Author: Jenny Farrell

Art Culture

Artemisia Gentileschi: Pioneer of realist art

The emergence of the bourgeoisie between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries from traders, merchants and artisans marked the beginning of the modern, capitalist era, beginning in Italy. This new social class, seeking political power to underpin and further its growing economic might, found expression in the Renaissance, which displayed its […]

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Campaigns Politics

Queer alt pride

History The theme of this alternative pride is the radical history of pride. As many people know, modern queer pride started in 1969, when queers, including many people of colour and then called transvestites (now you would say drag queens and trans people) fought back against a raid by the […]

Political Economy

Is artificial intelligence a scourge?

In the preface of his book SuperIntelligence, Nick Bostrom writes: “The human brain has capabilities that the brains of other animals lack. It is to these distinctive capabilities (language, technology and complex social organization) that we owe our dominant position on the planet.” The question is whether these capabilities will […]

Trade Unionism

Let us arise!

As the trade union movement gathers in Kilkenny for the ICTU biennial delegate conference, we must take notice of the changing demographics of union membership. The average age of union members is 48. Only about 12 per cent of members are under 30 years of age. Despite the number of […]

Housing

Varadkar Turns the Corner, Part 2

In part one last month[1] the government’s latest scheme — more like “scam” — to solve the housing crisis was highlighted. Local authorities are renting homes from investment funds for periods of between 10 and 25 years for an average of €2000 a month in Dublin. These houses are then […]

Imperialism

War

The NATO proxy war against Russia grinds on with the capitalist “news” media full of stories and analysis of the expected Ukrainian offensive. Absent from all imperialist commentary are proposals for ending the war other than by the military, economic and political defeat of Russia. The peace proposals put forward […]

Poetry

Photo – Haiku

ainneoin na caimiléireachta an ghrian ag taitneamh os cionn Bhleá Cliath in spite of corruption the sun shines over all of Dublin corupție—soarele tot strălucepeste Dublin Photo: Jason Symes Haiku: Gabriel Rosenstock Romanian version: Olimpia Iacob