Search Results for: twain

Abu Ghraib and the Congo, Mark Twain and Joseph Conrad

Jun 25

Iraq, torture, World , , , , 1 Comment

It’s always interesting to follow links and ideas to see where they lead. I started here where Philip Gourevitch talks about his book about torture and Abu Ghraib, noticing that Mark Twain had noticed 100 years ago that photographs could make the difference when talking about atrocities. Thus linking Iraq and the Congo under King Leopold […]

Montana and corruption

Oct 11

craziness, politics, Supreme Court , , , Leave a comment

At least part of Montana’s rules on campaign donations is still around, barely: The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated Montana’s campaign donation limits, telling the federal judge who struck down the limits that the panel needs to see his full reasoning so it can review the case. The court intervened late Tuesday less […]

What is there about rubber?

Feb 16

Free Markets, history, World , , , , Leave a comment

The Boston Globe has a review on ‘The Devil and Mr. Casement: One Man’s Battle for Human Rights in South America’s Heart of Darkness’ by Jordan Goodman. It’s a book about Roger Casement, Julio César Arana, and rubber operations in Peru. I had heard about the atrocities committed in the DR Congo by King Leopold, but had not […]

Banned Book Week

Sep 29

education , , Leave a comment

I’m one of many, I hope, who mention that this is Banned Book Week. How does one celebrate? Why reading a book that people want to ban: 1) “And Tango Makes Three,” by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell Reasons: Anti-Ethnic, Sexism, Homosexuality, Anti-Family, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group 2) The Chocolate War,” by Robert Cormier Reasons: […]

Congo and Coltan

Jun 30

World , 3 Comments

Via here, I notice that Senators Brownback and Durbin have introduced legislation to certify Coltan mined from DR Congo (the text of the bill is here). Senator Brownback also has a good summary of the situation in the DR Congo here: I wish to show a picture to my colleagues, many of whom I think […]

David Mamet: Braindead

Mar 12

craziness, politics , 9 Comments

Luckily I can separate art and the artist, because I like much of what David Mamet has done but it turns out, in some ways, he’s an idiot. He has an essay in the Village Voice ‘Why I Am No Longer a ‘Brain-Dead Liberal’ which has such stupidities as: As a child of the ’60s, I […]