Mail & Guardian
Mail & Guardian
Christopher McMichael

Creator

Christopher McMichael

Christopher McMichael is a writer based in Johannesburg. He has a PhD in politics

In the latest film, the dark knight’s revenge fantasies are exposed as unhinged, as his foes no longer only hide under bridges but also brazenly roam the corridors of power. AFP / PATRICK BAZ        (Photo credit should read PATRICK BAZ/AFP via Getty Images)

Batman and vigilantism in pop culture

In the latest film, the dark knight’s revenge fantasies are exposed as unhinged, as his foes no longer only hide under bridges but also brazenly roam the corridors of power.

Johannesburg’s inner city. Cities in Africa can benefit from genuinely affordable financing. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy, M&G

Johannesburg needn’t be Fear City

The crisis in which the city finds itself reflects the failings of capitalism, but there is an antidote to dystopian urbanism.

Herman Mashaba. (Oupa Nkosi)

Beneath Mashaba’s ‘centrism’ lurks the reactionary

A fanatic of the free market, Herman Mashaba advances extreme economic policies for South Africa. But he needs political power first, so he rides on xenophobic sentiments for votes

The theme of a modern-day Robin Hood has resonated with international audiences who are increasingly cynical and angry about banks and the entire economic order they represent.

The enduring allure of Robin Hoods

Society’s fascination with robbing the rich to feed the poor, whether fabricated or in real life, reveals a profound longing for justice and redistribution in a capitalist world

A cultural war waged by a cartoonist

A cultural war waged by a cartoonist

Helen Zille’s favourite cartoonist is a case study of a right-wing con artist inspired by Donald Trump

The belief that white South Africans are under attack has become part of the global mythology of contemporary fascism.

The persistence of the far-right

The Crusaders terror plots shows that far from being minor maniacal blimps, militant racist groups are on the rise in South Africa

A letter signed by Elon Musk and hundreds of experts calling for a pause in the development of artificial intelligence is a “hot mess” of “AI hype” that even misrepresents an academic paper, critics say. (Reuters/Mike Blake)

Plutocrats in high orbit: Whether Musk or Bezos win the space race, we all lose

A new space race is being led by two notoriously greedy, egomaniacal billionaires. They’d do better to focus their attention and resources on Earth