Thursday, February 23, 2012
The International Herald Tribune has on a couple of occasions–most recently today–included what at first glance seems a Chinese news supplement. A second glance shows that it is “prepared by China Daily, People’s Republic of China.” It is a “news” … Continue reading
Kurt Lovelace, a German-American poet who I knew back in the day, just sent me some of his poetry, among which was this very fine thing: Put Some Relish on Your Plate, Pontius Pilate I started out believing in everything: … Continue reading
Has the western media gone bonkers in reporting the hazards of Japan’s nuclear plant crisis? The people at japanprobe.com seem to think so. Whether they are right or wrong (or are just being very very hopeful), they turned me onto … Continue reading
One of the upsides–if it could be called that–of the Japanese nuclear nightmare has been a new focus of critical attention on nuclear energy. It was sold as super-cheap. In fact–pick your study (here’s one)–it is hideously expensive–and that without … Continue reading
The Japanese government has a long history of denial. There was an official policy of denying Japan’s 1937 massacre in the Chinese city of Nanking, in which hundreds of thousands of civilians were slaughtered and tens of thousands of women … Continue reading
Joris Luyendijk–one of the most nimble and far-ranging Dutch writers today–told me something last evening that could provide a new frame for understanding recent events in the Middle East. Luyendijk lived and studied in Cairo, and one thing has struck … Continue reading