Issue 2 2 Editorial 3 Draw power!
CURRENT AFFAIRS 5 Pieces of a tsar 7 One Guantanamo to go, please 8 Politics: 57 varieties 10 Muslims don’t kill people, terrorists do
SOCIAL COMMENTARY 12 Bringing out the drugs 13 Hoping for the homeless 15 From protest to proposals 17 Student capital in the twenty-first century
CULTURE 19 ‘Unherd’ art 21 There are more pages than Page 3 22 Oppression by the enlightened
DRAW POWER! • Pieces of a tsar • Student capital in the twentyfirst century • ‘Unherd’ art
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Editorial Thank you. The reception of our inaugural issue was greater
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Thanks to our fantastic contributors, none of these concerns proved founded. We have reached a few milestones with this issue as well, including the addition of a graphic designer to our staff team, who pointed out the fact that the Columnist had no columns. Inside you will find pieces covering everything from Putin to Page 3, and once again we have struggled to fit all of the excellent article submissions we received into the magazine. What we hope is clear is that this magazine really is shaped by you. Engage with it. Let it make you think. Have a reaction? Write it down, and send it to us. It has been a pleasure working on your magazine, The Editors.
COVER STORY
The Columnist Issue 2
3
Draw power! By Ross Devlin Google search suggestions, a simple way to gauge
the massacre on January 7. A French poll released
the public’s impression on a subject, answered
after the attack revealed 42% believed Charlie
my phrase ‘is free speech’ with, ‘a right that
Hebdo should not publish images of Muhammad,
should be absolute.’ The concept of absolute
but a larger margin of 57% believed opposition
freedom to express any opinion, no matter
to these cartoons was insufficient to stop their
how taboo, has never had her feet so close to
publication.
the coals. Publications from the Atlantic to the Economist have weighed in on the issue, and the
One person who stands in solidarity
debate intensified considerably in the aftermath of
with Charlie, despite finding their editorial slant “hurtful and racist,” is Sudanese artist Khalid Albaih. His cartoons have become well-known for their stark use of colour and meshing of pen and computer graphics. With his series “Kartoons,” Albaih has become symbolic of uprising, and he strives to maintain this image positively, by looking at what causes individual humans to resort to violence, in a way that does not condemn a race of people. To the west, free speech grows increasingly burdensome. But there are still parts of the world where political unrest and militant emotions are a continual source of frustration, and the freedom to express one’s opinion is still a ‘liberty’ very worth the fight. Political cartoons will always be an expression of personal opinion. The artist does not represent a nation, but they try to be a source of inspiration and hope to the voiceless many that share their views. Middle Eastern cartoonists in particular have become internationally renowned for their commitment to the genre. They are also, of course, a hook in the shoulder of the bullish regimes under which they are governed. Why? Because, like dictators, they are powerful.
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COVER STORY
On August 25th, 2011, Ali Farzat was followed
Tyranny relies on fear and misinformation to
after leaving his office, (he claims to work like a
maintain order, within atrocious conditions and
bat, or like the stars to the sky: late into the night,
abuses to human rights. With the introduction of
sleeping in the morning). His car was rammed
social media to countries under autocratic rule
from the road, and his assailants placed a bag over
though, maintaining an alternative voice became
his head and dragged him through the twilight dust
easier. Omar Abdallat won the Cartoon Spring
to their own car, where they beat his hands until
award in 2012 for an illustration depicting a small
they broke. They absconded him, and tossed him
blue bird breaking free from a cage in the shape of
back out of the moving vehicle onto the sidewalk.
a dictator. Abdallat chose the colour blue because
“Maybe they thought I was dead,” he said.
it “is the colour of the internet sites that played an important role in the erosion and detection of lies
Later, the resilient Farzat said “I use satire to
of the tyrant system.” While Twitter is normally
draw dictators […] I try to marginalise them […]
panned as a platform for narcissistic idiots in the
This gives people hope that these dictators are
west, it was a godsend for the Arab Spring, and is
empty, and gives people the courage to continue
widely reported to have been a catalyst in many of
to demonstrate and be critical.” A cartoonist is
the protests during the uprisings.
merely a critic. But the balance with which they articulate complex, or rather crass, metaphors is
I believe Abdallat’s cartoon captures the struggle
the difference between mocking insolence and
that he and his peers face on a daily basis, a
mature introspection.
struggle that should earn them more than just awards and international recognition. They
Some African and Middle Eastern cartoonists
struggle to be heard, so that others will know it
come across as fearless, but often one can notice
is possible to be heard. They speak freely, an act
the long, dirty rope that is wrapped around their
more than necessary, so that others will know
ankle and trails out of the door and down the
they can speak freely too. They struggle not for
street. When you live in a country where the
the truth, for it can be subjective, but the freedom
government controls every medium to suppress
to know the truth, with no fear of repercussion.
independent thought, each citizen is born with one
Most importantly, they are activists who translate
of these ropes tied to them, and all it takes is a little
the unspeakable violence and injustice that is felt
tug for them to disappear. In some cases, a tug can
underneath corrupt autocrats into a language that
come from across continents, straits, and oceans,
is universally understood.
and still reach its target. In 1987, on the street outside his office in London, Palestinian Naji Al-
There is a “miscommunication gap between east
Ali was assassinated after a long career of analysing
and west,” claims Sudanese artist Khalid Albaih,
Palestine and Israel’s deep-rooted feud through a
“images and cartoons are a patch.”
barefoot boy named Handala. He was one of the most respected cartoonists of the 20th century for his depictions of Middle Eastern politics.
