Simon Duffy

Thoughts, Bemusements & Arguments

Simon Duffy

Thoughts, Bemusements & Arguments

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Class, Democracy and Welfare

Class, Democracy and Welfare

20th October 2022

An exploration of what it means to be middle-class and the dangers of allowing the welfare state to become subject to undemocratic elites.

Are We All Equal?

Are We All Equal?

30th September 2022

What is the case for claiming we are all equal? How can we be equal if we are different? What does it mean to be an equal citizen? These are some of the questions I try to answer.

Easy Scottish Independence

Easy Scottish Independence

30th September 2022

Scottish independence may be inevitable, but it won't be easy. Conflict and confusion are highly likely, but there's a solution: talk.

Where do Good Things Come From?

Where do Good Things Come From?

19th July 2022

An alternative philosophical analysis of economics, towards a non teleological conception of the good.

Did Boris Johnson Really Invent Lying?

Did Boris Johnson Really Invent Lying?

3rd April 2022

Peter Oborne powerfully documents the lies of Boris Johnson in his book The Assault on Truth. But when did lying in politics really begin? Can the oligarchy that runs the UK really be expected to tell the truth?

The Greatest Novel of All Time

The Greatest Novel of All Time

2nd March 2022

Vasily Grossman's dilogy Stalingrad // Life and Fate is one of the greatest novels of all time.

Rights, Duties and Citizenship

3rd December 2021

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Star Gazing

Star Gazing

15th September 2021

Why has politics become some thing others do on our behalf? Why have we so cheaply abandoned citizenship and democracy? Why do we only align ourselves to the stars?

UBI and the Future of Work

UBI and the Future of Work

9th April 2021

I was recently asked by a French journalist to give my views on how UBI might change our experience of work. I argue that UBI may be the key to rediscovering the true meaning of work.

Let's Get Real About Scottish Independence

Let's Get Real About Scottish Independence

1st April 2021

Scottish is independence is inevitable. If we accept this then it will become easier for England to start to address the real issues it must confront.

Our Citizenship

Our Citizenship

14th January 2021

A poem to honour the work of PFG Doncaster - the home of true peer support - and a community that knows that "our citizenship begins the moment that we claim it."

Food Banks or Basic Income

Food Banks or Basic Income

17th June 2020

The Church needs to embrace Basic Income or be complicit with social injustice.

Colonialism 3.0

Colonialism 3.0

7th May 2020

The UK is subject to colonial-style rule by its own leaders.

Citizenship and Basic Income

Citizenship and Basic Income

1st May 2020

Thoughts on basic income and citizenship.

If the Game is Fixed - Change the Rules

If the Game is Fixed - Change the Rules

30th December 2019

We should treat he results GE2019 as a severe emergency demanding radical action.

Why a New Centre Party Will Fail

Why a New Centre Party Will Fail

10th September 2018

Efforts to build a new centre party are doomed to failure.

The True Source of Our Security

The True Source of Our Security

17th August 2018

True security can only be found in a community of citizens who honour their obligations to each other.

George MacDonald on Heaven and Plurality

George MacDonald on Heaven and Plurality

19th June 2018

George MacDonald (1824-1905) was a Christian who wrote novels, poetry, sermons and fairy tales.

What is Heaven?

What is Heaven?

18th June 2018

The Great Divorce by CS Lewis is a profound reflection on life after death.

What Welcome Means

What Welcome Means

17th June 2018

A poem - on the meaning of welcome - for Refugee Week

Social Care Car Crash

Social Care Car Crash

16th June 2018

Why are the severity of the cuts to social care so hard to communicate?

A Socialist Response to Austerity

A Socialist Response to Austerity

16th May 2018

Barnsley offers us hope of a community that commits to equal citizenship.

How Relevant is the Communist Manifesto Today?

How Relevant is the Communist Manifesto Today?

27th March 2018

The Communist Manifesto is is 170 years old. It is still relevant?

Welfare State as Wicked Stepmother

Welfare State as Wicked Stepmother

23rd March 2018

It's not the nanny state we've got to worry about; it's something far worse.