The thoughts that shape my writing
Fragments of history, reflections on memory, and glimpses of the human thread that runs through it all.
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.
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.
A Death Without Compassion
When power rushes to certainty before evidence — and compassion is treated as expendable — belief replaces thought, and a human life disappears from view.
History Isn’t Objective — and Pretending It Is Is Dangerous
I’ve recently completed my second historical fiction novel, The Silence of the White Shadow, set in Victorian Britain. That means my desk — and my head — are cluttered with research: industrial towns, social reformers, courtroom dramas, even the odd ship’s manifest.
Bertrand Russell Warned Us About Fools and Fanatics — We Should Listen Now
I’ve been interested in philosophy and the meaning of life for decades. One philosopher I admire greatly is Bertrand Russell. The more I learn about his life, the more I notice small, unexpected parallels with my own.
Wittgenstein in the Age of Social Media
Wittgenstein wrote one of the most challenging books on philosophy to read. This is a simple guide.
Orwell in the Age of Trump
In 1949 George Orwell wrote what many consider his masterpiece, 1984. What can it teach us about what’s happening in the world today?
The Age of Collective Stupidity
I lived through the first dotcom bubble — a time when hype, “expert” predictions, and collective belief drove stock prices into the stratosphere. I sold some shares early and was told I was crazy… until the bubble burst and fortunes vanished overnight.
Looking back, I realised this wasn’t just market failure — it was collective stupidity on a global scale.
Your Truth, My Truth, No Truth?
In a world drowning in half-truths and curated realities, can we still agree on what’s true—or does truth even matter anymore?
This post explores how truth has shifted from a shared foundation to a contested battleground. From ancient faith to modern politics, from Nietzsche’s “truth as illusion” to Foucault’s “truth as power,” we examine how belief, influence, and technology have turned truth into a moving target.
If we want to stay grounded in an age of spin, outrage, and viral manipulation, we need to stop asking only “Is this true?”—and start asking “Who benefits if I believe it?”
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.