CURRENT AFFAIRS
The Columnist Issue 2
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Pieces of a tsar By Chris Belous To call Vladimir Putin a tsar outright would be
the population identify as Russian Orthodox
a misunderstanding of the nature of the Russian
Christians, religion is nominally secondary
Empire’s tsarist autocracy up until 1917, but it
to politics. So, while the tsar could claim his
is still worth looking at the parallels between
legitimacy from God, today’s Russian leaders
Russia then and now to figure out what kind of
must claim their legitimacy from the people,
leader Putin is. Moreover, to understand Russia
which Putin does well. Despite his party’s lack
today, one cannot overlook Russian history.
of popularity, his personal approval ratings have remained consistently high; the independent, non-governmental Russian polling organisation Levada-Center found them to be as high as 87% last August. Putin has been able to keep his population happy in spite of recent economic problems and oppressive legislation, especially since his first presidency saw high economic growth and an increase in real incomes by a factor of 2.5, according to the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Many Russians seem to support his style of rule and look up to
What makes a tsar a tsar? Historically speaking,
him personally as a great leader, much like the
the tsar was the leader of the Russian Empire,
attitude often was to the tsars. Perhaps it may
ordained by God, and the father of his peoples.
even be that a lot of Russians favour Putin’s
tsars often headed economically backward and
‘hard’ ruling style for being so tsar-like, with
politically isolated, yet expansionist countries.
some finding security in his firm, no-nonsense
They would preside over actions which harmed
approach to diplomacy. For instance, after Hilary
minorities; they led proudly lavish lives; freedom
Clinton’s comment that Putin had “no soul,” his
of expression and assembly would often be
response was, “at least the state figure should
supressed. Putin may not call himself the father
have a head.” The Russian leader has a clear
of his peoples, and he certainly does not call
belief in practical over emotional politics, which
himself ordained by God, but there can be no
is something his public favour.
doubt that his actions in recent years have their similarities with tsarism.
Of course, there are many dissenters in Russia, and they are invariably punished for daring to
Technically speaking, Russia today is a secular
speak out against an oppressive regime, with
state. Despite the fact that the majority of
journalists shot and protesters imprisoned
CURRENT AFFAIRS
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regularly. Indeed, freedom of speech is a touchy
the territorial policy, spoken or unspoken, which
subject today, a key example of this being the
Russia has always had regarding the peninsula.
legislation against ‘gay propaganda’, passed in 2013 which in effect bans the distribution of
It is also important to consider Russia’s global
content related to LGBT+ culture. Under the
position. Despite Putin’s desire for the country
tsars, censorship was also enacted frequently,
to be as strong and as independent as possible,
as in the case of the suppression of Ukrainian-
a belief shared with the tsars, Russia has
language materials in the 1880s. Moreover,
nonetheless been embroiled in international
freedom of assembly has been restricted under
politics throughout its history, whether as
both Putin and the tsars. In 2013, Moscow courts
invader or ally. The Crimean War was waged
enacted a ban against gay pride marches for
against Russia; both World Wars were waged
100 years, and throughout the early nineteenth
with Russia as an Allied Power; the Cold War
century, formations of any private associations
saw the USSR grow into the USA’s enemy
were forbidden unless personally authorised by
superpower. Russia has also been consistently
the tsar. The similarities are there, even if the
part of talks ranging from the G8 (although their
focus of Putin and the tsars diverges.
membership is currently suspended due to the Ukraine crisis) to the 1814-5 Congress of Vienna. Putin understands Russia’s international status and his foreign policy reflects this, although he is also not afraid to make his own covert gains, as in the case of Ukraine, where his government has denied Russian military involvement despite this clearly being the case. Putin, then, is both a modern and traditional ruler, picking and choosing western and
Then there are the comparisons that can be
Russian methods as he sees fit, participating
made between Putin’s presidential retreat (the
in international diplomacy but with an
extravagant dacha he occupies outside Moscow)
unapologetic eye on Russia’s agenda at all times.
and the Winter Palace, Saint Petersburg, in
His approach and image is tsar-esque, but he
which the tsar would reside. There is also the
adapts his approach to fit the demands of the
economic isolation and the fall of the value of the
political moment, both inside and outside Russia.
rouble following western sanctions in the wake
Arguably then, Putin is a tsar for the twenty-first
of the ongoing Ukraine conflict, which has some
century.
parallels with the Russian Empire’s reputation for economic backwardness. Finally, there is Russia’s ‘annexation’ of Crimea in March 2014, which is jarringly expansionist for the twentyfirst century and is really just a continuation of
CURRENT AFFAIRS
The Columnist Issue 2
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One Guantanamo to go, please By Josh Stein In very basic terms, Guantanamo Bay has
An account by Mohamedou Ould Slahi, an
fulfilled the aims set out by the United States
inmate at the camp, recounts the details of
government at its foundation in 2002: to detain
torture strategies utilised by the guards in the
and interrogate “extremely dangerous” criminals.
camp. He highlights the ‘perfected’ methods of the guards such as sleep deprivation and being
However, to acknowledge Guantanamo as ‘a
forced to drink salt water. These unspeakable
success’ would be to applaud the lack of human
techniques are mentioned in Mr Slahi’s accounts,
rights that prisoners have had. When it was set
published in The Guardian and in his book
up, even the Bush administration stated that
“Guantanamo Diary”.
prisoners would not be subject to the Geneva Conventions, which establish basic human rights
It can be argued that Mr Slahi agreed to the
for all prisoners across the globe.
charges put against him purely in the hope that the torturous conditions would stop.
