New Blogs on the Block

Time for a round-up of some of the newest blogs to hit the left-wing political scene. I don't know if my powers of detection have grown or whether more leftists are feeling the need to enter the blogging fray, but quite a few newcomers have caught my eye this last month - so many that I'm going to have to hold some over for the next post in four weeks time. Here is what's on offer:
Media Studies is Shit is more than what it says on the tin. MSiS sets its sights on what some Marxists still call the 'culture industry'. Adverts, poetry, TV, video games and even Media Studies as a discipline come in for a kicking, and deservedly so.
Vengeance and Fashion is the name of a blog that, in its author's own words, is about neither vengeance or fashion but promises occasionally to address issues other than "socialist politics, music and football".

North Briton, the author of The Radical Blues describes himself as a "sceptical, left-wing liberal, frustrated with all politicians, regardless of political persuasion." Sounds good. Then he goes and spoils it with "And I love cricket." Not to worry, his blog more than makes up for his unfortunate preference ;)
Norman Strike was a striking miner during the Great Strike of 1984-5. To commemorate 25 years of the dispute he's uploading the daily journal he kept at the time. Recommended.
A Mole in the Ground is a rare addition to the blog round up. I hear on the grapevine there are a lot of US-based socialist blogs, but I haven't a clue who they are! I hope the inclusion of this blog redresses the balance. Plus it's nice to read someone who's far from doe-eyed when it comes to all things Obama.
Pink Scare is yet another American blog. It "is a feminist blog that will often center strongly on economic and class issues, both in the United States and around the world. We'll be taking a critical look at a broad range of issues, with the intertwined effects of capitalism, race, class, and gender (among other things) at the forefront of our analysis. We aren't above a little American reality television, nor are we afraid to crack open the books and get seriously academic on you."
United Left is the blog for the, well, United Left within Unite. Unfortunately nothing has been posted since 3rd April - so I hope it hasn't given up the ghost more or less as soon as it began.
Feminazery is a group blog taking its name from the term of abuse beloved of batshitcrazy right wingers and "oppressed" white, middle class men. As the comrades put it, Feminazery blogs about "the Daily Mail, feminism and feminist issues, while reclaiming the term "feminazi" in a somewhat tongue-in-cheek manner. Frequently performed by Daily Mail hating feminazis from hell, who tend to spend their time being "power-hungry, man-hating, women's libbers", whilst secretly longing for a lovely man to come and buy us lots of nice clothes and give us babies." Sounds good - and it is.
Confessions of a Marxist promises us "social, political, cultural and economic analysis from a Marxist viewpoint." And quite a youthful one at that - the comrade is just 18! Proof, if it was needed, that the kids are all right.

And last but by no means least, the most proletarian and anti-revisionist communist party in the world ever has begun its own blog. CPGB-ML Blog is probably unique amongst its leftist peers for praising North Korea's recent rocket launch and backing the regime of Robert Mugabe. Written in irascible ranty lefty style, it makes you thankful they are but a tiny blot on the far left's political landscape.

There are a handful of other blogs I want to give a quick shout out to. First is the TUC's Touchstone blog. It might appear overly corporate but it does a good job covering new public policy research and trade union news, and for this deserves a wider audience. The next is Mick Hall's Organized Rage. Mick is known for his bullshit-free attitude to politics and this is reflected in his blog. He does cover a wide range of issues, but has particular interests in Irish Republican and Turkish politics. Last but not least there's Ian's Red Log, a blog of a similar broad range but possesses that rare ability (on the left) of getting a point across without having to pen 15,000 words.

One more thing, this last month I've finally discovered Twitter. Most comrades probably know it as that thing Stephen Fry keeps banging on about, but from a blogger-activist-newshound angle it's proven very useful. It was through Twitter that comrades broke the news of Ian Tomlinson's death at the G20 protests, for example. There are a number of socialists who do use Twitter for reasons other than talking about their dinner. So if you use Twitter too, sign up!