Sam Dresser: How Camus and Sartre split up over the question of how to be free

First posted August 25, 2019 They were an odd pair. Albert Camus was French Algerian, a pied-noir born into poverty who effortlessly charmed with his Bogart-esque features. Jean-Paul Sartre, from the upper reaches of French society, was never mistaken for a handsome man. They met in Paris during the Occupation and grew closer after the Second World… Read More Sam Dresser: How Camus and Sartre split up over the question of how to be free

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Jair Bolsonaro’s assault on the Amazon rainforest

First posted January 2, 2019 NB: Two things arise from these and related developments for us to think about: 1./ The nation-state as an institution is detrimental for the health of the environment. Environment and ecological issues are global, but nationalism makes us think that natural resources like clean air, water and forests are somehow the… Read More Jair Bolsonaro’s assault on the Amazon rainforest

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March on Rome under scrutiny

Richard J. B. Bosworth Luka Lisjak Gabrijelčič It’s 100 years since Mussolini took political control of Italy. Given a period of violent tensions across large parts of Europe after the First World War, what specifically lay behind the rise of fascist totalitarianism? And how does the Duce’s leadership compare to that of other contemporary authoritarianism?… Read More March on Rome under scrutiny

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Shirin Neshat: ‘Biggest uprising since Islamic revolution’

Shirin Neshat is an award-winning Iranian visual artist, whose works as a photographer and filmmaker have focused on women, identity, politics and Iran. She’s been living in exile in the United States since 1979. Her latest film, “Land of Dreams,” will be released in German theaters on November 3. It is a fictional story about an… Read More Shirin Neshat: ‘Biggest uprising since Islamic revolution’

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India tightens grip on social media

The Indian government will create a three-person grievance redressal committee to veto moderation decisions made by social media platforms, according to legal changes adopted on Friday. The panel, which will be set up by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), will effectively have the final say on social media content. The changes were first made public earlier… Read More India tightens grip on social media

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PM Modi in combat uniform: Fancy-dress show or deeper symbolism  

Bharat Bhushan Prime Minister Narendra Modi has  been donning a military combat uniform every Diwali since 2017— when the Indian Army faced-off with the Chinese Peoples’ Liberation Army at Doklam. This year too he was in army fatigues in Kargil, flanked by serving generals. The honour of Supreme Commander of the Indian armed forces is… Read More PM Modi in combat uniform: Fancy-dress show or deeper symbolism  

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The Sacrificial Altar of Extractive Capitalism: Notes on Abolition and Transition

As was the case with the British Empire, today’s global form of extractive capitalism is a system of human sacrifice hidden in plain sight. A critical look at the palm oil industry reveals both the violence of this trajectory in an exemplary way and the challenges for a transition into a just world, social thinker… Read More The Sacrificial Altar of Extractive Capitalism: Notes on Abolition and Transition

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Lt Col Eric Simeon. October 29, 1918 – May 15, 2007

First posted October 29, 2022 Today is my father’s 104th birthday. Beneath the photograph (taken in the early 1960’s) are posts commemorating his centenary in 2018, (which contains a short account of his life) ; and a remembrance of Sainik School Kunjpura, of which he was the Founder Principal Lt Col Eric Simeon’s hundredth birthday:… Read More Lt Col Eric Simeon. October 29, 1918 – May 15, 2007

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Birdsong reveals rare hybrid coupling 10 million years in the making

October 8 (ANI): A team of researchers was able to use a combination of genomic sequencing and song analysis to identify a rare hybrid bird, whose ancestors haven’t shared the same breeding location or lineage for 10 million years. When Gosser finally located the songbird, he saw what appeared to be a rose-breasted grosbeak, but… Read More Birdsong reveals rare hybrid coupling 10 million years in the making

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