The outright denial of these rights to prisoners
When asked if he was telling the truth, after he
of Guantanamo speaks volumes about the
admitted to planning the destruction of the CN
intense fear surrounding ‘terrorism’ in the US. It
tower in Toronto, he answered, “I don’t care as
also reveals the ambivalence of the modern day
long as you are pleased. So if you want to buy, I
US politicians to adhere to the basic freedoms
am selling.”
and rights their predecessors were fighting for just under 250 years ago.
What is equally shocking is the fact that Mr Slahi was due for release in 2012, and that he
Furthermore, the inhuman conditions of the
is still retained there. He has a wife and four
prison have festered ideological hatred for the
children in the UK, who has always claimed that
America and the west.
he left the extremist group with which he had once associated. This situation is though not out of the ordinary. Around half of the current detainees should long have been let out of Guantanamo, but are still there. Traditionally, the key to a jail sentence is to find a balance between punishment and rehabilitation, something that Guantanamo certainly failed to do. A prison sentence in Guantanamo achieves the opposite of rehabilitation, fabricating and hardening any
Protester outside the US Supreme Court, 2007.
CURRENT AFFAIRS
8 resentment that the individual feels against the
Guantanamo is an exhibition of anti-terrorist
state. An article published last month revealed
feeling among the American political classes. Its
that 30 per cent of all detainees returned to the
existence also emphasises the ‘exception from
“fight” against the US following their release.
the rule’ that accused terrorists get in prison
This use of loaded language broadly exhibits
treatment. The aim of Guantanamo Bay has been
the intense American paranoia that all attacks
to extinguish the human rights of its detainees,
are committed against them. The hypocrisy of
and in doing so, to weaken the ‘terrorist’ attacks
Guantanamo, however, is its institutionalisation
against the US. In reality the prison shows a
of retribution as a means of combating this
certain naïvity within the US government,
perceived threat. Considering this, it is
through its continued belief that aggression
inconceivable that any supporter of ‘freedom’
in the face of aggression will be enough to
can justify the continued function of the camp.
discourage future terrorist attacks.
Politics: 57 varieties By Gavin Dewar British politics is lighting up. A spectrum of
A scare, however, is exactly what these
ideologies is blazing into life; and the establishment
traditionalists need. It is the dismally immovable
is running scared.
grey world of Westminster that has fed widespread disillusionment and political apathy in the UK.
To the far left are the Greens, riding on a wave of new membership. On the far right, UKIP
Democratic drama will energise the UK. Many
sprays alarmist rhetoric across the airwaves.
young people will feel empowered to engage in
Meanwhile, calls from the Scottish National Party
politics for the first time. Others will be galvanised
here in Scotland, Plaid Cymru in Wales, and
once again by all the bright new shades and hues
the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin in
of representation and opportunity being offered.
Northern Ireland are increasing in volume with
Elections will be a catalyst for real debate, from the
every passing day.
bottom up, not just the top down.
Towards the political centre, Labour, the Liberal
In Scotland, we had an historic glimpse into true
Democrats, and the Conservatives find themselves
democracy last September. Mid-2014 will be
caught in the crossfire. For traditionalists, British
remembered as a time when almost every single
politics is becoming a dangerous place.
person became passionately political, and the effects will ripple far into the nation’s future. The independence referendum has empowered millions of people.
CURRENT AFFAIRS
The Columnist Issue 2
9
Five-party politics as a concept is more democratic,
The question is whether or not the UKIP bubble
representative and effective at bringing important
will burst before the May 2015 general election. If
debates to the fore. It is though a new, untried
it does, supporters are likely to leave the fizzled-
situation for the UK, and 2015 brings with it a lot
out party behind to return to their previous Tory
of risk as well as a lot of opportunity.
and Labour stances. The more likely option, however, is that UKIP will indeed maintain enough
The stakes are high. Weighty matters like the
momentum to crash a fair number of MPs into
continuation of austerity, the future of devolution
Westminster.
and the constitution, the direction of immigration policy, and the future of the UK’s European Union
Butwhat will be the state of British five-party
membership will be decided in a year that may
politics be if UKIP does burn away after the next
prove to be erratic and unpredictable politically.
parliament? While it is not difficult to find UKIP’s policies and personalities extremely distasteful,
May 2015 also risks being dangerously unbalanced.
they do provide equilibrium to the political
The ideal vision of British five-party politics would
spectrum.
be to see fair representation and debate, rather than the current media onslaught on UKIP, and the
If the Greens, UKIP, national parties, and other
reactionary support they have gathered since their
burgeoning parties want to bring about a colourful
relative success in last year’s European elections.
broadening of British politics, they need to make the most of 2015. First-past-the-post, our current
The nature of UKIP’s current popularity, too,
voting system, is out-of-date, and designed
casts uncertainty over election results, and their
to secure majority governments. We need to
aftermath. It is likely that UKIP will burn out,
accept that the UK, its politics and people, are
and its euphoric rise will come to a deflating end.
changing. Perhaps the only way to represent these
Indeed, The Independent has reported that Nigel
developments is to do what the Lib Dems failed to
Farage’s popularity figures are already dropping,
do in 2011 – change the voting system.
while support for the EU is hesitantly lifting again.
