Tag Archives: Politics

A response to Keith Ng on Hobbes’s Leviathan

Posted on March 12, 2015 by lawrence serewicz

Thanks for the post on Hobbes’s Leviathan. As you note, it is a potent symbol and one with many meanings that wax and wane across different eras.[1] In particular, the idea of the Leviathan as a great creature of the … Continue reading →

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My response to the NSA public consultation

Posted on December 20, 2013 by lawrence serewicz

  Background note: In response to the Snowden leaks about the National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance program, a review group was created on August 12, 2013. President Obama directed the establishment of a Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies. Their mission … Continue reading →

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Why should the philosopher talk to the political man and why should the political man listen?

Posted on December 16, 2013 by lawrence serewicz

Famously, Plato solved this problem in the Republic by inventing the idea of the philosopher-king. The two roles, political and philosophical, were combined. His solution, though, showed the deeper problem that a philosopher, like Socrates, poses for any city. If … Continue reading →

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Why encryption threatens democracy

Posted on September 18, 2013 by lawrence serewicz

The basic encryption is like a lock for the front door. It will stop the burglar, which is its main purpose. Super encryption is only needed to stop an advanced burglar not the government. When people talk about advanced encryption … Continue reading →

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A change of name but the journey continues

Posted on July 15, 2013 by lawrence serewicz

I decided it was time to change the name  of the blog. Although, I still believe the word statesmanship is under appreciated and should be used more to understand politics today, I accept that a lot of readers may assume … Continue reading →

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The NSA surveillance state and the illusion of privacy

Posted on July 3, 2013 by lawrence serewicz

The news of the NSA surveillance programme has been met with strong criticism in Europe. The European governments have publicly expressed their concerns about the invasion of privacy and its effect on US-EU relations. The statements, though well meant, ring … Continue reading →

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In defence of PRISM: why we need governments in cyberspace.

Posted on June 9, 2013 by lawrence serewicz

  With the latest revelations about the United States of America’s government’s access to various internet services  companies, people have been outraged. They seem genuinely surprised that such action is occurring.  What they fail to realize are two important things.  … Continue reading →

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Prosecution and the art of social media writing: reflections on McAlpine v Bercow

Posted on May 24, 2013 by lawrence serewicz

Today, the High Court ruled that Sally Bercow had defamed Lord McAlpine through a tweet, which could be understand to accuse him of sexually abusing boys in care. It follows that, for these reasons, I find that the Tweet meant, … Continue reading →

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Vexatious requests guidance: weakening our power to make the state speak

Posted on May 15, 2013 by lawrence serewicz

The long awaited guidance on vexatious requests has arrived.  The guidance follows from two distinct events. The first was the Parliament’s review of FOIA during which the MoJ presented evidence that suggested council’s were limited in their ability to deal … Continue reading →

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What is the university in an age of social media?

Posted on February 12, 2013 by lawrence serewicz

Clay Shirky has posted an intriguing article on the future of the university in the social media age.  He argues that social-media technology, in particular the MP3 and technology to enable sharing, which has changed the music industry, is changing … Continue reading →

Posted in philosophy, scholarship, statesmanship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments