The thoughts that shape my writing

Fragments of history, reflections on memory, and glimpses of the human thread that runs through it all.

What Has Become Normal
John Rees John Rees

What Has Become Normal

One of my most read essays last year asked whether certain political patterns in the United States echoed darker moments in European history.

That was April 7th 2025.

A great deal has happened since then so it seems worth returning to the question to test it.

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Democracy for Sale
John Rees John Rees

Democracy for Sale

There is a growing unease about the stability of Western democracies. While elections remain intact, money and digital amplification increasingly shape the tone, visibility, and emotional climate of politics long before votes are cast.

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Did Donald Trump Actually Break the System?
John Rees John Rees

Did Donald Trump Actually Break the System?

Donald J. Trump is everywhere, all the time.

He governs like a reality television host who has wandered into the Oval Office and decided the cameras should never be switched off. He holds court in cabinet rooms surrounded by journalists. He speaks in superlatives, threats, jokes, and half-finished ideas. He says things no other modern leader would dare say out loud.

Many see him as a threat to global stability. Others see him as a truth-teller, tearing down a corrupt establishment.

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When Power Demands Honour
John Rees John Rees

When Power Demands Honour

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has handed her Nobel Peace Prize medal to Donald Trump at the White House, presenting it as recognition of his ‘commitment to Venezuela’s freedom’.

The symbolism is elegant. The reality is not.

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Freedom in a World of Algorithms
John Rees John Rees

Freedom in a World of Algorithms

Are you really making free choices — or just following invisible nudges? This piece explores how modern power doesn’t restrict us but subtly shapes us through algorithms, feeds, and endless distractions. Drawing on Rousseau, Berlin, Foucault, and Sartre, it asks: in a world designed to predict and guide our behaviour, is freedom still possible?

Stay curious. Question the feed. Real freedom begins when we choose to think beyond what’s handed to us.

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The Meaning Wars
John Rees John Rees

The Meaning Wars

From “fake news” to “special military operations,” this is how political language is reshaped to suit power — and why it matters.

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