Initially tolerated by the Nazis, Freemasons became the subject of regime conspiracy theories in the 1930s, seen as liberal intellectuals whose secretive circles could become centres of opposition. Curators combing through a vast historic archive of Freemasonry in Europe amassed by the Nazis in their wartime anti-Masonic purge say they believe there are still secrets… Read More Archive amassed by Nazis sheds light on Masonic history
Women born in Europe between 1763 and 1771 and who lived through the Napoleonic wars – even those who lacked a formal education – were liable to remark on the limits to their life choices. As the cultural, legal, and political profile of women’s difference sharpened, some persisted in wanting the same experiences as men… Read More Glenda Sluga: 'Only That I Were an Official Person!' – Women in diplomacy during the Napoleonic wars
The current confrontation between Russia and the west is fuelled by many grievances, but the greatest is the belief in Moscow that the west tricked the former Soviet Union by breaking promises made at the end of the cold war in 1989-1990 that Nato would not expand to the east. In his now famous 2007 speech… Read More Patrick Wintour: Russia’s belief in Nato ‘betrayal’ – and why it matters today
NB: This argument is an American counterpart of my understanding about the delusions of revolutionary extremism. These delusions are to be found amongst extremist nationalists too, who also see themselves as revolutionaries. These ideological pipe-dreams are fueled by visions of forcing human character into new a mould (determined by the Headquarters of Truth), an addiction to totalitarian… Read More Chris Hedges and Mark Rudd Discuss Self Destructive Forces on the Left
Camp takes you back to the feudal system, to the creation of corporations and currency, to the modern system that’s destroying the lives of the poor today. The ruling class don’t even try to hide the inhumanity that keeps the system running anymore now that it has become almost impossible to ignore. This leaves it… Read More Lee Camp: The Dark Secret History of Capitalism
As a child in Baghdad, I opened my eyes to a world holding its whip and subjugating us Iraqis to collective punishment through sanctions and repeated wars. Death in Iraq was a spectacle on TV screens in the US. War coverage paid scarce attention to civilian casualties. As one Iraqi woman put it after the Gulf War, “Did they… Read More Nabil Salih: An Iraqi in the capital of the US Empire / Tom Engelhardt: A Nation Unmade by War
The Afghan fiasco pales compared to the multi-dimensional tragedy created by the Iraq invasion and occupation. The scorecard: Hundreds of thousands dead, wounded, orphaned The fostering of sectarian blood-letting that institutionalizes the country’s political fragmentation. The massive destruction of economic infrastructure. The welding of ties between Shi’te majority governments in Iraq with Iran’s clerical regime… Read More Michael Brenner: Lowering the Throne of America’s Delusion
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Here’s a Christmas entry. The Mughal dynasty, originating in what is now Uzbekistan, ruled India from 1526 until the 18th century, though the dynasty continued under British rule until 1857. Some of the members of the royal family were remarkably open-minded about religion, being a Muslim minority in a sea… Read More Juan Cole: Jesus and Mary in Paintings of the Mughal Court
In a terrible year for human rights in Russia, beginning with the imprisonment of the opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the closure of International Memorial stands out for its ruthlessness. Founded in the late 1980s by Andrei Sakharov and other Soviet-era dissidents, the group took the new freedoms offered under Mikhail Gorbachev and used them to reveal raw… Read More Andrew Roth: Rights group’s closure is part of rapid dismantling of Russian civil society
रूस के गुलाग शिविरों पर शोध करने वाले इतिहासकार यूरी दमित्रियेव की जेल की सजा को 13 साल से बढ़ा कर 15 साल कर दिया गया है. उनके समर्थकों का कहना है कि उन्हें उनके काम की वजह से सजा दी जा रही है. 65 साल के यूरी दमित्रियेवके समर्थकों का कहना है कि उन्हें इसलिए निशाना बनाया… Read More रूस ने गुलाग इतिहासकार की सजा और बढ़ाई / Gulag historian, activist Yuri Dmitriyev sentenced to 15 years
