Richard Seymour (writer)
Encyclopedia
Richard Seymour is a British writer, activist and owner of the blog Lenin's Tomb. The author of The Liberal Defence of Murder and other books, Seymour was born in Ballymena
, Northern Ireland to a Protestant family, and currently lives in London. He is a member of the Socialist Workers Party. He is currently preparing a PhD in sociology
at the London School of Economics
.
. It has been cited by the BBC, The Guardian
, Private Eye
, and Slate
magazine. Seymour writes about "issues such as imperialism, Zionism, Islamophobia and anti-capitalism, and covers strikes and protests with footage, images and reportage".
that was featured on the book's cover maintains that the author "expertly" traces the descent of liberal supporters of war "from humanitarian intervention to blatant islamophobia". China Miéville
praised the book as an "indispensable" guide to the "pre-history and modern reality of the so-called 'pro-war Left'". Owen Hatherley
, writing in the New Statesman
, praised the book as "a freshly written, heavily footnoted and clearly obsessively researched history of 400 years of the 'decent left'". An Independent on Sunday
review described it as "an excellent antidote to the propagandists of the crisis of our times", and a later review in The Independent by the policy director of Save the Children
described the book as "timely, provocative and thought-provoking".
A review in The Times
praised the book as a "powerful counter-blast against the monstrous regiment of 'useful idiots'" who have "contributed in recent decades to the murderous mess of modern times". On the other hand, columnist Oliver Kamm
, writing for his Times blog, disputed the review, accusing Seymour of some historiographical distortions and spelling mistakes. Seymour posted a lengthy reply to Kamm's criticisms on his own blog, Lenin's Tomb.
A critical review in The Guardian by Philippe Sands
contended that despite the book's "damning material" on the supporters of war, this "potentially important book" was weakened by "the generality" of its conclusions and the failure to concede that there are instances where the use of force is justified. Seymour also responded to this critique on his weblog. An enthusiastic review appeared in Resurgence
magazine in March 2010, declaiming that: "Richard Seymour's obsessively researched, impressive first book holds its place as the most authoritative historical analysis of its kind". A scholarly review in the Journal of American Studies
commended the book's "truly impressive breadth and depth", arguing that it provided "a new European perspective – and a warning – on the left’s pragmatic and ultimately shortsighted support for imperialist adventures".
Seymour was interviewed about the book's contents on Doug Henwood
's Behind The News radio show on 27 November 2008. A later interview on the literary website, ReadySteadyBook, discussed Seymour's motivations in writing the book, and his responses to critics. He explained that: "The shape the book eventually took, as a genealogy of liberal imperialism, was prompted by the combat clerisy themselves. They were the ones appealing to the legacy of 19th Century liberal imperialism. They were the ones vaunting a kitschy manifest-destinarianism, as well as a muscular determination to visit vengeance on the barbarians. It was they who culled their catchphrases from a disgraced imperial lexicon. Unless I wanted to write a gossipy, huffy polemic in the manner of Nick Cohen
's What's Left, I had no choice but to anatomise these discursive strategies from their origins to the present day."
Ballymena
Ballymena is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the 2001 Census....
, Northern Ireland to a Protestant family, and currently lives in London. He is a member of the Socialist Workers Party. He is currently preparing a PhD in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
.
Lenin's Tomb
Lenin's Tomb has existed since June 2003 and was listed in 2005 as the 21st-most-popular blog in the country. Although run by Seymour, it also has front-page posts from other contributors, including, occasionally, China MievilleChina Miéville
China Tom Miéville is an award-winning English fantasy fiction writer. He is fond of describing his work as "weird fiction" , and belongs to a loose group of writers sometimes called New Weird. He is also active in left-wing politics as a member of the Socialist Workers Party...
. It has been cited by the BBC, The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, Private Eye
Private Eye
Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...
, and Slate
Slate (magazine)
Slate is a US-based English language online current affairs and culture magazine created in 1996 by former New Republic editor Michael Kinsley, initially under the ownership of Microsoft as part of MSN. On 21 December 2004 it was purchased by the Washington Post Company...
magazine. Seymour writes about "issues such as imperialism, Zionism, Islamophobia and anti-capitalism, and covers strikes and protests with footage, images and reportage".
