Tag: Orwellian reminders

Chinese journalist imprisoned for her Covid reporting due to be released after four years. But will she be free?

By Nectar Gan, CNN A Chinese citizen journalist who has been behind bars for four years over her reporting on the initial Covid-19 outbreak in Wuhan is due to be released Monday after serving her sentence, according to supporters and a court verdict. Zhang Zhan, a former lawyer, was one of the few independent Chinese journalists reporting in Wuhan… Read More Chinese journalist imprisoned for her Covid reporting due to be released after four years. But will she be free?

Dilip

India Has Seen At Least 134 Violations of Free Speech in 2024: Free Speech Collective

“Free speech in India has sunk into a perilous abyss and steadily falling press freedom indices underscore the dangers of crossing a line that is becoming increasingly contentious,” the collective said in its report. The first four months of 2024 in India have already seen at least 134 instances of free speech violations, with journalists,… Read More India Has Seen At Least 134 Violations of Free Speech in 2024: Free Speech Collective

Dilip

The demise of Twitter: how a ‘utopian vision’ for social media became a ‘toxic mess’

Kate Lyons If anything is emblematic of the demise of Twitter, it is the rise and stall of the account of Oprah Winfrey. Oprah joined the platform in 2009, tweeting for the first time live from her wildly popular TV show: “HI TWITTERS. THANK YOU FOR A WARM WELCOME. FEELING REALLY 21st CENTURY.” It was “a breakthrough… Read More The demise of Twitter: how a ‘utopian vision’ for social media became a ‘toxic mess’

Dilip

The WhatsApp Mafia | Dhruv Rathee

In this video, we explore how “WhatsApp University” influences unwavering loyalty among some citizens towards political leaders, despite personal hardships or evident issues like inflation and misinformation. A poignant discussion on the pervasive impact of misinformation spread through WhatsApp. The video highlights the complex interplay of media, personal belief systems, and political loyalty, encouraging a… Read More The WhatsApp Mafia | Dhruv Rathee

Dilip

Chris Hedges on Technocapitalism: Bitcoin, Mars, and Dystopia

We are living through an incipient technological revolution. AI, blockchain, cryptocurrencies, commercial space travel, and other innovations are rapidly transforming everything from the workplace to the financial architecture of the global economy. While many of these technologies hold vast potential to benefit the social good, the multinational corporations and financial oligarchy that drive innovation and… Read More Chris Hedges on Technocapitalism: Bitcoin, Mars, and Dystopia

Dilip

In memoriam

The moment the middle class feels it has no access to a public good, it does everything it can to devalue it. The systematic destruction of Delhi University is a case study in elite secession Mukul Kesavan The death of Delhi University has gone unremarked. It isn’t formally dead; it still educates tens of thousands… Read More In memoriam

Dilip

Automated Murder – Israel’s ‘AI’ in Gaza

By Patrick Lawrence and Cara Marianna  ZURICH—“Technological change, while it helps humanity meet the challenges nature imposes upon us, leads to a paradigm shift: It leaves us less capable, not more, of using our intellectual capacities. It diminishes our minds in the long run. We strive to improve ourselves while risking a regression to the… Read More Automated Murder – Israel’s ‘AI’ in Gaza

Dilip

Ruchir Joshi: Out of depth – India’s anti-knowledge brigade

(NB: In 2022 alone, 7.5 lac Indian students migrated abroad for higher studies. By 2025, Indian students studying abroad are expected to spend up to $70 billion. Those curious about Sardar Patel’s proficiency in English and also his views on V. D. Savarkar’s role in Gandhiji’s assassination, could check volume 6 of Selected Correspondence of Sardar… Read More Ruchir Joshi: Out of depth – India’s anti-knowledge brigade

Dilip