December 8, 2012		INDEX
News from Nowhere
with Ruth Levitas in Leytonstone, London: The Necessity of Utopia was the subject of a presentation by Professor Ruth Levitas, chair of the William Morris Society, at a meeting of the News From Nowhere Club at The Epicentre on December 8, 2012. Professor Levitas focused on William Morris's version of Utopia as described in his News From Nowhere, but she then brought discussion bang up to date by homing in on growing inequality and the threat to the environment. She explained that inequality was now as extreme as it was a century ago, while threats to the environment were now so dangerous that Utopia was becoming an essential political objective. No utopia, no civilisation. On a lighter note she revealed the banner of the Socialist League Hammersmith Branch was now being carried at some demonstrations even though the organisation had not existed since the days of Morris more than a century ago. She also showed mind boggling attacks by the extreme right directed towards relatively conservative figures like the American president Obama. Professor Levitas, who had travelled from Bristol for the event, led a wide ranging discussion after her presentation.
INDEX Jonathan Brind	December 8, 2012