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CURRENT AFFAIRS
Muslims don’t kill people, terrorists do By Paola Tenconi Recent terror attacks in the west have
Claims that the disproportionate attention
highlighted some disturbing but all-too-
awarded to Charlie Hebdo is justified as an
common trends in the mainstream media.
exceptional shock, being an ‘attack on freedom
The coverage of the Charlie Hebdo shooting
of speech’, are made somewhat less convincing
in January is emblematic of a Eurocentric
in light of the significant absence of coverage
tendency to devalue non-western lives and
on the public flogging of Saudi Arabian blogger
prioritise some news stories over others, often
Raif Badawi, a human rights abuse being widely
at the cost of journalistic integrity. The double
ignored in the tide of post-Charlie discourse.
standards of the Charlie Hebdo coverage, both
Restrictions on the freedom of speech of
in the mainstream press and social media, are
non-western cartoonists similarly have been
striking and unfortunately feed into an ongoing
overlooked in the debates surrounding political
normalised discourse on terror – one in which
cartoons and the ‘right’ to offend.
Muslims too often feature as AK-47 wielding villains, forfeiting human decency in the name
It is appreciated that media outlets should
of religion.
cater to public interests, and while the Paris disturbances do ‘hit closer to home’, the
In the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo attacks,
aggressive news coverage revealed a worrying
most news was put on hold in the flurry of
double standard. One Al-Jazeera correspondent
headlines and channels closely following
aptly remarked that Muslims are only in the
the Kouachi brothers and the #JeSuisCharlie
headlines when they’re behind the gun. The
solidarity movement dominating social media.
persistent portrayal of Muslims as assailants
On-going troubles and human rights abuses in
instead of victims is highly problematic:
all other parts of the world were forgotten in
relatively little attention was awarded to Ahmed
order to accommodate the attack on freedom
Merabet, a Muslim policeman killed alongside
of speech in the home of ‘liberty, equality and
the cartoonists. Similarly overshadowed was
fraternity’. The cover of the Economist that
Lassana Bathily, another Muslim who aided the
week bore a bleeding pen commemorating
hostages of the Paris Kosher attack in the wake
the deceased cartoonists, not a headline of the
of the Charlie Hebdo shooting.
heinous Boko Haram attack in Nigeria, or of Syrian children freezing to death in refugee
Too often, western media sources have us
camps – and they were not alone.
forgetting that Muslims too suffer from terrorism. In fact, victims of terrorism are much more likely to be non-western and Muslim: the 2014 Global Terrorism index, ranking nations by
CURRENT AFFAIRS
The Columnist Issue 2
terrorist activity and casualties, shows the top 10
Many right-wing leaders capitalized on the
countries affected by terrorism are non-western,
Islamophobic backlash of the attacks: the
highlighting this disparity in the western media
German group, PEGIDA drew 25,000 people
discourse on terrorism.
to their anti-Islam rally shortly after. The
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Islamophobic backlash, however, was not limited As much as these scattered incidents of terror
to political opportunism. A series of revenge
must be condemned, the media and the public
attacks took place all over France, one of which
alike have a social responsibility to uphold and
included a mosque in Corsica being desecrated
should not cede to Islamophobic discourse. The
with pig entrails and graffitied death threats.
common response in the Muslim community,
Ultimately, terrorist attacks and the subsequent
often supported by the non-Muslim public, is
Islamophobic backlash further marginalise
to apologise. Calling on Muslims to collectively
minority Muslim communities, creating a
apologise for terrorism is deeply Eurocentric
dangerous and primitive cycle of violence – the
and compounds the tendency to pigeonhole
very marginalisation that often triggers acts of
all Muslims as terrorists, which has become
terror in the first place.
especially dangerous in the current political climate in western Europe. The turnout of
Sensationalism in the media seriously detracts
political leaders in Paris for the march in
from the ongoing and ever-important human
solidarity of ‘freedom of speech’ was especially
rights abuses going on elsewhere. The press has
shocking, with appearances from scores of
a social responsibility to urge reconciliation,
leaders with a questionable human rights
and not feed into existing tensions. Western
reputation.
media outlets should refocus and redirect public attention towards a more constructive narrative on terrorism.
