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The games they play
I hear they brought in a new top gun in Nigeria. Everybody’s very pleased, it seems, except the Nigerians, of course, but they don’t count. “Finally, democracy comes to Nigeria”, observers say. As for the Nigerians, I admit they did vote for Buhari, but I expect they did so mainly to please us. I really…
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Point of view
In my town, people don’t like Mr Putin. Come to think of it, I don’t like him much myself. In my town people look down their noses at Rambos, and Mr Putin, it would seem, is a Rambo. Around here, they prefer the spindly type, the Spidermans, agile and supple. And they don’t condone belligerence…
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Two sides of Mercy
Christianity claims to be merciful. And indeed, for believers who have no problem with the awkward concepts “original sin”, “immaculate conception”, “resurrection”, etc., who are happily married, give birth to healthy children, and who don’t have to steal to feed their young, the mercy of Christianity may well be a blessing. Caring for their loved…
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Alternative warfare – Christmas proposition
UNESCO has published a list of killed journalists. This year there were 60 of them. Sixty killed journalists! That’s a lot of dead journalists. Many were killed in 2013, too. And not only in Syria! Just take a look at UNESCO’s list: Unesco condems killing of journalists Being dead may, however, be better than being…
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What’ll it be, eh?
I have just read an article in El Pais which alerted me to a debate that appears to be raging in many academic circles. The writer refers to the immortal opening lines of Dicken’s novel Tale of Two Cities, which he finds particularly relevant. And who could disagree? It was the best of times, it…
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Execrable
The body count is 121 and rising. By yesterday morning, 19 of the victims were children. I haven’t seen the figure for today. The words terrorism, racism, fascism etc have been so mangled for manipulative purposes that they are now utterly useless. We are left with no more than instruments of international law to describe…
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Shrinking Zipping and Sharing
No, this is not a lecture on how to get rid of your mother-in-law /teacher / unfaithful spouse / boss or even the President, though you might say it is, in fact, a lecture on applied modern cannibalism. This is about how to get rid of man’s worst foe, the wolf. You didn’t know that…
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Little pieces in a big puzzle
— I guess I’ve been a bit quiet lately… — What? — Oh. Yes, every day. Here, too. And fog. But, no, it’s not the weather. It’s … — What? … yes, very depressing. Anyway: this guy Mirowski… — Sixty days? Well, that’s something. Even Mirowski would be impressed, I’m sure. — Philip. — No,…
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Everybody does it
Of course I cannot be silent about an issue that seems to have jolted the planet. I will not be silent even though the matter has had its fair share of press coverage – and thank goodness for that! I want to join the chorus of angrily clamouring voices from all over the globe, although…
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Bradley Manning again
I very rarely allow somebody else to speak my heart, as I feel I am best qualified to do so. However, on this topic I bow out. Bradley Manning’s trial is starting on a sinister note. About the denial of access to press and public, please see Center for Constitutional Rights Even more disheartening is…