Westminster

3 June 2005Comment

Working on the solid nonviolent principle that we should transform our enemies, PN brings you a slightly tongue-in-cheek column dedicated to getting to know our "enemies" better.

Hello my lovely ones, are you feeling full of vernal passion?

I hope so, cos this month's target for all your cupid's arrows is Dr John Reid. Bless `im. He's our beloved new defence secretary.

He knows a rogue elephant [shurely “element” ed?] when he sees one. They were in the intelligence services, briefing against Government in the “Iraq weapons row” apparently. As health secretary he was “a man on a mission”, although he is said to have greeted news of that appointment with…

1 June 2005Review

A Pen Press Publication, 2004; ISBN 1 904754 75 9; £7.99

Many Peace News readers will have written polite(!) letters to their MPs and various ministers.

Usually a reply comes, written in mandarin, full of comforting phrases, often regretting that such and such a question could “only be answered at disproportionate cost”. A waste, perhaps, of time and postage, with no satisfaction. What if, though, you stopped being polite to the criminals who run the show? Kevin Wicker has found out, receiving a few anodyne replies and even fewer…

1 May 2005News

Working on the solid nonviolent principle that we should transform our enemies, PN brings you a slightly tongue-in-cheek column dedicated to getting to know our "enemies" better.

Why hello there voters! You've heard his slogans - you've read his posters, you've burnt his manifesto... Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

Forward not back

Yip. This month's man is Anthony Michael Howard-Blair. He is going to be Our Glorious Leader. Democracy is coming to the UK... but only for a day. After that, it's stay off the streets or you'll get an ASBO, stay outta the meetings cos their pigged to high heaven, and most importantly - stay in line cos it's forward to the…

3 April 2005Comment

March was a good month for taking nonviolent action, all over Britain and beyond - as the positive and energising stories and images in this month's Peace News show.

This issue of PN only manages to squeeze in reports on a small proportion of these actions but, rest assured, there are many more taking place each and every week.

Politicians and commentators may publicly wring their hands in despair at “voter apathy”, but they fail to recognise (or are disturbed by) the…

1 September 2002Review

Pluto Press 2002. ISBN 0 7453 1846 0, 212pp

If it weren't for the generous injection of black humour, this book would feel almost unbearable. There's no doubting it's a great read, full of revelatory investigation into a huge array of issues, but it's enough to bring you out in a sweat every time you pick it up, with its extensive evidence on how every corner of corporate life is riddled with systemic abuse, and every self-declaring bastion of democracy is hiding some big secrets.

Few of the bigger stories are new in…