Capitalism
Farce and Tragedy
Once again the music has stopped, and much like the Kenyan child of the ’80s and ’90s, today’s young are watching and listening as the adults reel under the weight of IMF-driven cuts to social [more…]
Philosophy
20th Century
Afghanistan as it was (1973)
After several requests from fellow Puffins, I finally got off my arse to rummage around in the attic and miraculously unearthed a bunch of diaries from over fifty years ago, and most importantly the one [more…]
20th Century
Kenya’s Austerity Loop
For the second time, Kenya has pressed its palms against the cold marble of the IMF and the World Bank, asking the same architects of global austerity to diagnose wounds we have spent time inflicting [more…]
Authoritarianism
So, Who is a Terrorist in Kenya?
The status quo in a country can be the past, the present, and the future. So is the resistance to the status quo. Indeed, this is the essence of the revolutionary clarion call; the struggle [more…]
America
Which Way?
Our ancestors built cathedrals meant to stand for a thousand years. We build glass towers that last two decades before demolishing them because the aesthetic has gone stale. And now we have crowned our civilisation’s [more…]
History
Israel and Iran, an Eternal War?
The history of relations between Jews (and later Israel) and Persians (later Iran) stretches back over two and a half millennia and is more than a simple narrative of continuous hostility. For much of that [more…]
Christianity
Did You Know This? I Didn’t
Yes, I know it’s Good Friday, but I want to take you back both 48 and 120 hours. Why? Read on! Regular sufferers will be aware of the tangle regarding my holidays and overtime (and [more…]
America
Neutering the Somali Option
While WSR attempted to wear his Koran Keir hat in attempting to navigate his tensions between African unity, Chinese ties, and the US’s evolving strategic priorities, he blinked first when dealing with the Don. US [more…]
16th Century
‘Agua ai cordi’
It’s a tradition in the Catholic church that on Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter, worshippers are given little crosses made from palm leaves. They commemmorate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, when followers strewed palm leaves [more…]