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SOCIAL COMMENTARY
Bringing out the drugs By Hannah Bettsworth Throughout history, people have used particular
However, some states are beginning to look at
substances for recreational purposes. That is a fact.
alternative policies. Portugal decriminalised
Opium, alcohol, caffeine, cannabis, cocaine – take
drug possession in 2000, and drug users are
your pick. These are all drugs, as are paracetamol
sent into the healthcare system instead of the
and the bottle of cough syrup my mum sent to me
justice one. After the fall of dictatorship in 1968,
that time I got awful ‘freshers’ flu’ in my second
drugs came flooding into the state, leading to a
year. But, anyway, the word ‘drugs’ has become
sharp rise in addiction and HIV infection rates.
synonymous with ‘illegal drugs.’
Nowadays, there are fewer overdoses and new HIV infections, and an increase in the number of
The phrase ‘the war on drugs’ therefore sounds
people seeking treatment for drug use.
somewhat reasonable to a lot of people. There are these dangerous substances out there, so
Uruguay took a similar course of action in 1974,
why not try everything to stop their production?
and their subsequent policies could serve as a
There are, admittedly, several good reasons
model for the rest of the world. In November
why, not least of which is the fact that dealers
2013, they legalised the production, consumption
have been known to mix the drug in question
and sale of marijuana. Personally, I have no time
with other things to bulk it out – if you’re really
for the ‘420 blaze it’ type of keyboard warriors,
unlucky, rat poison.
but this is an important step forward. Taking production out of the hands of criminals can only be a good thing – although not a panacea for all of Latin America, as the cartels would find other forms of business. Uruguay also regulates its sale and use – we are thankfully not talking about a free-for-all weed fest here.
SOCIAL COMMENTARY In Britain, however, the Conservative side of the government seems to be pushing against the tide of change. They have had a propensity towards banning every new legal high out of some kind of futile hope that they will stop being developed and produced, and had to be dragged
The Columnist Issue 2
13
Hoping for the homeless By Maddy Churchhouse
into publishing a report on international drugs policies by the Liberal Democrats. The Lib Dem
Sat outside our door, there is somebody
Minister of State Norman Baker MP became so
different every day. It is a pretty good spot after
frustrated by this behaviour, he resigned from
all – a broad step sheltered by an alcove, next
the Home Office. This allowed him to reveal that
to a shop exit where people have spare change
the report had recommended promoting the use
to hand. But the guys (and occasional girls) do
of cannabis-based medicines and piloting the
not always make the £4 needed to stay in a night
Portuguese system.
shelter. One man asks for strong coffee. “I don’t want to fall sleep tonight” he explains, eyes dull
This has left the Lib Dems free to create an
with apprehension and worse, resignation, at
evidence-based drugs policy, as opposed to
spending the next twelve hours isolated and
a dogma-based one. At Liberal Democrat
vulnerable on the freezing Edinburgh streets.
conference a motion was passed to advocate the giving of drug classifications powers to an expert
Listening to the stories of local rough sleepers
body, to call for the implementation of the
makes you realise that for those without strong
Portuguese model, and to review the possibility
networks of family and friends, the border
of following the path of Uruguay. Of course, the
between security and homelessness is one all
Labour and Conservative parties will still ignore
too easily tipped over. Yet to us, the homeless
this evidence in favour of a traditional, hardline
themselves can seem to exist on a different plane.
approach. However, this is the most radical policy on drugs in the UK from a governing
Marginalisation is most obvious when it happens
party, and has opened up the possibility of
directly, such as when private builders install
finally having a real discussion based on facts
homeless spikes, and councils shunt rough
and not fear.
sleepers out of city centres. However, it also occurs indirectly, as welfare cuts threaten the future of shelters and force growing numbers of families to drift between bed and breakfasts with no chance of securing permanent accommodation. But there is another, more pervasive obstacle that consistently marginalises the homeless, one that is both unthinking and largely unchallenged: that of our own perception.
14
SOCIAL COMMENTARY
It is a natural reaction to try to avoid or ignore situations that make us feel guilty, and it is difficult to escape the twinge of discomfort felt when walking past someone begging. However, avoidance certainly does not make the problem go away; rather, it makes it worse. Every time we ignore someone our brains begin to rationalise their inconsequence, and so, by purposefully placing homeless men, women and children beyond the boundaries of what we perceive, we reduce them to invisibility. The homeless are conspicuous in their absence
have acknowledged that they are a human being
from our own engagement with the world
who is worthy of consideration, and you are
surrounding us, even as we walk inches past
creating one small thread in what could become
them. This robs them not only of dignity but,
a network, and potentially provide somebody
most crucially, agency. Denied the ability
with lifeline.
to participate in or benefit from the social network which the majority of us rely on for our
This is not the blanket assumption that ‘spread
wellbeing, the isolation of the homeless becomes
a little kindness’ here, and the fleeting comfort
mental and emotional, as well as practical and
of a coffee there, will spontaneously provide
physical.
the triggers for rehabilitation. But it is a change in our behaviour towards the homeless
As students with potentially very little cash to
which is needed to reduce the stigmas and
hand, it is easy to think that there is nothing we
misconceptions surrounding the issue, and it
can do, and it is arguably less embarrassing to
is this change which will gear society towards
pretend you have not noticed someone than to
being more inclusive, and more effectively able
refuse them help. However, making the effort
to tackle the problem.
to say good morning, to offer a hot drink, or to learn someone’s name, is very much within the
Kindness alone is not going to get people off
capabilities of all of us. There is more than a
the streets. But since the consideration of
little truth in the saying ‘fake it till you make it’;
others provides the basis for all constructive
it is why making yourself smile even on a bad
humanitarian action, it is a pretty fundamental
day really does increase happiness.
place to start.
