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Day: 21 November 2011

Who’s next in Europe’s game of dominos?

Written by Cat Hanson on . Posted in Opinion.

Call me eccentric, but I find international political summits as enthralling as any reality TV show. Not least because the formats are strikingly similar; take a bunch of wide-eyed young hopefuls with supposedly earnest dreams, a never-ending string of scandals and of course the schadenfreude moments of eviction, et voila!

However as I sat chucking popcorn into my open mouth, semi-comatose and absorbing the coverage, it quickly became apparent that this Eurozone crisis meeting was going to prompt a more dramatic flurry of leadership evictions than your average summit.

Far from being the elephant in the room, the Eurozone crisis was a defrosted mammoth bulldozing its way through the EU and G20 summits. Few nails were left unchewed over Greece’s sovereign debt crisis, the scandalous turmoil that grips Italy or the impatience of countries such as the USA and China, lurking like dragons in the den, preparing to invest their fresh dollar and yuan. Germany’s Angela Merkel and France’s Nicholas Sarkozy sat stony-faced, like exasperated parents at the kitchen table, begging for the children to stop squabbling.

The threat of economic meltdown has kickstarted a trend, with Europe’s leaders toppling at the speed of despotic regimes in the Arab world in this new ‘Mediterranean Autumn’. Former Taoiseach of Ireland Brian Cowen is gone, whilst Prime Ministers José Sócrates of Portugal and José Zapatero of Spain have fallen down the plughole of national debt. It was therefore only a matter of time before Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou crumbled and Italy’s Berlusconi – for the time being, at least – swaggered out of the political arena.

Papandreou, ironically sporting a Monopoly-man moustache, has witnessed Greece plummeting into a chasm of debt, economic inertia and parliamentary problems. Greece’s sovereign debt is said to have been accrued after previous administrations had exaggerated economic figures in order to meet monetary union guidelines, worsened by the country’s high level of tax evasion.

Papandreou entered office in 2009 in optimistic fashion, only for his advisors to rootle through the draws and discover a series of economic graphs with large, red numbers hastily Tippexed out and ‘loadsa money!’ scrawled in Biro over the top. Nevertheless, the EU, the IMF and the European Central Bank were left dumbfounded after Papandreou delayed bailout plans by calling a referendum on the issue. The incredulity of three of the world’s biggest financial institutions spelt the end for Papandreou, who announced his resignation on the November 11. Another one bites the dust.

By the end of the following day, Silvio Berlusconi had finally been ousted. Certainly, Italy has economic problems of its own; boasting more than €1.8 trillion worth of debt, it is undoubtedly next on the agenda for Eurozone aid and severe austerity measures. But that’s not quite what most protesters had in mind when chanting ‘buffoon’ and ‘clown’ at the Prime Minister as he left office on November 12. Rather, Berlusconi’s exit marks the end of a platinum era for public scandals, politicised media dominance and a font of satirical material. Holding the office of Prime Minister for a total of ten years, the billionaire has seen his political career marred by a string of court cases over allegations of bribery, illegal financing, corrupting judges, false accounting and underage prostitution, to name but a few.

Berlusconi is famed for possessing perhaps the most unflappable gumption seen in the modern political sphere. Can you imagine Barack Obama giving his State of the Union address before popping to a court to be tried for embezzlement? David Cameron being accused of heading a ‘vast pimping network’? Herman van Rompuy even uttering the words ‘bunga bunga’? It would seem that after 17 years in politics, Berlusconi’s infamous endeavours evolved into legal and critical immunity. Astonishingly, he has emerged relatively unscathed, with little damage done aside from taking a statuette of Milan Cathedral to the face.

Nonetheless, Italy’s problems are far from over. For months Berlusconi has acted as a flashy buffer against what is expected to become the harsh reality of austerity cuts and further stern glares from Chancellor Merkel and President Sarkozy.

Speaking of the dynamic duo, the question is as to which domino is in line to fall next. Sarkozy faces an uphill battle for re-election next year in the wake of strong criticism from both ends of the political spectrum, having had to answer for a return to economic state interventionism. On top of that, why not call the Prime Minister of Israel “a liar” as well? That ought to round off your stressful schedule nicely, Sarko.

