Massacred by “Good Intentions”? On April 7, 2013, the BBC reported this awful story, one of a long string of such NATO airstrikes on areas with civilian populations in Afghanistan: “Eleven children have been killed in a Nato air strike in eastern Afghanistan, officials and witnesses say. At least one woman was reportedly killed and […]
September 26, 2012 by John Allison
Well, let me see, where to start? Syntactic ambiguity everywhere. I mean, “herding humans” can either be the humans who have a traditional practice of herding (the animals); or the humans who are being herded by The Animals who own them. Adjective or Verb: it is really up to YOU. I am having enough trouble […]
March 31, 2011 by Maximilian Forte
If David Cameron had been known for modeling his speeches on old Monty Python films, then he might be praised for his witty and clever genius in devising such a politically and morally fraudulent speech such as the one above. He opens with gushing sentiment about a "new beginning for Libya," hailing freedom from violence even as his jets pound Libyan targets. As always before, the British love to set an example on how politics are to be done, and it was usually with a good whipping followed by tutorials on how to best mimic the master, with powdered wigs, robes, and a broken sense of self....
February 21, 2011 by Maximilian Forte
In “The Color of Sex: Postwar Photographic Histories of Race and Gender,” by Catherine A. Lutz and Jane L. Collins (reprinted in The Anthropology of Media: A Reader, 2002, pps. 92-116), we encounter this very illuminating passage dealing with the figure of the veiled, non-Western woman, photographed by National Geographic, placing the apparent obsession with […]
September 4, 2010 by Maximilian Forte
With some of the infighting among the ranks of Wikileaks supporters–and I am a supporter–I need to allay some fears and put certain apprehensions to rest right away: my answer to the question above is “no,” and my secondary answer is that we should learn from mistakes. So, for now, hold your fire. The real […]
April 14, 2013 by Maximilian Forte
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