The Liberal Defence of Murder
Early reviews of Seymour's 2008 book, The Liberal Defence of Murder, included both praise and criticism. A review from the journalist Gary YoungeGary Younge
Gary Younge is a British journalist, author and broadcaster, born to immigrant parents from Barbados....
that was featured on the book's cover maintains that the author "expertly" traces the descent of liberal supporters of war "from humanitarian intervention to blatant islamophobia". China Miéville
China Miéville
China Tom Miéville is an award-winning English fantasy fiction writer. He is fond of describing his work as "weird fiction" , and belongs to a loose group of writers sometimes called New Weird. He is also active in left-wing politics as a member of the Socialist Workers Party...
praised the book as an "indispensable" guide to the "pre-history and modern reality of the so-called 'pro-war Left'". Owen Hatherley
Owen Hatherley
Owen Hatherley is a British writer and journalist based in London who writes primarily on architecture, politics and culture.His first book Militant Modernism was published by Zero Books in 2009...
, writing in the New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
, praised the book as "a freshly written, heavily footnoted and clearly obsessively researched history of 400 years of the 'decent left'". An Independent on Sunday
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
review described it as "an excellent antidote to the propagandists of the crisis of our times", and a later review in The Independent by the policy director of Save the Children
Save the Children
Save the Children is an internationally active non-governmental organization that enforces children's rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries...
described the book as "timely, provocative and thought-provoking".
A review in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
praised the book as a "powerful counter-blast against the monstrous regiment of 'useful idiots'" who have "contributed in recent decades to the murderous mess of modern times". On the other hand, columnist Oliver Kamm
Oliver Kamm
Oliver Kamm is a British writer and journalist. He wrote Anti-Totalitarianism: The Left-wing Case for a Neoconservative Foreign Policy , an advocacy of interventionism in foreign policy....
, writing for his Times blog, disputed the review, accusing Seymour of some historiographical distortions and spelling mistakes. Seymour posted a lengthy reply to Kamm's criticisms on his own blog, Lenin's Tomb.
A critical review in The Guardian by Philippe Sands
Philippe Sands
Philippe Sands, QC is a British lawyer at Matrix Chambers, and is Professor of International law at University College London. Sands is notable for writing a book, Lawless World, in which he accused US President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair of conspiring to invade Iraq in violation...
contended that despite the book's "damning material" on the supporters of war, this "potentially important book" was weakened by "the generality" of its conclusions and the failure to concede that there are instances where the use of force is justified. Seymour also responded to this critique on his weblog. An enthusiastic review appeared in Resurgence
Resurgence
Resurgence is a British bi-monthly magazine which has been described as the artistic and spiritual voice of the green movement in Great Britain. Resurgence was founded in the 1960s by John Papworth....
magazine in March 2010, declaiming that: "Richard Seymour's obsessively researched, impressive first book holds its place as the most authoritative historical analysis of its kind". A scholarly review in the Journal of American Studies
Journal of American Studies
The Journal of American Studies is a peer-reviewed academic journal covering international perspectives on the history, literature, politics and culture of the United States. It includes a book review section. Though academic in nature, the journal is intended also for general readers with an...
commended the book's "truly impressive breadth and depth", arguing that it provided "a new European perspective – and a warning – on the left’s pragmatic and ultimately shortsighted support for imperialist adventures".
Seymour was interviewed about the book's contents on Doug Henwood
Doug Henwood
Doug Henwood is an American journalist who writes frequently about economic affairs. He publishes a newsletter, Left Business Observer, that analyzes economics and politics from a left-wing perspective, and is a contributing editor at The Nation.- Early years :Henwood was born in Teaneck, New...
