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In the supermarket of democracy, choice is an illusion. Is there a real alternative?
Too many decades have been lost to the myth that liberal democracies will deliver. The election of Donald Trump as president of the United States has consolidated what appears to be a swing towards citizens voting right-wing, authoritarian politicians into power. Argentina and European countries have also swung right. Elsewhere, political leaders who have consolidated…
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The Second Coming (The Disappearance of the Traditional Political “Left” and “Right” in the 21st Century)
The Center Did Not Hold About 100 years ago, William Butler Yeats wrote a poem called “The Second Coming” which has become one of the most well known and oft quoted poems of the 20th and 21st centuries.(1) In the first section of the poem there’s a line that reads, “Things Fall Apart; the centre…
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My Hunger Strike for Gaza: A 31 Day Experience
When Northern Gaza was placed under a complete siege, the Biden Administration issued a warning that if conditions didn’t improve within 30 days, he would stop weapons shipments to Israel. At the time of the announcement, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians faced imminent starvation because the Israeli military was blocking trucks of humanitarian aid from…
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A Painterly Dialogue: Jean-Michel Basquiat and Ouattara Watts at the Currier Museum
In certain respects, the Currier Museum’s Jean Michel Basquiat and Ouattara Watts: A Distant Conversation may be regarded as a modest exhibition, as it features only six works by Basquiat and seven large paintings by Watts. But the power and significance of an exhibition is not simply a function of its size and scope. Even…
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Provocation! Or why violence in Ukraine and Gaza was inevitable
Some consider that the Ukrainian conflict began on February 24, 2022, just as others consider that the conflict in Gaza began on October 7, 2023. At most, they can, on both sides, admit that there was a prior American provocation in Ukraine as well as a prior Israeli provocation in Gaza. But they still assume…
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‘Forever Chemical’ TFA Detected in Mineral Water Brands in Europe
TFA (trifluoroacetic acid) is a type of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) A new report from Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe revealed the presence of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a type of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), in mineral water products sourced from around Europe. By Paige Bennett Researchers tested 19 mineral water samples in total, including two…
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Introducing Austria’s First Peace Atlas: A Pathway to Peace
Austria has taken a significant step forward in promoting peace with the launch of its first-ever Peace Atlas (Friedensatlas Österreich), a groundbreaking civil society project. This evolving initiative serves as a beacon for those seeking practical examples of nonviolent resistance, successful peace projects, and essential information on organizations dedicated to peace, human rights, environmental protection,…
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In Memoriam: Fritz Edlinger
Austrian publicist, author, and peace activist | 1948-2024 With AbFaNG and the peace activists’ families, we mourn the passing of Fritz Edlinger, a dedicated journalist, author, and passionate advocate for peace, who left us on December 4th. As the editor of the magazine International and a committed left-wing social democrat, Fritz worked tirelessly to amplify…
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Climate Change Trial at The Hague
The stakes are extremely high as the impact of fossil fuels on climate change goes to The Hague for hearings December 2-13, 2024 to determine whether nations are obligated to phase out fossil fuels. Will the esteemed court issue an opinion that truly impacts climate change? The court’s opinion is expected in 2025. {Special Notification:…
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Pragjyotishpur LitFest ’24 Concludes with a High Note
Guwahati: The curtain came down for the Pragjyotishpur Literature Festival 2024 at Madhavdev International Auditorium of the Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra premises in the prehistoric city of northeast India. The venue… The closing ceremony also witnessed the presentation of Pragjyotishpur LitFest literature awards to veteran Nepali writer Bidyapati Dahal and Suprakash Bhuyan (promising writer’s category) in…