Tom Fowdy

What we define as “Extremism” is understood as a moral problem, a problem whereby an individual, ideology, group or organisation pursues a course of action, in the name of some cause, which violates established ethical and reasoned judgement. In Western historical memory, the term invigorates accounts of unprecedented human tragedies, accumulating in death, destruction, chaos … More Understanding Political Extremism and its Origins- Fascism, Jihadism and Communism

The “American Dream” conjures up a powerful image, yet it is one rooted in the past than in the future. If we think of it uncritically, it embodies hope, equality, opportunity, fortune, liberty, wealth and aspiration. We warmly imagine the scene of European migrants arriving at Ellis Island by boat in the early 20th century, … More Donald Trump and the demise of the American Dream

In the year 1992, scholar Francis Fukuyama famously published a book he described “the end of history“. Writing in the context of American triumph in the Cold, War, he argued that western liberal supremacy and globalization had permanently triumphed and represented a new stage in the socio-cultural evolution of human beings. The world was to … More My Reaction- An uncertain future, Trump’s victory as an embodiment of western decline.

What we refer to as “China” draws up remarkable images in Western imagination. It’s a land so distant, so far away and seemingly so removed from our own familiarity that it captures the awe, wonder, intrigue but also the contempt and prejudice of every day opinion. Go and ask people about China and you’ll hear … More Understanding Western Sinophobia and Anti-Chinese Sentiment

Donald Trump is making headlines again, and, as usual not for the right reasons. After everything Trump has came out with and his apparent political invincibility despite the distastefulness of his endless remarks, last night’s revelations may prove to be the final nail in his coffin after leaked footage from 2005 shown the Presidential Candidate … More Donald Trump, American Secular Nationalism and the Decline of Religious Identity

Being in Japan gave me the opportunity to watch the U.S Presidential debate in the morning. It was an event I’d been anticipating to see for weeks, styled as the biggest and most crucial Presidential debate in history. The estimated audience of 100 million viewers clearly supported that notion. For many Americans themselves, there was … More Quick Thoughts on the Presidential Debate

  In modern western societies, the most common form of “prejudice” elites enjoy to highlight is often described as “Islamophobia”, a term which has gained viral usage in the wake of the European refugee crisis, the rise of ISIS and the spread of terrorism attacks throughout western nations by associated radicals. A so called “Islamophobe” is said … More Sinophobia- The Socially Acceptable Bigotry

  The fall of Rome conceded with centuries of darkness, transiting into a near millenia of Catholic theocracy where intellectual progress, alternative ideas and critical thinking brutally were repressed as heresy. The grand scientific and innovative genius of the classical era was suspended in the limbo of time, not least until with the invention of the printing … More The Sunderland Renaissance has begun- The incredible transformation of a city