By “Gael” Reclaiming October 31st a Day for the Fierce Women of Scotland Last night when I was out walking our firework frightened dog, I watched women (mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts) and some men, trailing after children knocking doors for candy- doors sometimes decorated with those cheap hangings that are becoming the symbols of what […]
Women
Karen Orr: How Many Working Class Americans will Kill and Die for Venezuelan Oil?
As swathes of English people are fooled into flag wars, and Americans are being groomed to hate oil rich Venezuela, Karen Orr explores the history of the working class dying for billionaires… The history of conflict is not the grand narrative of kings and causes taught in schools; it is, at its core, a sordid […]
Scottish Political Biographies: Mary Barbour
Mary Barbour, born Mary Rough in Kilbarchan, Renfrewshire, in 1875, stands as one of Glasgow’s most profoundly kind and courageous champions for the working class. Her life was a testament to the power of community, compassion, and tireless activism, centered on the belief that dignity was a right, not a privilege. The Heart of ‘Mrs […]
Left Recompostion CAN’T Include Red Brownism…
Although Daphne Lawless is in New Zealand, every word of this is familiar as the British left makes its moves to grind together again… My bottom line on Left recomposition is that I’ve found out, by experience, that there are a hell of a lot of people who call themselves Socialist who are reprehensible human […]
Scottish Political Biographies: Ailsa McKay
Professor Ailsa McKay was a leading Scottish feminist economist, renowned for her dedication to challenging and evidencing the impact of economic policies on women. Born on May 25, 1963 (or June 7, 1963 in a separate source), she died on March 5, 2014, at the age of 50. Academic and Professional Career Ailsa McKay graduated […]
Scottish Political Biographies: Rosie Kane.
Rosie Kane: A Life of Passionate Advocacy and Kindness Rosemary “Rosie” Kane, born on June 5, 1961, is a former Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) politician who served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Glasgow Region from 2003 to 2007. Rosie Kane’s journey into politics is rooted in her dedication to causes, […]
Jane McAlevey: Unions Against Poverty
The Unwavering Backbone: Why Trades Unionists Stand as Guardians Against a Rising Tide… by Karen Orr The forest, in its vast complexity, teaches us that collective strength is paramount. A single tree, standing alone, is vulnerable to the fiercest storm. But a grove, with roots intertwined and branches forming a dense canopy, can weather almost […]
The Burden of Privilege: Why Greta Thunberg is a Model, Not a Hypocrite.
By Karen Orr The jungle is a cruel, magnificent teacher. You see an orangutan, born with the strength and protection of a dominant mother, and you expect her to simply feast on the ripest fruit and rest in the highest canopy. But what if she uses her safe position to warn the whole troupe of […]
The Two Tier Patriarchal Medical Framework
Medicine for men has ignored millions of women in Scotland for hundreds of years, says Karen Orr. A woman’s place in society has been a perpetual struggle, and for far too long, that struggle has been compounded by a willful ignorance of a natural biological process: menopause. The medical establishment and corporate world, products of […]









