You could find anything you wanted here. CDs, with a hole punched into the middle by customs. VCDs and DVDs of old classics like The Goddess with Ruan Lingyu, Zhao Dan’s Crossroads, even the 1940s film Spring in a Small Town. And so many foreign films. Mamma Roma. Central Station. The Lost Weekend. Plus films [...]
Entries Tagged as 'Policy'
Piracy as a Window to the World – “Twenty fragments of a ravenous youth” – Xiaolu Guo
January 19th, 2012 · No Comments · Culture, Elitism, Intellectual Property, Policy
Means and Ends – “The Trial of Henry Kissinger” – Christopher Hitchens
January 18th, 2012 · No Comments · History, Human Rights, Means and Ends, Morality, Security Policy, War
If one can demonstrate that there was such a plan (to remove the President of Cypress), and that Kissinger knew about it in advance, then it follows logically and naturally that he was not ostensibly looking for a crisis – as he self-pityingly asks us to believe – but for a solution. The fact that [...]
Tags:Cause and Effect·Ends and Means·Guilt·Iraq War·Politics·power·responsibility
Through a Trapdoor at the end of a rope – “The Trial of Henry Kissinger” – Christopher Hitchens
January 17th, 2012 · No Comments · History, Human Rights, Morality, Philosophy, Security Policy, WW2
Some statements are too blunt for everyday, consensual discourse. In national ‘debate’, it is the smoother pebbles that are customarily gathered from the stream, and used as projectiles. They leave less of a scar, even when they hit. Occasionally, however, a single hard-edged remark will inflict a deep and jagged wound, a gash so ugly [...]
Tags:Human Rights·International Law·Political debate·political discourse·Politics·Vietnam·war crimes·WW2
International Law – “The Trial of Henry Kissinger” – Christopher Hitchens
January 17th, 2012 · No Comments · History, Human Rights, Policy, Politics, Power, Security Policy, War
Many if not most of Kissinger’s partners in crime are now in jail, or are awaiting trial, or have been otherwise punished or discredited. His own lonely impunity is rank; it smells to heaven. If it is allowed to persist then we shall shamefully vindicate the ancient philosopher Anarchasis, who maintained that laws were like [...]
Tags:Human Rights·International Law·International Relations·war crimes
The Long Term Survival of the Human Species – “The Origins of AIDS” – Jacques Pepin
January 14th, 2012 · No Comments · Humanism, Philosophy, Policy, Science
This is a reminder that the most dangerous threat to the long-term survival of the human species is the human race itself. Of course, this has been obvious for some time. My generation and the one before us grew up with the fear of a nuclear holocaust. Even though the number of nuclear missiles has [...]
Plasma Markets – “The Origins of AIDS” - Jacques Pepin
January 14th, 2012 · No Comments · China, India, Policy, Science
HIV transmission among paid plasma donors were reported in Valencia, Spain and Pune, India. In the latter city, among commercial plasma donors, HIV prevalence was 0% in November 1987 but 78% seven months later, illustrating the exponential transmission of HIV through unhygienic plasma collection practices.6–11 These outbreaks, although tragic in their own right, were dwarfed [...]
Tags:AIDS·Health Care·policy·science
Lumumba – “The Origins of AIDS” - Jacques Pepin
January 14th, 2012 · No Comments · Africa, Colonialism, Congo, Democracy, History, Policy, Politics
In September 1960, Lumumba was dismissed by Kasavubu, and in turn Lumumba dismissed Kasavubu. The constitution did not allow for either of these moves. After a few days of confusion, Lumumba was definitively overthrown in a bloodless military coup led by the very person he had just appointed head of the army, colonel Mobutu. Lumumba’s [...]
Immigration and Race – “The Unfinished Revolution: How New Labour Changed British Politics Forever” – Philip Gould
January 11th, 2012 · No Comments · Campaigning, Complexity, Culture, Democracy, Electoralism, Ethnicity, Humanism, Leadership, Morality, Multi-culturalism, Philosophy, Politics, Sociology, UK Labour, United Kingdom
The politics of grievance can be harsh and it is never easy moderating a group where the sole focus is immigration. But immigration, like crime, like welfare abuse, is not an issue we can avoid; we must deal with it head on. Not just because of the sense of unfairness that people hold but also [...]
Tags:Democracy·Focus Groups·Immigration·Labour·policy·Politics·Refugees
Sustaining a Reforming Government – “The Unfinished Revolution: How New Labour Changed British Politics Forever” – Philip Gould
January 11th, 2012 · No Comments · Campaigning, Democracy, Electoralism, Ideology, Means and Ends, Policy, Political Communication, Politics, Progressive Politics, Socialism, UK Labour, United Kingdom
David Marquand calls this the progressive dilemma: ‘How to transcend Labourism without betraying the labour interest; how to bridge the gap between the old Labour fortresses and the potentially anti-Conservative but non-Labour hinterland; how to construct a broad-based and enduring social coalition capable of not just giving it a temporary majority in the House of [...]
Tags:Democracy·Electoralism·extremism·Ideology·Labour·policy·Politics·progressive politics
One Nation – “The Unfinished Revolution: How New Labour Changed British Politics Forever” – Philip Gould
January 6th, 2012 · No Comments · Campaigning, Economics, Policy, Politics, Progressive Politics, UK Labour, United Kingdom
Blair said he wanted to base his conference speech around the concept of ‘one nation’. He had mentioned this as a theme in his leadership campaign notes, but I had forgotten. I did not like the idea much, nor did anyone else – it seemed too abstract – but he would not let go of [...]
