Links
... to an alternative universe
The links below are mainly to websites containing material of a more or less political nature. I take no responsibility for their content and do not claim that any of them present the "truth" or a "correct" view of the world. I merely suggest that they present interesting material, ideas and perspectives. As with all media consumption, I try to maintain a healthy sceptisism at all times and when trying to form a well-rounded view of a particular issue or situation, I try to consult a range of sources, not just the ones I have listed. I have assumed that people are aware of the mainstream sources.
Contents
1. Off-guardian
2. Michael Parenti
3. KenFM
4. Jill Stein
5. John Pilger
6. Democracy Now!
7. The Canary
8. James Meadway
Last updated: 30.07.2016
off-guardian
The Guardian is a British newspaper which has a long and proud tradition of presenting a progressive and left-leaning view of current affairs and the world. Many readers of The Guardian had the feeling that it was at least trying to present a true and unbiased view of world events and that the journalists were committed to producing a serious analysis of the issues of the day. You could read points of view and comment in The Guardian which were hard to find elsewhere. When I was at university in the early 80s, one of our lecturers, who was well respected in his field, would tell us of the phenomenal levels of distortion and untruth perpetrated by the media, except, perhaps, The Guardian.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, it seems, and The Guardian, can no longer claim to be the guardian of truth that its name has always hinted at. For the last decade or so, it has become increasingly clear that The Guardian is not interested in a progressive agenda. News stories often read like government handouts and comment and analysis pieces often seem to be pursuing a kind of “establishment” agenda. This has become particularly clear over the last two or three years.
Particularly disturbing for many Guardian readers has been the restrictions placed on the ability to comment on articles. Far fewer articles are now open for comment than was previously the case and there are many stories circulating of comments which don't agree with the editorial line disappearing from the Guardian website.
The off-guardian.org website is run by a group of people who have become increasingly disillusioned by this state of affairs. It publishes articles from a wide range of writers on a wide range of issues which offer a perspective different from the one found in most news media.
Off-guardian, as its name suggests, is particularly concerned with challenging the views espoused in and by The Guardian and many, though not all, of its articles are in reply to editorial and comment pieces recently published in The Guardian.
There's plenty to criticize about the off-guardian. Only writers with a left-wing, anti-establishment viewpoint seem to be invited to write for it, for example, so don't go there looking for objectivity. It is, however, a good source for an alternative perspective on the stories of the day. I don't think that The Guardian can be accused of objectivity, either.
The Off-Guardian can be read at:
Last updated: 30.07.2016
Michael Parenti
Michael Parenti is an American author, lecturer and political analyst. His views on politics, society, history and economics would probably be labelled controversial by many. Parenti's presentation is entertaining and forthright, though what he says is often quite shocking if one takes a moment to consider its ramifications.
His home page can be found at:
http://www.michaelparenti.org/
Recordings of many of his talks and lectures can be found on YouTube. Simply search with "Michael Parenti" and you'll get plenty of hits.
Here's one to get you started:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mODhm59KkVQ
Last updated: 09.07.2016
KenFM
This will only be of interest if you're reasonably proficient in German.
Ken Jepsen is a German radio and television presenter who used to work for mainstream broadcasters such as Deutsche Welle TV and Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (rbb) (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 2016). Since 2011 he has been working as an independent journalist through his internet platform, KenFM.
His usual format consists of a discussion with a guest on current themes and issues. He and his guests are not afraid to stray from mainstream views in their analysis and the result is nearly always an interesting and in-depth exploration of a topic or issue including views, ideas and facts that are not usually to be found in the more mainstream media. The interviews are usually fairly long - 1 to 2 hours - allowing for a relaxed, thoughtful and in-depth discussion of the issues at hand. Guests are rarely interrupted while making their contributions and the "sorry, but we're running out of time" tactic of mainstream media outlets is unknown.
The KenFM website can be found at:
There are also lots of his videos on YouTube, mostly on the KenFM channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/wwwKenFMde
There is, for example, a very interesting discussion of the current problems in Syria with the independent journalist Karin Leukefeld:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcBtZ1wHXX8
Last updated: 09.07.2016
Jill Stein
Jill Stein is the Green Party candidate in the 2016 election of the President of the USA. For those tired of listening to Republicans and Democrats trying to pretend that they're fundamentally different to each other and interested in the needs of ordinary people, Jill Stein makes for interesting listening.
She has some very progressive policies and genuinely supports a politics that works for the benefit of people rather than big business.
and, again, there are many interesting videos of her talking and being interviewed on YouTube. Here's an example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MMahrBteE8
Last updated: 09.07.2016
John Pilger
John Pilger is an Australian journalist and documentary film make who has been consistently critical of western foreign policy yet, has managed to stay at least on the fringes of the mainstream.
A large selection of his films can be viewed at his website at:
YouTube is also a good source.
Last updated: 09.07.2016
Democracy Now!
Democracy Now! is a daily television and radio news programme syndicated across North America as well as on the internet. Again, the voices that it broadcasts and the angles taken are often different to the ones you hear on more mainstream news programmes. The news is covered very much from an American perspective, but no less interesting for that
Their website is at:
Last updated: 09.07.2016
The Canary
A British news website which could loosely be described as "alternative". The stories covered are mainly of a political nature and from the United Kingdom, though there is also an "International" section. Viewpoints and aspects are explored that, generally do not see the light of day in the more mainstream media.
The Canary suffers from many of the same problems as the off-guardian (see above). It is avowedly left wing and anti-establishment so readers of a similar bent are in danger of simply having their prejudices confirmed and letting their critical faculties be disarmed. It is still a good source, though for stories, angles and perspectives, which are otherwise difficult to find.
The website is at:
Last updated: 30.07.2016
James Medway
James Medway is an economist and writer who gives serious thought to life outside the neo-liberal box that has constrained much of the discussion of economics since the early 1980s.
He currently advises the British Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, John McDonnell.
I found a video on YouTube of him giving a presentation in Bulgaria to a group called “Solidarna Bulgaria”. He was speaking about the economic strategy of the British Labour Party under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn. I found his analysis of the problems faced by the British economy at present particularly interesting. He also said something about Labour's solutions, but, as he said, much party policy is still being formulated. The video is at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cs7j3cBT2o0
There are plenty more videos on YouTube of Meadway speaking or being interviewed. I haven't watched any yet, but there seems to be some interesting stuff there.
I haven't found his home page yet, but a search of the internet will turn up some of his writing. This:
https://www.marxists.org/history/etol/newspape/isj2/2003/isj2-100/meadway.htm
for example, looks to be worth a read.
Last updated: 30.07.2016