cross currents in culture varvar iantiant number 26 spring 2006 free VARIANT 25 | SPRING 2006 | 3 Variant, number 25 spring 2006 ISSN 0954-8815 Variant is a magazine with the independence to be critical that addresses cultural issues in a social and political context. Variant is a charitable organisation and functions Contents with the assistance of subscriptions and advertising. Editorial 4 We welcome contributions in the form of news, reviews, articles, interviews, polemical pieces and artists’ pages. Guidelines for writers are available Letters 5 on request and at the Variant website. Opinions expressed in Variant are those of the Mr Hebbly (Not a Golfer) 7 writers and not necessarily those of the editors or Variant. All material is copyright (unless stated Metaphrog otherwise) the authors or Variant. Variant 1/2, 189b Maryhill Road, Glasgow, G20 7XJ They all belong to Glasgow 8 t +44 (0)141 333 9522 Conversation with Ahmed Khan email [email protected] www.variant.org.uk Editorial Input: Daniel Jewesbury, Leigh French, From Precarity to Precariousness 10 Paula Larkin Editorial Contact: Leigh French and Back Again Advertising & Distribution Contact: Paula Larkin Labour, Life and Unstable Networks Design: Kevin Hobbs Brett Neilson and Ned Rossiter We would like to thank everyone involved in all aspects of supporting Variant, especially: Rebecca Gordon Nesbitt, Peter McCluskey, Guardians of Power 14 Andrew Murray, Catherine Rogan, Ann Vance, John Chalmers, CityStrolls, Colin Tennant, Interview with Media Lens, by Gabriele Zamparini Tara Babel, Tom Jennings, Alison Stirling, Luke Colins, Neill Paton, Factotum Distribution Services, Nilina Mason-Campbell. Comic & Zine Reviews 17 Printers: Spectator Newspapers, Bangor, BT20 4AF Mark Pawson Co. Down, N. Ireland Constructing Neoliberal Glasgow 19 The Privatisation Of Space Friend of Zanetti At the Crossroads 23 Tom Jennings Hatred and Respect 28 All articles from Variant vol.2 issues 1–24 are archived and available free at: The class shame of ned ‘humour’ www.variant.org.uk Alex Law Variant is published 3 times a year. The most current issue is posted on the Variant website two months after publication of the newsprint edition. Political Islam’s Relation to Capital and Class 31 To receive an e-mail informing you of these posts and to join the on-line forum send a blank e-mail Ardeshir Mehrdad and Yassamine Mather to: [email protected] Subscribe Receive a three issue (one year) subscription to Cover Variant magazine for: Metaphrog Institutions: UK & EC £15, Elsewhere £20.00 Individuals: UK £7.50, EC £9.50, Elsewhere £15.00 Libraries can also receive a complete set of back issues of Variant vol.2. Rates are available on request. Donate: we need your support ‘VARIANT’ account details: Lloyds TSB Scotland plc St. Vincent Street, Glasgow Scotland, UK Sort code: 87-37-99 Account Number: 81142360 IBAN: GB06TSBS 873799 81142360 BIC Code: TSBS GB21210 If you wish to support Variant financially, Variant can now also receive monetary donations in the form of “Gift Aid”. For details please see: www.variant.org.uk/donate.html Variant Scotland is a registered Scottish Charity, Number SC 032063 4 | VARIANT 25 | SPRING 2006 Nothing ever happened before 2007/8, and the third general election Editorial to the Scottish Parliament will be held on “... Political language, as used by politicians, does not May 3, 2007, so no one should feel obliged venture into any of this territory [the exploration to keep any vague promises made now with of reality] since the majority of politicians, on the all the competing pressures in an election evidence available to us, are interested not in truth year. but in power and in the maintenance of that power. To With the media diversion on how ‘the maintain that power it is essential that people remain Arts’ as a category-of-their-concern will in ignorance, that they live in ignorance of the truth, supposedly benefit, we also have to know even the truth of their own lives. What surrounds us how the reported increase relates to therefore is a vast tapestry of lies, upon which we feed. and distancing vernacular, they will legislate Glasgow’s 2014 Commonwealth Games As every single person here knows, the justification for “a legal framework for delivering rights and bid, if successful—the winning city is announced for the invasion of Iraq was that Saddam Hussein entitlements”, while “local authorities will develop in 2007, though its bid will have to be shored possessed a highly dangerous body of weapons of plans to ensure every person in Scotland is entitled up now [see: ‘Constructing Neoliberal Glasgow: mass destruction, some of which could be fired in 45 to access cultural activity, reflecting the needs and The Privatisation Of Space’ in this issue]. To say minutes, bringing about appalling devastation. We