. For example, here's her latest effort.
Also, she's a good egg.
Artaxerxes
Look out, he's got a gnu!
Do we have a squeezed middle thread?
hitmouse
entreprenulsoip critical thinking
Brainaddict
slight system overdrive
What I like about this is how superfluous the 'but' is.
Edit: I think there's a telegraph thread somewhere
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Artaxerxes
Look out, he's got a gnu!
I've been tangentially aware Giles is a sack of shit for a while but having had his name crop up a lot this week I've just refreshed myself on who he is.
What a vile human being.
What a vile human being.
Serge Forward
Just enjoyin' my coffee.
He thinks he's being funny but that is fucking vile.
redsquirrel
This Machine Kills Progressives
That really is horrible on just about every level. Urgh
Serge Forward
Just enjoyin' my coffee.
I just looked him up on Wikipedia as I'd not heard of him. Looks like he's a real piece of shit and that article is just the tip of the iceberg. Ugh.
DotCommunist
So many particulars. So many questions.
I refuse to read anything more by that coren, hes a 'I'm-bored-so-i'll-be-cruel' nepo kid with the added discomfort that he knows what he is and doesn't like it yet still does it because he knows nothing else. Almost pitiable, until the next time he shits the bed for attention.
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