Travel east and Merkel’s support is also dwindling; recent state elections dealt heavy blows to her Christian Democratic Union party and approval ratings have declined. However, Merkel is widely seen as having led the Eurozone through this crisis. She also recently assuaged Germans by announcing a tax cut because, delightfully, they have more money than they thought they had.

The Eurozone crisis is showing no sign of abating just yet, and plans have been announced to formalise this summit into a series of regular meetings. So, I wonder – are there more political dominoes left to fall? Was Berlusconi the only shock exit? Are there further challenges to come? We can only assume that we will find out in the next engrossing episode.

No 2 EU

Written by Oliver Johnstone on . Posted in Opinion.

The key point that Europhiles miss when attempting to silence our popular wish to free Britain from the shackles of the European Union is that the debate is not really about the ‘here and now’.

Rather, we ought to emphasis the point that the EU has no definition other than that which appears to be the clear intentions of its leaders and supporters. As may come as a shock to the rigid adherents to the European project out there, our focus here is not on the present trouble and strife in the Eurozone but on the wider implications of Jean Monnet’s grand design for the future of Great Britain.

From the very beginning, the intention has been to transform Europe into a united federal state – to that there can be no objection. We have seen how European leaders have trampled over our democratic rights and railroaded through treaties which have seen the voices of the ordinary man and woman silenced, yet the reach of the watchtower in Brussels expanded.

In the Human Rights Act, as well as the Lisbon and Maastricht treaties, we have seen a sinister collusion between the political elite and the Bonapartist bureaucrats to override popular will and bolster the fortification of ‘Project Europa’. As the father of the European Union, Jean Monnet commanded in the most Machievellian vein, “Europe’s nations should be guided towards the superstate without their people understanding what is happening. This can be accomplished by successive steps, each disguised as having an economic purpose but which will irreversibly lead to federation.”

The question we must therefore ask is not ought we remain in the EU as it stands, but rather do we want to abandon our island nation of Great Britain and have the elite sign us up to the United States of Europe? Do we neglect our prestigious history, shun our fascinatingly rich culture and accept an inferior diplomatic position in favour of European homogeneity? Now is the time to say enough is enough. We, the people, are sovereigns of our nations and destinies. It is high time the political and bureaucratic elite bowed to our will instead of us bowing to theirs.

Why Britain must stay in the EU

Written by Rob Fuller on . Posted in Opinion.

A quick flick through some of the more knee-jerk stories covered by our delightful tabloid press goes some way to explaining why calling for Britain to leave the EU has become increasingly fashionable in recent times.

The Eurozone crisis rumbles on, seemingly threatening to destroy everything in its path. Day after day we are berated with scare stories about strange decisions made by shadowy European bureaucrats. Pints will be banned in British pubs. Bananas will stop being curvy. Children will be forced to learn strange languages like French from a young age. Surely we must leave Europe before it’s too late and our way of life is destroyed!

Of course, the problem is that none of the above is true.  The Eurozone crisis is undoubtedly a terrifying prospect for the global economy. But it is easy to forget that it is just one component of the huge debt crisis facing many nations far beyond Europe. The debt crisis that began in the United States a few years ago plunged us into recession in the first place, a feat that the current crisis has yet to achieve.

This casts doubt over one of the oft-repeated Eurosceptic arguments; if we left the EU, we could simply forge stronger economic bonds with the US. Even if this were possible, it is less clear that it is desirable; the US economy has just as much, if not more, capacity to damage Britain. Europe is also our biggest trading partner.

The European Union is undeniably key to our present and future prosperity. British exports to Europe make up a huge part of our economy; 40% of British exports go to EU countries alone. Unlike our transactions further afield, exporting to our friends in Europe is also free of trade barriers, financial or otherwise. This is a key advantage of the common market. Leaving the EU would heap huge costs onto British businesses, limiting our potential to trade. Those who think we could walk out of the EU and continue to trade as before are being short-sighted. It would be like your housemate moving out after telling you he can’t live with you or the things you stand for any more, but still expecting to have a key to your house.

Of course, economics is not everything. Europe is constantly accused of posing an unacceptable threat to British democracy. During recent calls by Tory backbenchers for a referendum on our EU membership, we repeatedly heard the claim that only people in their 50’s and above had been given the chance to vote on EU membership.

