The JSPrice Perception

Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron earlier this year (Image: The Independent) Britain this summer was seemingly dominated by a wild debate about 'patriotism' - who is 'truly' patriotic, who is 'more' patriotic, and which patriotism is the 'right' patriotism. These are interesting questions to be had, and a part of me is glad we're having these discussions - it's healthy to understand what the consensus is every now and then. It started so well when England women's national team won the Euros . Even I was pleased for England.  But then it appeared we swiftly moved on from that positive feeling, to something rather uncomfortable. Patriotism was given a completely different meaning, fuelled by digital and traditional media channels and several parts of the country. The situation around asylum seekers and refugees living in hotels has taken centre stage, and the UK government officials feel cornered, torn in the middle, struggling to strike a ...

Donald Trump and Benyamin Netanyahu (Image: Financial Times) I have been rather reflective of late. The global news agenda is dominated by powerful people doing unimaginably awful things, or at least capable of doing so - and they are seemingly given a free pass, having their evil justified, trying to find a reason why their actions aren't that bad compared to the 'other side'. And this is driving me absolutely mad. The less I hear from Benyamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump, Nigel Farage and others, the better this world will be. Here we have, at least three cunning maniacs, at it for their personal gain to dominate countries, nationalities and ideologies. Farage has no power, but he is being tipped to be the next UK Prime Minister , for no good reason at all. He gets a few votes from those bored of a Labour government, and critics start getting giddy. Trump thinks of himself as a puppet master, and through his crippling tariffs and mafia-like tactics, is sending his country an...

Let's cancel the term 'cancel culture' once and for all (Image: Fox News) In recent months, we have seen the UK's Supreme Court declare ' what a woman is ', the rise of the 'far right' in the United States and larger parts of Europe and the centre-left being accused of echoing words which were deemed unacceptable the day before. These stories as isolated items don't seem a big deal but, through their individual merits, have become significant societal shifts. That's largely thanks to the campaign groups who led them. For a long time, they have been playing cry wolf, sharing viral sop stories about how their 'plight' has resulted them being on the verge of 'losing everything', including relevance. With victories heading their way, and their crocodile tears turning into money eyes, it is fair to say that 'cancel culture' is officially over. Let's be honest, 'cancel culture' never existed. The myth has brainwashe...

Sir Keir Starmer and his cabinet (Image: The Independent) Former Home Secretary, David Blunkett has summarised the first nine months of this Labour Party government best. When he appeared recently on BBC Radio 4's Today Podcast , he praised Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on his handling of areas such as international diplomacy, as well as some domestic policies. The key improvement needed moving forward, to do better on 'spin'. Blunkett compared how easy the Prime Minister he worked under, Tony Blair, had it in his first years in the late 1990s compared to Starmer's in the present day - and although Blair announced similarly challenging and seemingly unpopular policies, such as the introduction to university tuition fees, he was able to still get on the side of the UK public, which is an area you could argue that Starmer is struggling with.  When you listen to Blunkett, you could tell he wanted to avoid saying the word 'spin', as it is deemed a derogatory term ...

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump during their public fallout in February (Image: People.com) By the end of Donald Trump's presidency - whether it is at the end of his second term or earlier - his actions and words will form only a small part of his legacy. The largest part of his legacy will be determined by the character of other world leaders towards him. Who will do anything to 'woo' him, and who will stand up for their country against his narcissism, bullying and blatant attempts to send the world - America included - crashing? There is a sense of Trump calling all the shots, and he's absolutely revelling in it while the US markets crumble, major economies mull over their next, tricky steps, and nations in the middle of wars are facing even greater and fearful futures. For example, you may see in the news that 'Ukraine war end is in sight' with a proposed  ceasefire agreement on the table. However, in reality, if Trump gets his way, this time next year ...

Mark Zuckerberg (left) and Elon Musk (right) (Image: NY Post) I am feeling bold by sharing a prediction I've had in my mind up until recently - unless the social media chiefs clean up their act, by 2030, their channels will be no more. No more Facebook, X or TikTok to spend minutes upon minutes to scroll endless videos, news stories and other updates. At present, supposedly billions of us around the world dedicate our spare time to subconsciously checking our phones for social media notifications. I'm suggesting that the days of doing this are numbered. I make this prediction with a heavy heart. When it was first coined about 25 years ago, 'Web 2.0' - or 'social web' to some - was actually a very good idea - connecting with loved ones in an instant, no matter how far away or close by they are, as well as keeping up-to-date with what's going on with the world without having to spend precious pennies on a newspaper. Everything you wanted on your fingertips. I...