patriarchy
Despite the recent downfall of the Islamic State, the term radicalisation is still largely associated with religious extremism. In The sexual radicalisation of Elliot Rodger, I wrote that religion is only one of several possible ‘radicalisation narratives’. Others include sex (Elliot Rodger), race (2015 Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof) and a combination of race and politics […]
The media dubbed it—perhaps for the first time—the ‘crime of the century’. On the night of 25 June 1906, Harry K. Thaw shot architect Stanford White at point-blank range in the rooftop restaurant of New York’s Madison Square Gardens. Stanford White was a major public figure. New York was in its Gilded Age of railroad […]
The advertising hoardings of the London Underground are currently filled with posters for a new film, Hostiles. Scheduled for release in January 2018, Hostiles is described as “a landmark cinematic experience” that “might well become this generation’s definitive western.” These heady advance reviews suggest that Hostiles should be near the top of your cinema go-to […]
#METOO has changed the landscape of society. It is no longer possible to ignore the widespread extent of male sexual dysfunction. For too long we—and by ‘we’ I mean men—have pretended that unhealthy sexual behaviour is the exclusive preserve of a few ‘bad eggs’ while most of us are squeaky clean goody-two-shoes. It’s comforting to […]
Recent revelations of sexual abuse in the highest corridors of Hollywood have caused a fundamental shift in gender relations. Suddenly, abuse claims are gaining traction. Hard on the heels of the American revelations, a ‘dirty dossier’ is circulating in Westminster with the names of Conservative MPs alleged to have behaved inappropriately. Responding to the ‘Sexminster’ […]
Wine o’clock? Is the sun over the yardarm? Fancy a chocolate? I’m hanging out for a fag. I’ve brought cake. I could murder a drink. “I have become comfortably numb.” Have you ever noticed that a lot of the rewards we give ourselves involve numbing our senses? Whether it’s alcohol, sugar, nicotine or something harder, […]
You know the deal. The bride and groom stand before the altar. The celebrant asks for the ring or, these days, rings. The best man fumbles them—accidentally or on purpose—before handing them over. Everyone laughs to let off tension before the climactic moment. The groom slips a shiny ring onto the third finger of the […]
The oxygen masks have dropped from the ceiling. The aisle strip lighting has come on. The in-flight crew are strapping themselves into their seats—which are, luckily for them—rearward facing. The pilot calls over the intercom: brace! Society crash Yes, it can’t be ignored now. Society is in a semi-controlled crash. The indicators of this crash […]
In a post titled Why is treason the gravest crime?, I recently wrote about how the emotional mechanics of patriarchy demand that treason—aiding and abetting the overthrow of one’s own tribe, state or nation—is the highest and most severely punished crime on the statute books of almost every country on earth. I have also written […]
Throughout recorded history, treason has often been regarded as the worst crime an individual can commit—morally worse than murder, robbery or other crimes. Historically, treason against the ruling sovereign has often been called ‘high treason’. More general acts of treason, or acts against lesser individuals, have been called ‘petty treason’ or simply ‘treason’. In Britain, […]