This is true. It is also meaningless. No-one under the age of about 800 has ever had the chance to vote on the Magna Carta, a document which massively changed the nature of sovereignty in Britain. Must we vote on it every few years? Clearly not. We elect representatives in Westminster to watch over our interests, including with regard to Europe, and we elect members of the European Parliament to watch over our interests too. If we truly believed Europe was harming our democracy, we could elect people who felt the same way.

Participation in Europe is crucial to Britain’s role on the world stage. The days of empire are over. We hold no special power over the Commonwealth. Britain exerts influence over the outside world primarily as a member of the EU. If we were to walk away, our voice on the world stage would be diminished. This would surely harm our interests, too.

The European Union is an imperfect institution beset by problems. But being a part of it entails massive benefits that outweigh any disadvantages. Our membership allows us not only to benefit from the EU, but to change it for the better. Britain must remain a part of this.

Ailing EU economies turn to Bilderberg buddies

Written by Andrew Williams on . Posted in Opinion.

Europe’s leadership merry-go-round has accelerated in recent weeks. First, Lucas Papademos took over from beleaguered Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, before Silvio Berlusconi followed his Mediterranean counterpart out of the door to be replaced by Italian economist ‘Super’ Mario Monti.

But the two newest political leaders in Europe have much more in common than the perilous state of their respective economies. Both are long-term members of the elusive Bilderberg Group.

The Bilderberg conference is an annual, invitation-only summit of around 150 of the most influential people in the world. Previous attendees include Princes Charles and Phillip, former Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, Bill Gates and his presidential namesake Clinton. Papademos and Monti can be added to this list of distinguished Bilderberg alumni, and their membership of the ‘steering committee’ is noteworthy in light of their new, high-powered positions.

The significance of the Bilderberg Group lies in its intense secrecy. Unlike renowned international summits such as the G20, meetings are unofficial and unpublicised, held in inaccessible luxury hotels closed to journalists and reporters and heavily guarded by private security firms.

Inevitably, this has prompted a flurry of conspiracy theories – the most pertinent of which is that the group exists to promote a one-world government with an inherent Western bias. Fidel Castro has gone so far as to brand the organisation “a sinister clique”.

In light of the ascension of Papademos and Monti to the top of European politics, perhaps we are beginning to see the fruits of a concerted effort by members of the Group to expand their sphere of influence. It seems fanciful, but the conspiracy theorists would like you to think so.

MUSEA goes to Amsterdam

Written by Ceri Wills on . Posted in Arts, Features, Societies.

From the 2nd – 5th February 2012 for only £135

Join MUSEA as we take 50 students to Amsterdam for a post-exam weekend of art galleries and sight seeing.

We’ll be taking in all that Amsterdam has to offer, including amazing galleries such as the Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum Old Masters gallery and the SMBA contemporary photography museum, as well as the Waterlooplein Flea market, bike tours… Anything you fancy! We’ll provide a rough itinerary, which you can follow as much or as little as you want.

£135 gets you…

  • Flights from Manchester Airport
  • 3 Nights accommodation at the uptown Flying Pig Hostel
  • The chance to take in a beautiful city and meet new people

For more information join our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/8369861342/ or email us at [email protected]. We’ll be sat in the Students’ Union bar between 11am – 1pm every Tuesday and Thursday from 30th November to take deposits and to book places.

 

 

 

The secrets above your eyeline

Written by Izzy Rose on . Posted in Arts.

It is very rare that anything, especially something internet-based, in its essence a sedentary activity, makes you want to get up and out there from sitting comfortably on your warm bed. Yet Hayley Flynn’s blog entitled ‘Skyliner and Other Tales from a Dilettante’ does just that.

Based in Chorlton, the blog seeks to expose ‘rare’ or even just ‘artistic’ features of the Manchester area that we wouldn’t normally acknowledge. If the leaping up is a slight exaggeration, this screen-based activity worms its way in with its unique angle, until next time you find yourself in Manchester city centre you will look up and you will see there is a plethora of art out there that is so often missed.

