William Walker versus James Connolly

William Walker was a self educated shipyard worker from Belfast (apprenticed as a joiner in Harland and Wolff). Born in 1871 he founded and led the Independent Labour Party in that city. He died after a long illness in 1918.

Christopher Hitchens - Why Socialism Doesn't Work

In interview here, Christopher Hitchens said (22m):

"You can’t lie to the young. You must not bullshit the young. It’s an absolute principle. These people were asking me questions, 'Seriously what should I do with my life? Should I commit to socialism or not?' I reviewed it. Is there now an international working class movement linked at the point of production, internationalist that could replace capitalism as was once thought possible. No. There isn't. Is it in long term decline that idea? Yes. Is it coming back? I don't think so. Is there an ideology at least, without anchorage in a material class movement, that could at least say it was a critique of capitalism that could transcend it? Not known to me, no. And one's I've seen on offer, not very persuasive. At that point it seemed meaningless to go on calling myself a socialist."

In full here.

Re-Imagining the Size and Function of the State

This blog was written after the Newsnight episode broadcast on Friday 7 December 2012 and presented by Emily Maitlis which featured a debate on the size of the state which included author of the Black Swan, Nassim Taleb.

These are fiscally challenging times. Public debt is on such a scale that it’s not just a short term challenge but a multi-generational one. And so with our public finances out of control is there a case to rethink and even reconstruct the purpose, role, size and function of our state? To reconsider what we need from Whitehall and what state provisions we can reasonably do without.