Right’s leftist appeals
Jawed Naqvi astutely points out how many of the right-wing appeals of Mullahs are basically plagiarized left-wing appeals. He points out how cries for ‘anti-imperialism’ etc. have been usurped. “The mullahs have motivated their rank and file in Pakistan with verses from leftist poetry, often to attack left politics.” He further argues (rightly)-
“Just because religious extremists or terrorists have usurped a secular critique of imperialism and harnessed it to their bigoted worldview doesn’t mean that Zionism becomes kosher [my comments – interesting choice of words] or imperialism becomes acceptable or right-wing Hindu revivalism deserves legitimacy.”
Iran’s essentially communist revolution came to an Islamist end. Hopefully anti-imperialist voices in South Asia and Middle-east won’t suffer a similar fate.
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Tintin
Economist has a superb story on Tintin.
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Paul Krugman comments on the Ponzi Economy.
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Make love, not war
US Military gives Viagra to Afghan warlords. (Naipaul would be feeling vindicated.)