The hollow, self-righteous defence of “our culture” and “our values” has become an incendiary chant of the far right — particularly in Western, majority white Christian nations. Both are allegedly under attack — at risk of extinction no less — from, you guessed it, immigrants. Much of this furore has, unsurprisingly, been stoked by extremist politicians and their media stooges, doing what they do best: dividing communities and fuelling hate.

It has been described as the root of all evil. It is that insipid form of cowardice, indifference, and selfishness that allows human suffering, exploitation, and oppression in all its forms to prevail. It feeds apathy and inaction in the face of war, social injustice, and environmental breakdown, and it enables the turning of a blind eye and a deaf ear to the horrors of state terrorism and genocide.

For decades — or perhaps centuries — collapse has been underway: the fragmentation of social, economic, and political order; the hollowing-out of law at both domestic and international levels; and the unrelenting duplicity and hypocrisy of those in power pushing the boundaries. Today, chaos reigns: widespread violent extremism, state impunity, acute social divisions, and appalling environmental degradation. It was always going to come to this.

Britain is in pieces—politically, economically, socially, and in terms of national identity. The country’s existential mess has deep roots, dating back to the Thatcher years (UK Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990). Under her catastrophic reign, market fundamentalism and privatisation took hold, society was dismantled, and the foundations of the welfare state were eroded. This destructive ideological approach persisted through 14 years (2010–2024) of Conservative rule—a dark period marked by austerity, neglect, social fragmentation, the calculated dismantling of public services, and the hollowing out of civil society.

We are living in an increasingly lawless, shadowy world—where international conventions and institutions are not just ignored, but actively undermined, as powerful states engage in acts amounting to state terrorism. From Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s genocide of Palestinians to the United States’ repeated use of pre-emptive force against sovereign nations, the post–World War II global order is facing a sustained and intensifying assault.

What is happening to the world? It’s a question being asked with growing urgency around the globe. Wars rage on, systems and institutions are faltering; divisions of all kinds, including widening inequalities, are deepening—heightening the risk of conflict. The environmental emergency is accelerating, and uncertainty reigns, fuelling a global mental health epidemic. Is poor leadership and geopolitical mismanagement at the root of our problems—or are we witnessing the slow, perhaps inevitable, collapse of civilisation itself?

Across the Muslim World there is rightly outrage and hurt at the latest calculated attack on Islam, in the form of the film trailer Innocence of Muslims. All who hold human rights and moral decency close to their heart share their indignation...

The Ethiopian government, led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, is waging war against its own people—specifically, the Amhara. Amhara men, women, and children

The Ethiopian government, led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, is waging war against its own people—specifically, the Amhara. Amhara men, women, and children are being killed and arrested not for thei…

The bombardment of Gaza is relentless, indiscriminate and all encompassing, and whilst weak Western governments refuse to condemn Israel and cut all

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YouTube video by Graham Peebles

“Why is nobody f……g stopping Israel…….Wtf,” asks my exasperated daughter? Its a question people around the world are asking, and have been asking for