BY STEWART SLATER The French, let us admit, have their uses. They host the world’s finest annual sporting event. They know their way around a kitchen. In ladies’ fashion, at least, they have few equals. And they produced Le Mepris. Described by Sight & Sound as the “greatest work of art produced in postwar Europe” (don’t let that put you off), from the opening shot … Continue reading Beyond Contempt
BY STEWART SLATER There are numerous similarities between sport and politics. Both have elements of soap opera – “who’s up, who’s down?”, they generally have a winner-takes-all approach and they cater to humanity’s tribal need for moral simplicity – our lot have to beat their lot because we are good and they are evil. But most team sports strictly regulate the movement of players between … Continue reading It’s Fine When We Do It
BY ALEX STORY The United Kingdom is now a bureaucratic dictatorship. We have known for some time that our government does what it wants, not what we would like it to do. But until relatively recently, officials played along with the political theatre. Their shamelessness still needed a fig-leaf. Elections provided the required cover. Our current bureaucrats no longer feel they need any. They display … Continue reading A Bureaucratic Dictatorship
