Geezer Capitalism
| December 20, 2011 | 
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From BBC:
It is very difficult to properly see the times you are living through, but it is made more difficult today by the insistence of politicians and commentators that there is no alternative to the present economic system. This almost hysterical mantra closes down other, different perspectives and makes it impossible to draw back and see what the present world is really like.
I’ve stumbled on a wonderful documentary film made in the 1960s that in an odd way does help give some kind of perspective on today. It’s about two brothers called Billy and George Walker. Billy was a boxer and George was a gangster who became Billy’s manager. The film is a beautiful record of the way two brilliant chancers were manipulating British society and the media at a moment in 1964.
Out of that moment would come a vast business empire – of property, leisure and films all run by George Walker, that rose up in the 1980s and then crashed spectacularly in 1991. If you follow the story of that empire it takes you on a behind-the-scenes journey that shows the truth behind many modern businesses in Britain – showy facades built on a mountain of debt.
But the story doesn’t just stop there – because the ghost of George Walker, his family, and his business practices have continued to haunt Britain in all sorts of odd ways. And the story suddenly brings into focus some of the attitudes underlying modern society. A world where many people have become chancers like Billy and George Walker, out to get something for nothing.
| History: | Environment: | Film: |
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Beatrice the Renegade Eric Dursteler In 1559, a ship sailed from Venice to the Dalmatian coast. On board were a mother and her four children, including her young daughter, Beatrice Michiel. As they crossed the Adriatic, corsairs waylaid the ship and took the family captive. The mother and daughters were ransomed, but the boys were enslaved and soon converted to Islam. Read More | Sustainability and Silver Bullets Leslie Paul Thiele Sustainability is quickly becoming the lingua franca of public discourse. It is endorsed by government agencies around the globe, championed by increasing numbers of international non-governmental organizations, and put into daily practice by residents and consumers. Read More | Scientific Integrity in Cinematic Science David A. Kirby For most people, the start of the summer blockbuster season would not be an ideal time to be examining movies for their scientific verisimilitude. Big, silly popcorn flicks are about explosions, muscled men in tights fighting CGI creatures, and witty one liners from action heroes, not about scientific integrity. Read More |
