Freedom is a term seldom used with any precise meaning, yet throughout our history it has inspired great thinkers and intrepid revolutionaries. Its allure and status as a cherished ideal is at odds with the reality, for the majority of people it is nothing more than an unrealised, often seemingly unobtainable, fantasy. Those claiming to be the guardians of liberty have become tyrants in themselves. Whilst the greatest hope of the modern world for the extension of free speech and expression, the internet, has become a battleground for the confrontation between proponents of unlimited expression and the darker malignancies that such freedom allows.

The Oxonian Globalist Michaelmas 2011 Edition Cover

Freedom remains a privilege that millions aspire to and many more have died for and yet all too often, those freedoms which only a small portion of the world can take for granted – freedom of religion, press, association, speech – are threatened. This issue of The Oxonian Globalist offers just a glimpse of the paradox of the freedom of speech and some of its controversies and contradictions, the implications of which affect us all.

Other articles in this issue include a look at female wrestlers in Bolivia, the challenges of counting the poor, the difficulties of insuring against the increasingly frequent natural disasters and a perspective on the relationship between the car and American identity. These are just a snapshot of the variety of fascinating issues considered by our writers.

We hope you enjoy this issue. If you have any thoughts or comments, or would like to become part of the Globalist team please e-mail [email protected]