The word ‘prorogue’ has been enjoying its time in the spotlight this week, and many, not least angry protesters, have expertly deduced that the word ‘prorogue’ looks like the words ‘pro rogue’. This begs the question: are these words actually related? To start my investigation, I turned to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). As an […]
Author: Jack Fifield
No-platforming speakers is as misguided and divisive as UKIP itself
16:02. A Facebook message asking me to “guarantee to not leak details” and telling me that I will be taken “to the location”. No, this isn’t an episode of 24, this is what happens when a student-organized husting is cancelled at the last minute by administrators at UWE. Derya Khalilpour, president of the UWE Debating […]
Porn age verification: An interview with Myles Jackman, obscenity lawyer
This article was updated at 14:11 on the 15th March 2019. MindGeek do not own 90% of ‘tube’ websites, as a previous version of this article quoted, however do have multiple high profile sites in their portfolio, including RedTube, Pornhub, YouPorn, and Brazzers. I apologize for this error. With the planned introduction of compulsory age […]
Politicians need to stop blowing smoke and legalize cannabis
With the recent legalization of cannabis in Canada, it’s time for politicians in the UK to wake up and smell the kush. Countries and areas that have legalized cannabis have already seen plenty of success. Since legalization in 2014, cannabis sales in Colorado have brought in over US$900-million in tax revenue [1], even though Colorado’s sales […]
Exiling Shamima Begum undermines the British judicial system
Home Secretary Sajid Javid recently said in an interview with The Times, “If you have supported terrorist organisations abroad I will not hesitate to prevent your return.” This approach is counterproductive and dangerous to the UK’s fight against radicalization and terrorism. If we do not allow those, such as Shamima Begum, who have left their […]
Now or never: The use of torture must be stopped
As liberal democracies, there are many values that countries such as the UK and the USA are expected to uphold. What we consider to be basic rights and freedoms, such as the rule of law, civil rights, and political freedoms, are merely fantasy for many across the globe. However, in recent history, we have seen […]
Language myths: Bilingualism rots the brain
Introduction If you’ve got children, you’ll probably have been told that raising them bilingual will be a useful advantage, with the potential of facilitating many opportunities throughout life that monolinguals don’t have access to. However, this has not always been the accepted point of view. Throughout history, bilingualism has been historically seen as a handicap […]