04 red pepper dec/jan 2008

EDITORS HilaryWainwright, OscarReyes

DEPUTYEDITOR Tamanna Kalhar

PRODUCTION StevePlatt DESIGN Tom Lynton www.tomlynton.com

POLITICALCORRESPONDENT AlexNunns

ENVIRONMENTCORRESPONDENT Heidi Bachram

ARTSCORRESPONDENTS Cassandra Harwood, Lena deCasparis, SallyTallant

SPORTSCORRESPONDENTS AnneCoddington, MarkPerryman

SUB EDITOR Sarah Benton WRITERS Naima Bouteldja, NickBuxton, Matthew Carr, KatieCoyne, Mihail Dafydd Evans, Gemma Galdon Clavell, Jan Goodey, Ben Hayes, Keith Hayman, Stuart Hodkinson, Solomon Hughes, Mathew Little, Vittorio Longhi, MelanieMcFadyen, Enzo Mangini, Pablo Navarrete, James O’Nions, RozPaterson, Angela Saini, David Sambrook, Chris Sands, Graham Usher, DerekWall, Jonathan Wright PICTURERESEARCH Dan Tierney

RESEARCHER JaimieGrant

VISUALS Ros Asquith, Tim Sanders, Polyp, PeterWilson

PUBLISHER Fiona Oslerfiona@redpepper.org.uk

OFFICEMANAGER Dan Tierney

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ADVISERS AnthonyArblaster, David Beetham, Huw Beynon, RoyBhaskar, Victoria Brittain, SueBowen, Tony Bunyan, LouiseChristian, TonyCook, JeremyCorbyn MP, James Curran, LarryElliott, DianeElson, MaxFarrar, Nigel Fountain, TrevorGriffiths, Barbara Gunnell, Nigel Harris, BillyHayes, PeteJenner, PennyKemp, BruceKent, Hugh Kerr, Richard Kuper, Michael Kustow, Colin Leys, Su Maddock, Michael Mansfield QC, Martin McIvor, Aubrey Morris, Simon Mohun, Harold Pinter, Sheila Rowbotham, DeniseSearle, Amanda Sebestyen, JaneShallice, Aleks Sierz, KateSoper, Jonathan Steele, DaveTimms, Guy Vincent, GaryYounge, StuartWeir

THANKSTO Luciana Castellina, Darrell Joyce, LukeKnight, Glenn Meredith, Fran Orford, MikeWells, JackieJacobsen

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“I wantto livelong enough to danceon Thatcher’s grave” NorbertLynton (1927-2007)

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contents

regulars

03EDITORIAL What comes after Kyoto 06LETTERS AGONYSUBCOMANDAUNTIE 08PLATTITUDES The world according to Steve Platt 10PICTORIAL Comic take on Iraq 20KNOWYOURENEMY The dirty business of war profiteering

25DEMOCRACYNOW! The myth of Britishness exposed 30OTHERAMERICA Reinventing US electoral politics 36NATURALBORN REBEL Miguel Palacin 37ASYLUM WATCH Gay and lesbian asylum seekers 66BOOKTOPIA Mark Thomas 67REARVIEW The journey against sex trafficking

culture

56THELITTLEFOLKSINGER OSCAR REYES interviews activist singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco 58AMERICAN INTEREST RICHARD KUPER reviews The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy

62YOU’REBOOKED ANNE CODDINGTON and MARK PERRYMAN on the everincreasing popularity of sports literature 64REVIEWSROUND UP RED PEPPERRECOMMENDS

theatrespecial

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48THEA-ZOFPOLITICALTHEATRE MIKE KUSTOW ’s A-Z of political theatre and social change 50KEEPTHROWING STONES A retrospect of Roland and Claire Muldoon, the pioneers of new variety and cultural dissenters since the 1960s. By JANE SHALLICE 53HOWWASIT FORYOU? APRIL DE ANGELIS evaluates the role of women in theatre backstage and onstage 54CHANGING THE WORLD IN STAGES With the dispiriting rise of digital entertainment Liza Goldman’s examines how theatre – our connection to the real present – is the real future

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