Even if your interaction is just to shake your head and say no, sorry, not today, by responding to someone’s existence, you give them back the power to affect others through their actions. You
SOCIAL COMMENTARY
The Columnist Issue 2
15
From protest to proposals By Jonny Ross-Tatam It is November 10th, 2010 and I am among the
including myself, brought the movement to
50,000 or so students, led by the National Union
Scotland when founding the Buchanan Institute.
of Students (NUS), who are marching in central
There are now eleven in the UK and they are
London in opposition of the Government’s plan
growing rapidly in size, with the movement also
to increase university tuition fees from £1800
stretching across to Europe, the United States
(for RUK students studying in Scotland) to
and recently to Asia, with two new arrivals
£9,000 per year. This was after Deputy Prime
in Hong Kong and Delhi. The real task of any
Minister Nick Clegg’s post-coalition backtrack
student-led think tank is to turn students’ ideas
on his pre-election promise to “oppose any rise
into concrete policy proposals that can then be
in fees.” It was little wonder that so many of us
lobbied to key decision-makers in parliaments,
were disappointed and angry. But the student
political parties, NGOs or any other institutions.
protests, the largest since the 1960s, ultimately
As Ben Counsell, founder of the KCL think tank,
failed. We had complained again and few
asserted, “our aim is to influence change before it
listened. The Government introduced the £9000
happens, rather than just react to it once it has.”
fees and rather than win the public’s respect, we appeared to have damaged it. The last throw
Student-led think tanks are not a fad. Politicians
of the dice for traditional activist politics had
rarely come up with their own ideas, almost
yielded little results. But what if we could find a
always relying on inspiration from outside. Big
way that harnessed our brainpower, rather than
ideas that have transformed our society, like the
relying on our feet?
Welfare State or Margaret Thatcher’s free market economics, have come from outside thinkers
This was the challenge set by a group of students
and often from think tanks. It is also likely, with
at Kings College London (KCL) in the aftermath
the ascendance of the pro-independence parties
of the 2010 student protests, when they founded
in Scotland, that the pro-independence Common
one of the first ever student-led think tanks.
Weal think tank will have a significant influence
Rather than merely protesting against what
on Scotland’s future. Student think tanks are
students do not like, the KCL students sought
not guaranteed success in influencing change.
to create a platform where they could provide
That depends on the strength of the ideas. But as
their own alternatives for what they do like in an
history tells us, this is by the far the best way of
empirical, creative way.
turning ideas into action.
Five years on, the student think tank movement
Student think tanks also fit into a wider
has boomed, sprouting up across the country.
generational trend, where the student activist
Last year a group of Edinburgh students,
of the 60s is being replaced by the ‘active
16
student.’ Across universities, there is now a plethora of student-led organisations, from social enterprises to charities to a range of start-ups. It appears that students are no longer waiting for graduation to make their mark on the world. They are doing it themselves, whilst at university. Student-led think tanks are but one vehicle. It has enlivened many disillusioned with the stale arguments of left versus right in national politics and in our student unions, whilst empowering many to believe, some perhaps for the first time, that their ideas really can shape the future. As to the extent of their success, only time will tell: but it seems that the student think tank movement has become a part of the political furniture, perhaps for generations to come.
SOCIAL COMMENTARY
SOCIAL COMMENTARY
The Columnist Issue 2
17
Student capital in the twentyfirst century By Olivia Evershed For many teenagers, the transition from school
the joy of every new student. Such students are
to university signals the start of a new and
not in a small minority, and they know very well
independent existence, in which adult concerns
the material value of money.
beckon and the world of home is viewed wistfully through the lens of hindsight. Financial
Even those from relatively well-off backgrounds,
management is uppermost among the new
having two parents who both bring in a
responsibilities faced by university students.
reasonable income, feel the pinch. This
Whilst this is more of an issue for some than it
perceived financial safety net, in the eyes of
is for others, being forced to confront the cost
the funding agency, warrants the provision
of education, possibly for the first time, forces
of minimal financial support. However, this
students to question the value of money anew.
judgement is presumptuously made on the basis that the family have no other major demands on
Upon arrival at university in September,
income, such as the support of other siblings,
students are well acquainted with Student
debt, or expensive medical concerns, which for
Finance. The most common grievance directed
many of these families is the case. Students from
at that tyrannous power is the limited amount
such backgrounds, receiving little help from
of support it offers. The vast discrepancies
home and ineligible for adequate government
between funding received by individuals on
funding, are victims of the system.
the basis of personal circumstance and locality leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of many; by
Conversely, students such as myself, who are
now, Scottish students will be well familiar
affected by personal circumstances including,
with the accusatory whines of injustice from
but not limited to, the divorce or separation
English and international friends when they are
of parents, suddenly find that where initially
reluctantly forced to answer in response to the
they had not thought themselves badly off, they
matter of tuition fees that no, they do not have
suddenly have more money than they know
to pay.
what to do with. This is especially the case where one parent has a significantly low income.
