EDITORs Michael Calderbank, James O’Nions, Hilary Wainwright Out on the plinth Steve PlattPRODUCTION EDITOR Tom Walker DESIGN & PRODUCTION Tom Lynton www.tomlynton.com POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT Alex Nunns commissioning EDITOR Lena de Casparis Environment EDITOR Oscar Reyeseurope corespondent Leigh PhillipsLATIN AMERICA EDITOR Pablo NavarreteSPORTS CORRESPONDENTS Anne Coddington, Mark Perryman Activision editor Andy Bowman WEBSITE EDITOR Fiona Osler website@redpepper.org.uk WRITERS Naimi Bouteldja, Nick Buxton, Matthew Carr, Katie Coyne, Mihail Dafydd Evans, Andrea De Cruz, Kate Ferguson, Gemma Galdon Clavell, Jan Goodey, Ben Hayes, Keith Hayman, Stuart Hodkinson, Solomon Hughes, Zoe Jewell, Mathew Little, Vittorio Longhi, Enzo Mangini, Roz Paterson, Laurie Penny, Angela Saini, David Sambrook, Chris Sands, Sally Tallant, Graham Usher, Derek Wall, Jonathon Wright TRANSLATORS Una Hamilton, Pablo Navarrete, Ilaria PerliniPICTURE RESEARCH Dan TierneyVISUALS Andrezej Krauze, Matt Littler, Martin Rowson, Tim Saunders interns Najaf Raza, Blair Yeung Cheuk LingPUBLISHER Fiona Osler fiona@redpepper.org.uk press officer Clare Woodford Office MANAGER Ian Gollanacounts Bob TydemanSUBSCRIPTION SALES Packpost 01296 489550 ADVISERS Anthony Arblaster, David Beetham, Huw Benyon, Roy Bhaskar, Victoria Brittain, Sue Bowen, Tony Bunyan, Louise Christian, Tony Cook, Jeremy Corbyn MP, James Curran, Larry Elliot, Diane Elson, Max Farrar, Nigel Fountain, Trevor Griffiths, Barbara Gunnell, Nigel Harris, Billy Hayes, Pete Jenner, Penny Kemp, Bruce Kent, Hugh Kerr, Richard Kuper, Michael Kustow, Colin Leys, Su Maddock, Michael Mansfield QC, Martin McIvor, Simon Mohun, Sheila Rowbotham, Denise Searle, Amanda Sebestyen, Jane Shallice, Aleks Sierz, Kate Soper, Jonathan Steele, Dave Timms, Guy Vincent, Gary Younge, Stuart Weir THANKS TO Arafat Khalil

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Red Pepper is published by Socialist Newspaper (Publications) Ltd (Reg. No. 02644973, VAT No. 507 5026 20) and printed by Cambrian Printers Ltd, Aberystwyth. Distribution: COMAG Specialist Division, Central Way, Feltham, Middx TW14 0RX (020 8844 1000) and Central Books, 99 Wallis Road, London E9 5LN (020 8986 4854). Red Pepper accepts no responsibility for unsolicited material. Only ­submissions with SAEs will be returned. © Socialist Newspaper (Publications) Ltd 2009. All rights reserved ISSN 1353-7024.

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04 red pepper aug | sep 2009

03 EditorialMichael Calderbank

06 Leters Agony Subcomandauntie

08 PlatitudesThe world according to Steve Platt

26 Asylum watchLosing the plot

45 Know your enemyEnding the vulture culture

54 Under the radarThis is what democracy looks like

58 Mike MarquseIn praise of the draw

66 BoktopiaJames O’Nions

67 RearviewPrisoner of colours

60 Class and conflict at he seasideHistorian John Walton takes a look at the

social forces that have shaped the development of the British seaside resort

64 Shopocalypse NowConsumerism is like a fundamentalist

religion, says Reverend Billy of the Church of Life After Shopping. Sophie McAdam catches up with him

ON THE WEB Where next for Red Peper? Hilary Wainwright reports back from readers’ meetings around the country A tribute to John Saville by Willie Thompson