Rock, Reaction and Revolution

"One of the best British musicians of all time you've never heard of"—that’s how the BBC describes Steven Wilson. But if you have spent enough time in the progressive rock rabbit hole, you know exactly who he is. He is not just a musician but a sonic wizard who can pull you into his world, where you will probably have to deal with existential crises or occasional "What the fu*k did I just listen to?" or "Wait! What time signature is this?" moments. He wakes up every day, casually composes a 12-minute progressive rock track at breakfast with complex time signatures, remixes classic old rock n roll records of various artists at lunch, and then experiments with hauntingly beautiful soundscapes at dinner. Sleeps. Repeats. As a 29-year-old progressive rock nerd (translation: I’m either way too young to fully grasp Wilson’s sadness or already too old to escape it), I’ve spent countless hours spiralling into his discography. So, here’s my highly s...

Once upon a time, Germany swore to itself "Nie wieder" (Never Again). Yet here we are in 2025, after 92 years, a far right neo-Nazi party is winning the local body elections for the first time since 1933. Founded in 2013, Alternative Für Deutschland (AfD) is a neo-nazi party. It is no longer a far-right populist party; it has invoked Nazi sentiments, with some of its leaders openly glorifying Germany's history in WWII, while the cadres have been caught displaying Nazi symbols and shouting Nazi slogans. Their policies target migrants, LGBTQ+ communities, communists, and other political opponents dismantling the democratic institutions under the guise of nationalism.  With elections around the corner, the possibility of Nazi successors crawling back to power isn’t just a German problem; it’s a global one because the manifesto of AfD could start a chain reaction across Europe and beyond. So, let’s dissect why the AfD is a threat, why Germans (and the world) should be worried...

President of Burkina Faso . Burkina Faso’s Captain Ibrahim Traoré has emerged as one of Africa’s most consequential and controversial figures since seizing power in a 2022 coup. Amidst the mounting insecurity and frustration over the failure of the pro-Western governments, Traore gained public support to topple the government in 2022. Traoré’s rise evokes memories of another revolutionary figure, Thomas Sankara, the legendary “African Che Guevara” who led Burkina Faso from 1983 to 1987 before falling victim to a France-backed assassination. Traoré’s rhetoric, his youthful energy, and his determination to forge a new path for his nation resonate with Sankara’s revolutionary spirit. Like the majority of African nations, Burkina Faso is threatened and exploited by France, the USA, and their Western allies; the country is subject to Islamist insurgencies. But as Sankara tried forty years ago, will he use extreme socialist policies to change Burkina Faso from the inside out, or will he just...