Fownhope’s Heart of Oak Society traces its roots to the age of friendly societies, when communities provided their own safety net. Its anniversary celebrations reveal a tradition still very much alive, says MARK SEDDON
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10 reasons not to support Armed Forces Day
Today we are encouraged to celebrate Armed Forces Day. But far from celebrating these institutions, we should be speaking out against them — SYMON HILL gives 10 good reasons why
ANGUS REID explains the significance of Cuba’s egalitarian in letter and spirit Family Code and the pertinent lessons it holds for democracies anywhere in the world
Special report by PEOPLE’S WORLD
NICK WRIGHT considers how the isolation of Israel and a new film on the controversial Italian communist leader are creating new reference points for Italy’s left
CARLOS MARTINEZ says Cuba’s achievements in the face of a criminal blockade are startling, but the island’s future if the United States succeeds in crushing it looks bleak
AMNON BROWNFIELD STEIN reports that far-right MPs who mobbed the event organised by Hadash may have helped raise awareness of the brutality of the Israeli right
1 The armed forces uphold class power
The forces target the poorest young people for recruitment. Repeated leaks from the Ministry of Defence make clear that this is a deliberate strategy. A 2017 document stated that the army’s target recruit was “16-24, primarily C2DE. Mean household income 10K.”
In contrast, 49 per cent of army officers went to fee-paying schools (compared to 7 per cent of the population). In effect, the armed forces require working-class people to salute upper and upper middle class people and call them “sir.”
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