wishes of local people and communities” within nothing of Scotland’s spend on the 2012 London were assured that was true. It was not true. We were Community Planning—following Best Value, Olympics. told that Iraq had a relationship with Al Quaeda and Community Planning is another oxymoron for So how has the alleged £20m increase been shared responsibility for the atrocity in New York of extending the involvement of private sectors in calculated? For example: The Executive “will September 11th 2001. We were assured that this was public services. make available £400k per annum over the next two true. It was not true. We were told that Iraq threatened As expected, the Scottish Arts Council (SAC) years to enable a new match-funding sponsorship the security of the world. We were assured it was true. and Scottish Screen are to be merged creating “a initiative proposed by Arts and Business. Arts and It was not true. new cultural development agency called Creative Business will use our support to incentivise private The truth is something entirely different. The truth is Scotland [...] with the key task of developing talent sector sponsorship. That way, we aim to deliver to do with how the United States understands its role and excellence in all branches of the arts, and the over £700k in additional support for the arts each in the world and how it chooses to embody it. creative and screen industries.” However, it will year, through a mix of public and private sector not oversee the National performing companies finance.” Has £400k been sexed-up as a possible But before I come back to the present I would like to as the Executive is to now do so directly, with future £700k, as it looks that way. look at the recent past, by which I mean United States former Scottish Arts Council staff transferred Really there needs to be an accurate assessment foreign policy since the end of the Second World War. I to an Executive unit responsible. There is also of the current deficit in funding across the board believe it is obligatory upon us to subject this period to to be another review, this time of the National for any sum to have any meaning in the overall at least some kind of even limited scrutiny, which is all Institutions’ collections. The SAC in response context of what it’s being applied to. Then, once that time will allow here. have stated: “The impact on staffing and other we know what it’s to cover exactly, a statement of Everyone knows what happened in the Soviet Union resources following their transfer is expected to how these time-limited increases (if they are) have and throughout Eastern Europe during the post- be minimal.” While the Centre for Cultural Policy been calculated and what they are going to have war period: the systematic brutality, the widespread Research at Glasgow University believe, the to cover in terms of stand-still funding now and atrocities, the ruthless suppression of independent “proposed changes are more about tinkering with thereafter given inflation (an announced £20m thought. All this has been fully documented and structures than making a radical shift.” today is not going to be of that value if it kicks- verified. Predictably, there is to be a Scotland-the- in in a couple of years time and then eight years But my contention here is that the US crimes in the Brand “recognition scheme for Scotland’s creative down the line). And, importantly, any expansion same period have only been superficially recorded, sector”. of the Minister’s brief or usage in support of other let alone documented, let alone acknowledged, let Blanket ‘Cultural spend’ by 2007-08 is said by policy areas, as expressed in McConnell’s St. alone recognised as crimes at all. I believe this must be the Minister to “rise to £234 million per annum”, Andrew’s Day 2003 Speech—it’s no secret that the addressed and that the truth has considerable bearing but only once “contribution to local authority Executive needs the excuse of Culture to redirect on where the world stands now. Although constrained, cultural expenditure is included”. Such heightened funding into major taxation areas together with to a certain extent, by the existence of the Soviet emphasis on Local Authority involvement is what using it as a tool to extend the involvement of Union, the United States’ actions throughout the many suspected and raises the spectre of increased private sectors into public services. Is this really world made it clear that it had concluded it had carte tiered political bossing—that such a plan to what we want? rationalise “unnecessary bureaucracy” will in fact blanche to do what it liked. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2006/01 increase the bureacratisation of culture. Direct invasion of a sovereign state has never in fact /19093710 been America’s favoured method.