In the last essay we established that in the ideology of liberal democracy resides a paradoxical kernel that struggles to compromise individual rights and collective good. The individual rights fundamental to the liberal side have to be – somewhat but necessarily – infringed upon by the democratic side embodying a Read more…
Liberty has been the buzzword for the last centuries. Throughout this time, we have neither managed to achieve it, nor rid ourselves of it. Whenever we attempt to go in either direction, we become insecure about our identity as well as our survival. And so, we always end up making Read more…
Since when do computer games transgress social and political rules? The short answer: since China decided so and restricted its gaming community. Yet why does virtual reality threaten the development of the authoritarian state, but not a liberal one? Listen to our most recent podcast and find out why pacified Read more…
While face masks have become emblematic of the past two years and the symbol of restrictions, their casual improper donning around the chin has also marked the growing restriction fatigue. The discrepancy between face masks and ‘chin diapers’ marks the gap between the laws that we, as a society, declare, Read more…
In this first instalment of NoCheeseTalk we look at the inconsistent or even paradoxical interactions of the EU and its neighbour Turkey. This discussion is framed in light of the recent “sofagate” scandal, and how an ill-fated meeting of presidents laid bare the fragile basis of the EU liberal identity. Read more…
In the last post we explored the phenomenon by which social revolutions re-establish the old injustices they sought to eliminate. Its Sisyphean nature is due to none other than a structural commitment to the ideological form. Now, it is time to show in more detail how the reality of ‘upcoming Read more…
As the debate on gender representation rages on, we are going through the healthy reflection that some parts of society might be less represented at high-level governance. And for various reasons, we chose to segment society by gender and decided that the male-centric era of politics is over and actually Read more…
In the past five years, Malta has witnessed a wildfire of corruption revelations – from money laundering to outright assassination. On the one hand, there remains a total absence of radical change in domestic political culture, yet each time the corruption-of-the-month is revealed, in spite of the evident apathy, one Read more…