In the scramble to scrape together enough
It can be daunting to find yourself the master of
money to fund the costs associated with higher
a small fortune, which you know in your heart
education, many students have no alternative but
has not been earned, but has been bequeathed
to seek part-time employment, compromising
misguidedly in pity or out of a false impression
their academic work; or to appeal to family for
of need.
financial support, somewhat diminishing the newfound independence which is the right and
18 The gross injustice of the two extremes – those who are inadequately provided for and those who receive too much – is likely to be sorely felt when the price of a social life is realised. Never mind electricity and groceries; club nights and drinks alone can cost double digits and at a time when the opportunities for and importance attached to socialising have never been higher, those who have been left high and dry are likely to feel the effects of an empty pocket. Aside from this, student discounts, not solely relating to social events but also to high street merchandise, food and ticket prices for gigs, are laughably small and, like the cost of produce from ‘student orientated’ cafés and shops, still exclude those on a tight budget. So, is distribution of government finance fair? No. Do some people do better out of it than others? Certainly. But I would argue that even those who benefit most from government funding have entered into a Faustian pact from which it is difficult to escape unscathed.
SOCIAL COMMENTARY
CULTURE
The Columnist Issue 2
19
‘Unherd’ art By Riley Kaminer £15 million for a Lichtenstein, £50 million for
It is commonly argued that, in today’s world, the
a Warhol, £70 million for a Giacometti, £200
artist/collector relationship has been corroded
million for a Gauguin.
through the inflated price tags of art, making the works easily viewed as a financial investment
Reading news about the world of visual art today
above all. Yet the billionaire art buyers of our
seems more akin to researching stock markets
generation are good at sharing, especially
than enjoying the beauty, history and excitement
compared to patrons of a pre-bourgeois society,
that has traditionally attracted art spectators and
characterised by the European upper class that
speculators.
had a tendency to keep collections isolated from public view. Today, those who hoard art often
This connection between infusion of money
open their doors to the public or lend pieces to
and artistic achievement is still present today;
museums where thousands of people may see
however, is the act of purchasing art on the
them every day. Furthermore, important pieces
highest scale the only way of moving the study
can be appreciated online freely and easily like
further? While this is certainly a tried and tested
never before.
method, is there a way to make art something in which everyone can and will want to participate?
CULTURE
20 While it is certainly a step forward that viewing
knowing that I had played an important role in
art is at a peak of accessibility, this sterile
our collective artistic process.
appreciation is not enough to push the artistic movement forward. Ours is a movement
Surely the hedge funders, industrialists and
comprised of individuals working towards the
businessmen du jour will always dominate the
collective goal of an improved understanding
highest levels of art, pushing its boundaries
of the human condition: one that cannot be
in a way. However, the rest of us can create a
achieved by an occasional visit to a museum.
dialogue with artists who do not get the same
We as a society need to encourage and laud the
recognition as the big names Sotheby’s and
ownership of art at all levels, and make it an
Christie’s attract. We need to adopt an ‘unherd’
obligatory aspect of cultural awareness in the
mentality when it comes to art; promoting a
21st century.
culture in which the £10 paining done by a friend’s uncle is given the same importance as a
Ownership could possibly be the most
Koons. Whether we complete this goal through
important aspect of the artistic process, as it has
global collaborative consumption services like
a multitude of benefits for all parties involved.
Kickstarter or by simply exploring our own
Firstly, the ownership of art in any medium
communities is irrelevant. What is important
gives the owner a sense of pride and happiness.
is that a connection between two people was
Having an artwork of our own gives us a window
made, and the owner has a world of pleasure to
into better understanding our daily lives without
gain from their purchase: we all deserve to own
having to be an artist ourselves. Additionally, the
our own inspiration.
act of exchanging one good for another instantly connects the seller with the buyer – in this case, the artist with the patron. This new relationship demonstrates a level of mutual respect between two previously unconnected entities through mutual appreciation of the good. I was lucky to experience these advantages first hand through the art community at my school. Because we made up a relatively low percentage of the student population, we tended to stick together, becoming patrons of each other. Some of my best experiences from these years surround my artistic endeavours as photographer: collaborating on projects with my musical friends, buying their albums and selling my own prints. I would not only gain inspiration from appreciating my fellow students’ work, but also through the ability of owning a piece: waking up everyday and
CULTURE
The Columnist Issue 2
21
There are more pages than Page 3 By Laura Brook Rumours of Page 3’s recent demise turned out
It is important to note that the Sun’s poor
to be just that: rumours. To some, the idea that
treatment of women is not just restricted to
Page 3 had been discreetly dropped was no
Page 3. In its news stories, the newspaper has
real news in particular – the idea that a self-
frequently come under fire for its treatment
proclaimed family newspaper still showed such
of rape and sexual abuse victims, particularly
images was seen as laughable. To others, the
where the perpetrator is a celebrity, focusing
decline and fall of such a quintessential British
on the ‘scandal’ rather than respect for the
institution was nothing short of a shameful
victims’ privacy. Furthermore, barely an edition
concession to prudish feminists. That said,
goes by without a celebrity candid, which
Page 3 is but one example in a sea of misogyny
incidentally are almost always women, where
in print media which needs to be tackled, and
paparazzi shamelessly scour red carpet events or
targeting one page out of context runs the very
follow celebrities’ daily lives for any ‘wardrobe
real risk of being detrimental instead of helpful.
