Welcome to the Age of Disruption: Time for a New Radicalism Sunday National, 23 February 2025 Gerry Hassan The world is living through unparalleled times. The post-war international order created by and for the USA is being unilaterally ripped up and trashed by the USA. In so doing it is establishing a new world order which looks less like the 1930s and the spectre of fascism and more like pre-1914 and the age of rival great power rivalries and competing imperialisms. The failure of the mainstream Across Europe, North and South America, Israel and elsewhere the march of right-wing populists

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Trump and Trumpism: How did we get here and what are the lessons for all of us? Sunday National, 26 January 2025 Gerry Hassan There has only been one international political story this week - the return of Donald Trump as US President. Beyond the bombastic inauguration and plethora of executive orders is the story of how we got to this sorry state. Long term factors about the founding and nature of America combined with a more immediate set of reasons relevant to the UK and West provide insights about what the Trump phenomenon means for politics and leadership and

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My Music Albums of the Year January 2nd 2025 Gerry Hassan   Back by popular demand (from a few folk who like me love their music). Divided into three main sections: new, compilations and box sets, and older issues I have turned to for the first time. And a few minus and positive points about releases to round things up.   NEW ALBUMS  

1. Fine Art, Kneecap

The breakout musical sensation of 2024; a trio from West Belfast singing songs about the concerns of young people, drugs and the importance of the Irish language. All done with humour,

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Get Ready for the Age of Disruption Coming to Scotland! Sunday National, December 29th 2024 Gerry Hassan Politics everywhere across the West is shaped by failure, exhaustion and unpopularity in the mainstream - and increasingly by anger and rage amongst voters. Both Scotland and the UK are no exception. Labour’s election victory with 34% of the vote was the smallest in history for a party winning an overall parliamentary majority. Since then it has been downhill all the way with a government showing a lack of sure-footedness and political acumen on issue after issue, and with no sense of how

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