George Monbiot – Ayn Rand: A Manifesto for Psychopaths / Paul Krugman explains why Ayn Rand’s libertarianism is absolutely deadly

George Monbiot – Ayn Rand: A Manifesto for Psychopaths Her psychopathic ideas made billionaires feel like victims and turned millions of followers into their doormats. I wonder how many would continue to worship at the shrine of Ayn Rand if they knew that towards the end of her life she signed on for both Medicare… Read More George Monbiot – Ayn Rand: A Manifesto for Psychopaths / Paul Krugman explains why Ayn Rand’s libertarianism is absolutely deadly

Jewish organizers are increasingly confronting Trump

As the administration continues to exploit antisemitism to arrest protesters and curb academic freedoms, more American Jews are saying ‘not in my name’… “As a Jewish person, I’m really appalled at the idea that they are trying to make it sound as if opposing genocide is somehow antisemitic,” said Josh Dubnau, a professor who received… Read More Jewish organizers are increasingly confronting Trump

Most common mental health misinformation on TikTok

Experts establish four themes to the misinformation contained in videos with a #mentalhealthtips hashtag More than half of top 100 mental health TikToks contain misinformation, study finds Rachel Hall Thousands of influencers peddle mental health misinformation on social media platforms – some out of a naive belief that their personal experience will help people, others… Read More Most common mental health misinformation on TikTok

Visual testament

The two-state two-step wasn’t a serious commitment; it was a way of pretending that the shrinking bantustans of Gaza and the West Bank were a state in the making Mukul Kesavan Over the last month, global opinion on Israel’s unending massacre of Palestinians in Gaza has shifted, at least rhetorically. Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer and… Read More Visual testament

The Forgotten Buddha: Manichaeism and Buddhist Elements in Imperial China

Siut Wai Hung Clarence Manicheanism: An Overview A map of the spread of Manichaeism (300–500). World History Atlas, Dorling Kindersly. At first glance, the sculpture residing in the Cao’an temple in Jinjiang of the Fujian province seems to be just another statue of Buddha. The stone inscription outside the shrine calls the figure Moniguangfo, or Mani, the… Read More The Forgotten Buddha: Manichaeism and Buddhist Elements in Imperial China

How the Sudden Ceasefire Marred the Prime Minister’s PR Script

Clearly, India’s ‘strong leader’ is caught between his aspiration to emerge as national war hero and thus sweep the polls with a two-thirds majority on the one hand and be a trusted Trump buddy on the other. P. Raman The Wire had in these columns narrated how Narendra Modi had often lampooned his predecessor as ‘Maunmohan’ Singh… Read More How the Sudden Ceasefire Marred the Prime Minister’s PR Script

How social media lies fuelled a rush to war between India and Pakistan

Disinformation spread to mainstream channels in what experts call deliberate ‘informational warfare’ Hannah Ellis-Petersen South Asia correspondent As missiles and drones crisscrossed the night skies above India and Pakistan earlier this month, another invisible war was taking place. Not long after the Indian government announced Operation Sindoor, the military offensive against Pakistan triggered by a militant attack in Kashmir that… Read More How social media lies fuelled a rush to war between India and Pakistan

Chased, beaten and robbed: survivors describe Israeli settler violence in West Bank / Chris Hedges on The End of the Western Mythology

Palestinians and activists forced out of the village of Mughayyir al-Deir say they were harassed, stoned and shot at Lorenzo Tondo, Quique Kierszenbaum and Sufian Taha in Jerusalem Survivors of an attack by violent Israeli settlers have described being “hunted” across a West Bank valley by men armed with pistols, rifles and batons, who beat them so badly that all 10… Read More Chased, beaten and robbed: survivors describe Israeli settler violence in West Bank / Chris Hedges on The End of the Western Mythology