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World
The Pittsburgh Synagogue Massacre, Donald Trump, and the Rise of Anti-Semitism
Précis: The October 27 massacre at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh was not just “the latest mass shooting,” or even the latest act of right-wing political violence. With these murders, a virulent undercurrent of anti-Semitism has burst on the scene. Millions of people were shaken deeply by this act, which awoke memories of the terror of the Nazi[Read More…]
India
The Demise of Modi`s Arrogance and Acrimonious Politics
A recent inglorious defeat of Modi/Shah combine in three Indian states: Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and victory of Rahul Gandhi, once labeled immature, part-time politicians by the BJP/RSS, shows that no leader or government can befool the intelligent Indian voters for a long time. Insulating day and night Gandhi family from the public platforms by Modi/RSS/VHP/Bajrang Dal made sick[Read More…]
Globalisation
An Historic Opportunity to Transform Trade When We Stop Nafta II
Donald Trump was right when he said that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has been a disaster for the United States and promised to renegotiate it when he became president. However, the renegotiated NAFTA-2 is worse than the original NAFTA and should be rejected. On December 1, NAFTA-2 was signed by President Trump, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of[Read More…]
Human Rights
Nearly 15,000 children held in detention camps across the US
Nearly 15,000 immigrant children are being held in a network of detention centers across the United States. Changes implemented by the Trump administration have filled the child jails to near capacity, and the government is considering adding more employees and more beds to make it possible to hold even more adolescents. The Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees[Read More…]
Imperialism
The Nostalgia for George H. W. Bush and the Dream of a Kinder, Gentler Imperialism
In the week just past, the treatment of the death of George H. W. Bush called forth the hope of a “kinder, gentler America.” But do the facts back up those hopes? Let’s start with this: In 1988, an Iranian commercial airliner, flying its normal route in Iranian airspace, was shot down by a U.S. Navy ship, illegally operating in[Read More…]
Communal Harmony
Canada must not shy away from calling 1984 Sikh massacre a genocide
Considering recent political developments in India, Canada, which claims to be a human rights leader in the world, should stand up for the Sikhs and recognize the 1984 Sikh massacre as genocide. Thousands of Sikhs were murdered across India during the first week of November 1984 following the assassination of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. The innocent[Read More…]
Climate Change
Children and climate change
“We are causing the problem, but our children and grandchildren are going to suffer the consequences “ James Hansen on Climate change Voicing concerns on deteriorating climate and rising pollution levels, children have started to register their protests. Tens of thousands of school children skipped school to march on streets demanding more action on climate change as world leaders gather[Read More…]
Environmental Protection
A Planet in Loss Mode
If you’ve been paying attention to what’s happening to the nonhuman life forms with which we share this planet, you’ve likely heard the term “the Sixth Extinction.” If not, look it up. After all, a superb environmental reporter, Elizabeth Kolbert, has already gotten a Pulitzer Prize for writing a book with that title. Whether the sixth mass species extinction of Earth’s history[Read More…]
Counter Solutions
Climate Storytellers Inspire Roadmap to Action
Earlier this year, taking a front row seat at a church in Gary, Indiana, I watched as a young rapper, local food leader, and an arts educator beguiled a standing-room-only audience with a theatrical envisioning of their city in the year 2030. To the side of the stage, jazz legend Billy Foster and his trio added a lively soundtrack to[Read More…]
Resource Crisis
Low Oil Prices: An Indication of Major Problems Ahead?
Many people, including most Peak Oilers, expect that oil prices will rise endlessly. They expect rising oil prices because, over time, companies find it necessary to access more difficult-to-extract oil. Accessing such oil tends to be increasingly expensive because it tends to require the use of greater quantities of resources and more advanced technology. This issue is sometimes referred to[Read More…]
Alternative Energy
Can New Energy Technologies Save the Planet? Ask the Sperm Whale
An oilman, a green techie and a sperm whale walked into a bar. They got to drinking and, inevitably, boasting. The oilman looked at the whale and declared that if it hadn’t been for fossil fuels, all 75 species of whales would have been hunted to extinction for oil. “My industry and its technology saved your large ass.” The greenie[Read More…]
Patriarchy
Feminist Theological View on Abortion and Catholic Church
The word abortion has been abominable to Catholic Church for centuries and the theological views on abortion from catholic perspective always painted abortion as a heinous moral sin. In tracing the Christian antipathy on abortion in the church history, it become rather an ironic factor[Read More…]
Palestine
The Real Face of Justin Trudeau: Are Palestinians Canada’s New Jews?
How does one explain Canada’s contradictory foreign policy regarding Palestine and Israel? On December 4, Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Saeb Erekat, praised Canada’s commitment not to follow the footsteps of the US Donald Trump Administration by transferring its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. But there is little worth praising here. Respecting the internationally-recognized status of Jerusalem[Read More…]
Kashmir
The Curfewed Night
The Curfewed Night by Basharat Peer is a novel read of its kind. It provides an intimate account of life in the 1990’s when insurgency and counter-insurgency engulfed the valley. The author, through his personal experiences, highlights the agonies of being born and living in a conflict situation like Kashmir. Most of the narratives about Kashmir have been centered on[Read More…]
South Asia
Peace is possible between India and Pakistan
People choose various methods of resistance when dealing with ideological issues – from outright belligerence and violence to democratic collectivism. It depends on their perspective, beliefs, or sometimes there is just a selfish agenda. In the long run such methods cannot provide solutions for serious issues which hang on for years, like an incurable ailment which drains the human condition. Let us deal specifically[Read More…]
Annihilate Caste
Book Review: Search for a‘Real Ambedkar’ in the Time of Neoliberal Hindutva
Co-Written by Badre Alam Khan and Sanjay Kumar The Republic of Caste: Thinking equality in time of Neoliberal Hindutva by Anand Teltumbde, Delhi: Navayana, (2018), pp 432, Rs,600. Anand Teltumbde is a prominent public intellectual and civil rights activist. He is presently general secretary of the committee for protection of democratic rights. He is also associated with the All India forum for[Read More…]
Life/Philosophy
A WORLD FEDERATION – Chapter 8: Federalism And Global Governance
“To coerce the states is one of the maddest projects that was ever devised… What is the cure for this great evil? Nothing, but to enable the… laws to operate on individuals, in the same manner as those of states do.” Alexander Hamilton, 1787 1 A personal note I have been a World Federalist ever since 1954. Sixty-four years ago,[Read More…]
Arts/Literature
Translating Habba Khatoon, A Praiseworthy Attempt by G R Malik
Most of the readers, who are good at reading the literature written in their mother tongue or in a language they can read and comprehend well, feel it as an unnecessary step taken; and they often pose a question – “Why would someone translate a work of art from source language to any other language?” For such readers, the answer[Read More…]
Book Review
How the US Creates “Sh*thole” Countries
Whether you consider yourself already well educated on the U.S. empire or are looking for a starting place, “How the US Creates “Sh*thole” Countries” is a strong read. Cynthia McKinney has gathered together a series of essays examining features of the empire as well as a list of some the more seriously affected victims. The histories have been covered elsewhere,[Read More…]
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