This site won Best City and Neighbourhood Blog 2011, and was featured in the BBC Manchester and Creative Tourist’s Top 25 blogs 2011, and quite rightly too. What began as a search for lost and undelivered letters soon developed further; where Hayley found postcards she soon discovered little-glanced-at history, and the ‘Skyliner’ series that now dominates the blog is the cuckooing tangent born from those location-specific secrets.

From two men sitting atop a building near Piccadilly Station, to bird statues on fire escapes in the Northern Quarter, to walkways in the air on Oxford Road, Hayley Flynn confronts us with the Manchester that we miss in the street-level rush of everyday life. She accompanies the striking photographs and images with solid foundations of history and research, introducing us to a whole new side of the city up towards the grey clouds.

Her most recent project takes a look at the shadowy insides of the Hulme Hippodrome, featuring exclusive photography by Andrew Brookes. Other favourites include a description of the elusive ‘Manchester egg’ if ever you’re on Oldham Street.

So, if ever the rain stops long enough for you to lift your head towards the heavens without the threat of being poked in the eye by an umbrella, make sure you have Hayley’s blog as ammunition to get that bird’s eye freshness.
Check it out at hayleyflynn.tumblr.com

11/11/11

Written by Kate Oglesby on . Posted in Arts, Features.

On the 11th November 2011, Platt Chapel was host to ‘In Remembrance’, a Performance Art event commemorating the fallen soldiers from not only both world wars, but also those soldiers who have served more recently in Afghanistan and Iraq. The event was curated and produced by Michael Mayhew, an artist who has been creating provocative and moving work for over twenty years.
Performance Art involves four key elements: time, space, the performer or presence of the performer in some medium, and the relationship between performer and audience. It aims to engage the audience by capturing a particular moment in time and conveying the feelings or ideas of the performer and performance to the spectator.
The eleven hours of performance were heavily documented using writings, drawings, photography and video. This served not only as a memory resource but also for the creation of ‘In Loving Memory’: a sound and visual installation, a wake, a celebration of past events and past lives embodied as performance.
Performances included that from Nicola Canavan, whose performance named ‘When river runs into Sea,’ explored love, ritual, borders, physical limitations and loss. Canavan connected with audiences by using a small space, set out like a room; on the walls, pieces of paper filled with words written in blood and a desk also holding these pieces of paper, and filled with objects including needles and scissors. The artist herself however was the focal point, sat on a chair in the middle, dressed in white, scrubbing blood from a silken cloth. Canavan both captivated and mesmerized audiences with such a thought provoking act.
Other acts included work from Martin O’Brien, Leo Devlin, Lisa Newman, Alistair MacLennan and Charlottle Bean, and Nina Whiteman who gave a performance named ‘My Mother’s Clothes.’ This involved the artist using a number of her mother’s items of clothing to tell the story of the relationship between mother and daughter, using actions yet minimal sound and speech.
This event allowed the work of many artists to come together, in a thought provoking way, to produce performances which created and channeled ideas of memory and loss to the audience. Fitting for not only a day of remembrance, but as a way of reflecting on the beauty and complexity of memory.

Between two discoveries

Written by sarajaspan on . Posted in Arts.

You know Cairo? As in the Cairo – not Egypt’s capital; Cairo as in the historical English-speaking, dusty, mall-lined, super-sized Cairo, Illinois, in the good ole’ U.S. of A.? Cairo as in ‘Kaaay-Row’ (as pronounced with a deep, sleepy, vowel-savouring Southern drawl).

No? Well, neither had Manchester-based artists Jacob Cartwright and Nick Jordan until they stumbled upon it one fateful night many dust-sweats ago, whilst working on another project. Neither had I, until, four years later, I stumbled across the knees crowding my aisle at Cornerhouse at the screening of Between Two Rivers: the feature-length documentary about the forgotten past and present of the city.

Since when does documenting fact interest art? These artists, at least seemed to be interested in presenting as truthful a portrayal as 90 minutes has ever allowed, and one that might even be called ‘artistic’.

Cairo, once upon a tale of two cities, almost became New York (back when New York was plain York). At first, it seems strange that a place once destined to become the heaving, black-clad noise-making metropolis superior of America could so quietly slip into a pool of silence.