's Behind The News radio show on 27 November 2008. A later interview on the literary website, ReadySteadyBook, discussed Seymour's motivations in writing the book, and his responses to critics. He explained that: "The shape the book eventually took, as a genealogy of liberal imperialism, was prompted by the combat clerisy themselves. They were the ones appealing to the legacy of 19th Century liberal imperialism. They were the ones vaunting a kitschy manifest-destinarianism, as well as a muscular determination to visit vengeance on the barbarians. It was they who culled their catchphrases from a disgraced imperial lexicon. Unless I wanted to write a gossipy, huffy polemic in the manner of Nick Cohen
Nick Cohen
Nick Cohen is a British journalist, author and political commentator. He is currently a columnist for The Observer, a blogger for The Spectator and TV critic for Standpoint magazine. He formerly wrote for the London Evening Standard and the New Statesman...
's What's Left, I had no choice but to anatomise these discursive strategies from their origins to the present day."
Published works
- 2008 The Liberal Defence of Murder. ISBN 978-1-84467-240-0, Verso Books.
- 2008 "The Genocidal Imagination of Christopher Hitchens", in Christopher Hitchens and His Critics: Terror, Iraq and the Left. ISBN 0814716873, New York University Press.
- 2009 "John Spargo and American Socialism", in Historical Materialism, 17: 2, 2009, pp. 272–285(14). ISSN 1465-4466, Brill.
- 2010 "The War on Terror as Political Violence", in Marie Breen-Smyth, ed., The Ashgate Research Companion to Political Violence, 2010 (forthcoming)
- 2010 The Meaning of David Cameron. ISBN 978-1-84694-456-7, Zero Books, 2010
- 2011 American Insurgents: A Short History of American Anti-Imperialism. ISBN-13: 9781608461417, Haymarket Books. (forthcoming)
Selected articles
- "The Slaying of Jean Charles de Menezes", MRZineMonthly ReviewMonthly Review is an independent Marxist journal published 11 times per year in New York City.-History:The publication was founded by Harvard University economics instructor Paul Sweezy, who became the first editor...
- "The Genocidal Imagination of Christopher Hitchens", MRZineMonthly ReviewMonthly Review is an independent Marxist journal published 11 times per year in New York City.-History:The publication was founded by Harvard University economics instructor Paul Sweezy, who became the first editor...
- "The Sadrist Revolt", MRZineMonthly ReviewMonthly Review is an independent Marxist journal published 11 times per year in New York City.-History:The publication was founded by Harvard University economics instructor Paul Sweezy, who became the first editor...
- "Sudan: A Young Imperialist's Guide to Darfur", Socialist ReviewSocialist ReviewThe Socialist Review is the monthly magazine of the British Socialist Workers Party. As well as being printed it is also published online.-Original publication: 1950-1962:...
- "In the name of decency: the contortions of the pro-war left", International Socialism Journal
- "Taking Apart the West", New StatesmanNew StatesmanNew Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
- "Obama the imperialist", The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
- "The changing face of racism", International Socialism Journal
- "The Axeman's Jazz", New Left Project
- "Cameron: Care Bear, or lame duck?", The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
- "The Tories are less ideologues, more skilled political pugilists", The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
- "Have the firefighters blown it by calling off strike?", The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
- "Lewisham anti-cuts protesters have been pushed to the edge", The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
- "David Cameron's Tea Party", Radical PhilosophyRadical PhilosophyRadical Philosophy is a British academic journal of critical theory and continental philosophy, appearing six times a year. It was established in 1972 with the purpose of providing a forum for the theoretical work which was emerging in the wake of the radical movements of the 1960s, in philosophy...
- "With unpaid overtime, we're giving our employers £29bn worth of free labour", The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
- "The siren song of the neocons in David Cameron's cabinet", The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
- "Working-class Tories become an endangered species", The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
- "Vilifying Gaddafi externalises evil", The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
Talks
- "Racism in Britain Today" SOAS, 2 August 2010
- "The Return of the Public", with Dan Hind, Cafe Oto, 1 February 2011
- "Class and capitalism: mentioning the c-words" 6 Billion Ways, Rich Mix, 5 March 2011
- "Towards a new model commune" ICA, 19 March 2011