Tag: History

U.S. leaders knew we didn’t have to drop atomic bombs on Japan to win the war. We did it anyway (2020)

NB: As the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki approaches (August 6 and 9, 1945); readers might like to read this article by two accomplished scholars of twentieth century history. DS ‘the overwhelming historical evidence from American and Japanese archives indicates that Japan would have surrendered that August, even if atomic… Read More U.S. leaders knew we didn’t have to drop atomic bombs on Japan to win the war. We did it anyway (2020)

Dilip

Murder not crisis – Why Israel’s starvation of Gaza is exceptional in a global context

Anyone deflecting from the clear responsibility of the Israeli state for this mass starvation of two million people, anyone resorting to euphemisms about “crises” makes themselves complicit in this historic crime. NB: This is the way the Nazis murdered hundreds of thousands of captured Russian and Polish POWs and civilians in WW2, by placing them… Read More Murder not crisis – Why Israel’s starvation of Gaza is exceptional in a global context

Dilip

“But children are the same, In Paris or in Goettingen.” The song that made history. Will someone sing for us?

They’re really sweet, they don’t look Palestinian.’ First posted January 22, 2013 When Barbara sings “Dis” to an absent lover, she is not just asking when he’ll return. She is showing she can get by without him. Alone is not that bad. There are other consolations. There is always music, that deathless hope. Barbara was… Read More “But children are the same, In Paris or in Goettingen.” The song that made history. Will someone sing for us?

Dilip

Hegel Dust

A little-known philosopher’s deep influence over the avant-garde, neoconservatives, and the European Union…. ‘His work on behalf of a resistance group in Puy-en-Velay got him arrested by the Gestapo; anticipating his future talents as a negotiator, he managed to talk his way out of the firing squad.’ The Life and Thought of Alexandre Kojève BY Marco… Read More Hegel Dust

Dilip

Late Victorian Holocausts: the famines that fed the empire

First posted June 02, 2016 Mike Davis: Late Victorian Holocausts: El Nino Famines and the Making of the Third World (2002) Reviewed by: Sukhdev Sandhu Recording the past can be a tricky business for historians. Prophesying the future is even more hazardous. In 1901, shortly before the death of Queen Victoria, the radical writer William Digby looked… Read More Late Victorian Holocausts: the famines that fed the empire

Dilip

Remembering Guru Dutt in his birth centenary year: A resurrected genius

Visionary filmmaker of eight Hindi movies, Guru Dutt (1925 – 1964) whose socially conscious work explored various human experiences left a cultural impact that continues to inspire generations. Jinhen Naaz Hai Hind Par – Guru Dutt, Mohammed Rafi, Pyaasa Song By C. Uday Bhasker / Sapan News As film aficionados around Southasia and the diaspora remember… Read More Remembering Guru Dutt in his birth centenary year: A resurrected genius

Dilip

Sadegh Hedayat on Religion, Power, and Manufactured Ignorance

Siyavash Shahabi The struggle against religious superstition and the effort to sever the bond between religion and power have deep roots in Iran. Contrary to the widespread belief that secularism is purely a Western or modern phenomenon, Iranian history is rich with Enlightenment-driven efforts that have criticized religion not as a matter of faith, but… Read More Sadegh Hedayat on Religion, Power, and Manufactured Ignorance

Dilip

Ideas of India Archive

First posted November 29, 2019 NB: This is a magnificient contribution to Indian historiography. Rahul Sagar and his collaborators deserve the thanks of the Indian public and indeed of all those interested in an honest exploration of the past. DS Starting in the early nineteenth century, ambitious Indians began flocking to newly-founded schools and colleges offering instruction… Read More Ideas of India Archive

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