Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Sir Keir’s Cannabis Problem
Whilst many countries are slowly turning away from the worldwide culture of prohibition, at least with regards to cannabis, Britain appears committed to the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act that has long criminalised the drug. And with Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer announcing his intention to oppose efforts to reform the UK’s drug policy, this…
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Would Britain ever elect Trump? The difference between American and British politics
First published in Bath Time Magazine Whilst Donald Trump continues his efforts to steal the 2020 election, Joe Biden will be replacing him as president in January 2021. Nevertheless, Trump’s presidency has illustrated just how fragile liberal democracy can be. Although Trump is in many ways a “fake” authoritarian, his narcissism, his endless crusade against the press, and his blatant efforts to undermine the US electoral…
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Qanon – America’s Newest Religion?
First published with Bath Time Magazine The United States has always been a haven for conspiracy movements and cult-like religions. Masonic conspiracies, Joseph Smith’s Mormon racket, McCarthy’s anti-communist hysteria, and L. Ron Hubbard’s Scientology con are just some of America’s most famous delusions. Today, a growing online movement promises to add itself to the hall of fame. Emerging from dark online message boards like 8chan, “Qanon” is a community…
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Libya civil war: 10,000 people missing, rights group says
Featured in Al-Jazeera English Libya has faced a tidal wave of internal conflict that has claimed thousands of lives since Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s overthrow in 2011. Between civil wars, the Abu Salim prison massacre, Gaddafi’s regional conflicts and a tendency to “disappear” political dissidents during his reign, many thousands of Libyans have lost loved ones to political conflict and instability. This…
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History isn’t being destroyed, it’s being discovered
In 1895, 174 years after his death, a statue of mass-murdering slave-trader, Edward Colston, was erected in the centre of Bristol to commemorate his blood-fuelled philanthropy. 125 years later, this monument was torn down by anti-racism protesters, rolled towards the Bristol harbour, and drowned in the river Avon. Ever since then, the Black Lives Matter…
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George Floyd, Minneapolis, and police brutality
Like most people, I’ve spent the last two weeks glued to my phone, growing increasingly incensed at the fascistic brutality of the American police. In the UK, the United States has always been held up as a beaming example for the rest of Western society. But over the last 4 years, with the help of…
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A visit to the Holy Land – Part one
Across the world, religions have ascribed a certain energy to countless seemingly mundane sites. But as patches of dirt go, the spiritual vibe surrounding Israel and Palestine is stronger than most. And landing in Tel-Aviv, even the grandiose arrival hall at Ben-Gurion airport bustles with an air of religious significance. In one queue Orthodox Jews…
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Why Khabib Nurmagomedov VS Tony Ferguson is MMA’s greatest ever matchup
When the UFC was in its infancy, its goal was to find the deadliest and most effective martial art for use in a real-life combat situation. And Royce Gracie’s dominance, whilst introducing the western world to the wonders of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and submission grappling, also introduced MMA’s classic rivalry – the contest between strikers…
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McGregor VS Cerrone – UFC 246 Preview
15 months since his loss to GOAT contender Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor returns this weekend to fight Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, in a fight that many fans see as somewhat underwhelming. Coming off of two straight loses, some see this fight as an easy way for McGregor to get back in the win column, an exercise…
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Psychedelics – a short summary
As chemicals go, few are as vilified as those we call psychedelics. Today, over 180 countries adhere to the UN’s 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, classifying psychedelic chemicals such as LSD, mescaline, DMT and psilocybin – the active ingredient in magic mushrooms – as “Schedule I” drugs, a title supposedly reserved for only the most…
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