Situated at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, Cairo was initially a centre of industry, transport and trade, attracting a steady flow of wealth into the town. That Cairo is a forgotten place is, in fact, closely related to its turbulent past. Its history is riddled with disasters, some natural, some not so – from floods to extreme racial violence – none of which is forgotten by the film.

Indeed the inhabitants of the sparse, ever-dwindling population that still linger in Cairo fix the camera with looks of sheepish consternation as if they themselves cannot account for the bizarre ghost town or even finding themselves there.

Between Two Rivers is a remarkable attempt to resuscitate Cairo; to unveil its dark past and shed light upon its uncertain present, if only for 90 minutes. This light throws into sharp relief a powerful history, thanks only to the compelling wit, curiosity and insight of its makers. Visually mesmerizing and well put-together, this is a documentary well worth stumbling into.

To watch the trailer, clips and for further information: www.betweentworivers.net

Cooking up an Oscar winner: Ingredients for a Best Picture

Written by Richard Crook on . Posted in Film.

1. First, prepare a quality ensemble. Apart from some notable exceptions like The Lord of the Rings, a standout performance is almost always necessary to winning the Best Picture award. Most Best Picture winners also get nominations in the acting categories. Gladiator (2000) and Silence of the Lambs (1991) were both driven by their lead’s memorable portrayals, while Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) lost out to the more character driven Annie Hall (1977).

2. Stir in plenty of male leads. It’s a shame, but films revolving around women just don’t win Oscars. Chicago (2002) was the last to do it and that was a full nine years after Terms of Endearment broke the curse (1983). Even the impeccable Thelma and Louise didn’t get a sniff.

3. Liberally sprinkle on some sap- it always trumps downbeat films. This dates right back to 1938, when Frank Capra’s You Can’t Take It With You beat the far superior anti-war film La Grande Illusion. Not much has changed, with movies like Titanic, Forest Gump and last year’s A King’s Speech turning the sentimentality levels up to 11 to take home the prize. Horrors, notable for their lack of soppiness, are largely snubbed at the Oscars.

4. Fold in a social/political message. Films like Crash or Million Dollar Baby that take a look at prejudice and controversial issues like euthanasia often go down well. Use sparingly though. Too much ‘edge’ will result in your movie tasting more like a nomination than a winner. See Dr. Strangelove or: How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Bomb (1964), Reds (1981) and Brokeback Mountain (2005) – all nominated but lost out to films not nearly as impressive, but also not nearly as controversial.

5. Shape into an ‘epic’. If there is one thing that has gone unchanged throughout the Oscars’ history, it’s that the Academy loves epic movies, particularly biopics. This is attributed to what film columnist Ann Thompson calls the “steak eaters”. These are the Academy voters that come from the different craft guilds- sound, effects, sets etc.- and are primarily older men. They will usually vote for grand spectacles with mostly male casts. Good examples include Ben-Hur (1959), Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

6. Bring to a boil with some realism; sci-fi movies never win it. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and E.T: The Extra Terrestrial (1982) were both hit by this curse. Gritty and dramatic pieces following unremarkable people thrown into remarkable situations can be key to leaving your mark. Deer Hunter (1978) Titanic (1997) and Slumdog Millionaire (2009) achieve this expertly.

7. Now add a dose of history. This one could clinch it. Whether it’s a biopic like Gandhi (1982) or fictional account like Dances with Wolves (1990) set during a real historical event, the Oscars go nuts for films set in the past. The King’s Speech (2010) defeating the more modern and unconventional A Social Network (2010) last year showed us that the thirst is still alive. Don’t worry about accuracy levels either; just stick on ‘inspired by real events’ at the start and you can exaggerate a King’s stammer as much as you want.

8. Finally, don’t worry about a big serving, long films are not a problem for the Oscars. Indeed, famous winners Gone with the Wind (1939) and Ben-Hur (1959) both exceeded 3 hours. Be careful not to overdo it though, recent winners suggest voters don’t have quite the same appetite for long flicks.

Now, leave to rise and prepare for a September onwards release. Anything released in the first two quarters is more likely to be forgotten by both the viewer and the Academy. And remember, any hint of animation or a foreign language is likely to leave your film untouched at the judge’s tables.