June/July 2008 Archive 

What’s in the June/July 2008 issue

Smoking the celestial dream As the western world winds its way through the 40th anniversaries of 1968 and the ‘summer of love’, Steve Platt looks back at the role of cannabis in the ‘counter culture’ and how people on both sides of the political and cultural divide believed that a hardy psychoactive plant could change the world. He wonders how it could ever have aroused such passions – both for and against its use – and asks why it’s still illegal

Curb your catastrophism How are we getting the message about climate change across? The use of apocalyptic language prophesying imminent ecological catastrophe and social meltdown is something that unites activists, journalists and, increasingly, politicians. But it is uncertain whether this generates action or defeatism among the public, argues Stefan Skrimshire

A grim alternative to detaining children Haslar Visitors Group coordinator Laura Del Nevo explains how the Home Office is piloting its ‘Alternatives to Detention’ project with asylum- seeking families from the Portsmouth area

When the bucks stop The current financial crisis highlights fundamental failings in a global economy run for private profit rather than broader social opportunity. Jim Stanford explains how risky financial speculation created a bubble that has now burst, and argues that we need to refocus attention on a real economy founded on the production of actual goods and services

Another politics is possible The mayoral elections were last month’s London story but there’s another kind of politics growing in the communities, schools and workplaces of the capital – one that’s shown itself to have the power to achieve practical results from business and government alike. Deborah Littman reports

Making music matter The organisers claimed it as a huge success. But the BNP continued its advance in local elections and won a seat on the London Assembly a few days later anyway. So what did the Love Music Hate Racism carnival in east London in April achieve, and what is the importance of such events for the left in the future? Lena De Casparis and Alex Nunns report

Blood on Britain’s hands NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear says the British government must reverse its support for the Uribe government and work with other European powers to help find a peaceful and just solution to Colombia’s civil war

Underdog politics Support for parties of the populist right has been growing across Europe. Faced with 37 per cent support for the far-right Progress Party, according to polls in his home country Norway, political writer Magnus Marsdal travelled across Europe to find out why

New limbs for the left New Labour is dead. The New Tories are in the ascendancy. The left needs to look beyond its existing, inbred networks, writes Hilary Wainwright

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