malfunctions’. This is harmful as it presents these women as nothing more than objects, any
Upon hearing of the end of Page 3, many
crimes committed against them as tantalising
women who had modelled for the Sun past and
gossip and states that privacy can be ignored
present were up in arms at the idea, claiming
when the subjects are in the public eye.
that semi-nude modelling for the publication was empowering and helped liberate women. To evaluate this claim, it is important to look at the origins of Page 3. It emerged clinging onto the coattails of the women’s liberation movement in 1970 where the Sun claimed to be one of the few platforms where women could embrace their sexuality fully by modelling semi-nude. However, this argument now appears disingenuous, particularly since pornography is ubiquitous and more easily accessible than ever. This could not have been made clearer than upon the return of Page 3: the Sun treated it as nothing more than a childish taunt to the campaigners and other publications which had lauded its demise.
CULTURE
22 However, the aims of the anti-Page 3 internet campaigns should also be scrutinised. The main problem for the campaigns is that they focus too much on the idea that naked female bodies are the most shameful aspect of the newspaper. Too many of their key aims appear to be shaming the female body, while simultaneously claiming to preach body positivity. If anything, the apparent
Oppression by the enlightened By Nishith Hegde
terms of the Sun’s ceasing of Page 3 should have been seen as an insult, not a success for them.
A person who identifies openly as a racist
It is difficult to justify a victory against sexism
or a misogynist or a homophobe is morally
based on the Sun’s offering of not showing
abhorrent. But the oppression they impose upon
nudity, but presenting scantily-clad hyper-
others is, in some ways, easier to deal with. In
sexualised women in their place.
order to openly self-identify as homophobic, they must, at the very least, have acknowledged
Altogether, it is apparent that the tabloids suffer
that they hold these prejudices and ignorances.
from far deeper issues regarding women than
The perverse result is that it is actually easier
just nudity on one page. Their treatment of
to achieve change on this front. The oppressor
women should not be held as a type of women’s
must, in this instance, be convinced only that
liberation and should instead be seen as
the basis of his action is wrong, and he will cease
symptomatic of an entire institution which has
to commit them.
both failed to move with the times and actively seeks to keep women in a position of sexual
That is not to pretend blithely that this task is
subservience. The only approach that should be
easy – as any member of a disadvantaged group
acceptable regarding the tabloids is a complete
can tell you, open racism is biting and cutting,
overhaul of their attitudes and that will take a
dehumanising and demoralising. It is why I
lot more time and effort than just attacking one
continued to fear to walk the streets at night
page.
after once being attacked for being Indian, even though the police caught the perpetrators almost immediately. Open racism drove my best friend, a black student studying at Oxford University, to tears after something so simple as a bus ride home. However, as such attitudes become rightly denounced, by far the harder oppression to root out is that perpetuated by people who do not perceive that they themselves are racist.
CULTURE
The Columnist Issue 2
23
This means that activists, such as singer Adam Lambert, can help to break down barriers in one area, for example gay rights, and then build new ones elsewhere. Lambert turned ‘alien’ Arab culture into a costume at the high profile Life Ball, the biggest HIV/AIDS charity event in Europe. In another case, American comedian Stephen Colbert regularly brings down farright attitudes through satire in his routines, while also repeatedly making trivialising and transphobic remarks. People accept and internalise these kinds of attitudes because it is easier to be less critical of someone you like, especially if you already think they are liberally minded. The perception that only explicit racists perpetuate racial norms and oppressions is a harmful one. These behaviours, though almost always unintentional and often so subtle that they are not usually noticed, are pevasive even in their One example of this can be observed in the
apparent invisibility. Moreover, the fact that
response to the constant backlash against Zwarte
they are often harder to challenge than most,
Piet (Black Peter) in the Netherlands, where
that people who see themselves as liberal often
many rally around the character as a part of a
struggle to actually perceive that they might
traditional cultural heritage that must be upheld.
even exist, is what makes them particularly
Many, though admittedly not all, ignore the fact
important to focus on. People are often
it is a colonial hangover, based on stereotypes
receptive to the idea that their behaviour may
that cement a power relation where the darker-
be problematic, but it takes more time and far
skinned are subservient.
greater nuance to explain how this is the case – and to stop it feeling like an attack on one’s
Because people think they are liberal, and
character or personhood.
therefore aware of social issues, it is often harder for them to intuitively see their own
The last discrimination to die will be the disgust
problematic behaviours. This is particularly
that hides in the heart of the liberal – but it is, in
dangerous in today’s media driven society, when
many ways, the most widespread and important
and where the behaviour of celebrities to whom
kind of oppression of all.
people relate, and emulate, can be seen as being oppressive.
Staff: Editor-in-Chief
Felix Carpenter
Deputy Editor
Riley Kaminer
Contributing Editor
Pablo PĂŠrez Ruiz
Contributing Editor
Nishith Hegde
Contributing Editor
Shona Warwick
Illustration
Maddy Churchhouse
Graphic Design
Kael Oakley
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