Walter Benjamin and The Angel of History

Paul Klee, Angelus Novus (1920) https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Klee%2C_Angelus_novus.png?20130120065947 Paul Klee, Angelus Novus Walter Benjamin: Thesis 9 in The Concept of History (1940) My wing is ready to fly / I would rather turn backFor had I stayed mortal time / I would have had little luck Gerhard Scholem, Angelic Greetings There is a painting by Klee called… Read More Walter Benjamin and The Angel of History

GABOR MATE interview: Zionism will be looked upon as one of the greatest disasters in Jewish history

Zionism will be looked upon as one of the greatest disasters in Jewish history GAZA casualties, live statistics Gabor Maté CM (born January 6, 1944) is a Canadian physician. He has a background in family practice and a special interest in childhood development, trauma, and potential lifelong impacts on physical and mental health, including autoimmune… Read More GABOR MATE interview: Zionism will be looked upon as one of the greatest disasters in Jewish history

Atlas Schlepped

As some reviewers of Rand’s novels recognized, and as Popoff stresses, Rand’s thought draws on Nietzsche’s idea of the superman. Just at this time, Popoff points out, Superman comics also achieved widespread popularity. Since the caped man of steel was created by two young American Jews, who were doubtless inspired by a desire to overcome… Read More Atlas Schlepped

What Sigmund Freud can teach us about the Middle East and #MeToo

In a world ravaged by war and sexual violence, a new edition of the great psychoanalyst’s works is a reminder of his continuing relevance Jacqueline Rose In 1935, Sigmund Freud wrote to a distraught mother that her son’s suspected homosexuality was no cause for lament, “nothing to be ashamed of, no vice, no degradation. It cannot be… Read More What Sigmund Freud can teach us about the Middle East and #MeToo

Certainty

Even if our brains are not up to the task of appreciating all the connections that relate to quality of air, water, nutrients, soils, etc., these things are still vitally important. In other words, we would be tragically foolish to imagine living without insects, plankton, microbes, fish, birds, etc., and the uncountable and unknowable interrelationships between… Read More Certainty

The Surprising Ways Inventions and Ideas Spread in Ancient Prehistory

by Brenna R. Hassett The human capacity for invention is unparalleled. We have developed technologies that have allowed us to survive and thrive far beyond the ecological niches that constrained our ancestors. While our innovation has allowed us to break loose from the constraints of our home continent, Africa, and even our home planet, the actual… Read More The Surprising Ways Inventions and Ideas Spread in Ancient Prehistory

Bankrupt and ravaged by student mental illness, Britain’s universities are badly in need of reform

Simon Jenkins Forget the NHS for a minute – and look to Britain’s universities, another institution in urgent need of fixing. A number are on the brink of bankruptcy or closure. Revenues are plummeting. Rich foreign students are vanishing. Jobs for graduates are falling and mental illness among students has reportedly multiplied by seven times… Read More Bankrupt and ravaged by student mental illness, Britain’s universities are badly in need of reform

Israeli Society Has Truly Fallen to Cruelty, Violence and Apathy. Just Look at Us

Gideon Levy On Friday, 11 funerals were held in the Jenin refugee camp. Eight of the deceased were camp residents who were killed by the Israeli army; three died of natural causes. None of them could be buried during the 10 preceding days, on account of the brutal Israel Defense Forces operation in the camp.… Read More Israeli Society Has Truly Fallen to Cruelty, Violence and Apathy. Just Look at Us

Gets under the skin

The last decade, defined by Narendra Modi’s prime ministerial tenure, has seen a concerted bid to make the rhetoric of Hindu supremacy normal. From the prime minister to the sangh parivar’s social media trolls, to frothing film stars, the right to be publicly hostile to minorities, particularly Muslims, has been energetically exercised. I notice that public… Read More Gets under the skin