It’s worth recalling that the familiar biblical history of the Israelites’– the Exodus from Egypt, the conquest of the land and the rise of the empire of David and Solomon – is almost entirely fiction. It’s not history but mythology. Shaphan the scribe, a marginal figure in the Bible, was the ghostwriter who shaped the… Read More The Obscure Scribe Who Invented Judaism
Essays in Contemporary History and Politics My book’s title is taken from the first article in the list below. It is dedicated to Sita Ram Mali, and my students and colleagues from Ramjas College from when I taught there, during the years 1974 to 1994 Dear readers: this book is a selection of my articles and… Read More Closing the Circle
October 4, 2025 I was scheduled to give a talk at the National Press Club of Australia on October 20 called “The Betrayal of Palestinian Journalists.” It was to focus on the amplification of Israeli lies in the press, which most reporters know are lies, betraying Palestinian colleagues who are slandered, targeted and killed by Israel. But,… Read More Chris Hedges: The National Press Club of Australia, caving to the Israel lobby, cancels my talk on our betrayal of Palestinian Journalists
This officially sanctioned system of privileges will breed resentment among those who have spent their lives in those institutions and have a potentially demoralising impact in the long term. A “substantial set-up grant” only makes the funds available. Procurement is another story altogether. Shobhit Mahajan A recent newspaper report (IE, October 22, ) mentions that… Read More Reversing the American brain drain: Is the Indian government’s scheme enough?
‘What’s happening in Gaza and the occupied territories is not Judaism – it’s a horrific religious and fanatic mutation. We must stand against it, speak truth to power, and refuse to be silenced‘ An open letter, signed by at least 460 Jewish and Israeli intellectuals, celebrities and political figures, calls on the UN and heads… Read More Hundreds of prominent Jews and Israelis urge world powers to hold Israel accountable ‘for Gaza atrocities’
Until recently, the West has pledged in the name of a two-state model in the partitioned Israel/ Palestine. But it has been replaced by a unitary state that is decreasingly secular and democratic. In retrospect, the two-state solution died in Jerusalem on September 17, 1948. See a documentary history of Count Bernadotte Dr. Dan Steinbock… Read More The Demise of the Two-State Solution: The Assassination of Count Folke Bernadotte
Narendra Modi’s decade in power has seen an erosion of democracy alongside soaring inequality. While religious nationalism diverts public attention, the super-rich add to their wealth. Economic performance remains lacklustre, welfare spending stagnant, and authoritarian tactics silence dissent. Atul Kohli; Kanta Murali —Growing economic inequalities under Congress governments after 1991 fractured the party’s voter base,… Read More India Under Modi: Shrinking Democracy, Growing Inequalities
By David Bromwich Here’s part of the way that Secretary of Defense Robert Gates recently defended his decision to stop production of the F-22 Raptor, the U.S. Air Force’s giant boondoggle of a fighter jet. “Consider,” the secretary of defense said, “that by 2020, the United States is projected to have nearly 2,500 manned combat aircraft of all kinds. Of… Read More How serial war became the American way of life (2009)
Krishnadas Rajagopal Sonam Wangchuk’s wife told the Supreme Court that she was accompanied by security personnel, her meetings supervised, not allowed to meet anyone in Jodhpur and was ‘taken’ to the railway station, ‘constantly’ surveilled in Delhi, among other infringements of her ‘fundamental rights as a free citizen of India’ A complaint by Gitanjali Angmo,… Read More Gitanjali Angmo’s ‘surveillance’ raises question on personal freedoms of NSA detainee’s family members
NB: Vishwaguru’s India: Thou shalt not think without prior clearance from the Headquarters of Truth, located in Nagpur. DS What happened to Orsini may appear, on the surface, to be an ordinary incident, but the signs it carries are deeply frightening. Yogesh Pratap Shekhar The morning after the festival of lights, Diwali, came news of… Read More Stopping Francesca Orsini From Entering India is an Insult to the Very Concept and Culture of Knowledge
After the truth-shower 