Category Archives: Politics

Happy 25th birthday, Gilad Shalit!

Today is the 25th birthday of Gilad Shalit. It is the 6th birthday that he has to experience in captivity. When he was kidnapped, he was a boy of 19. Now he is a man, but one who has been … Continue reading

Posted in Israel, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

US hikers sentenced to 8 years in Iranian prison

Two young Americans who had been arrested by an Iranian border patrol while hiking in Iraqi Kurdistan and who have been held in prison in Iran for more than two years have now been sentenced to eight years in prison for … Continue reading

Posted in Iran, Politics, Travel, USA | Tagged , , , , , | 13 Comments

Desperate Ken Livingstone invokes Hitler

In Germany, there is an informal rule in political debate: if you have to invoke a Nazi-comparison, you have lost the argument because you have displayed that you have no serious arguments left. By these standards, Ken Livingstone, the Labour … Continue reading

Posted in History, London, Politics, UK, World War II | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

My first thoughts on the London Riots in August 2011

The riots in London are still going on and I am in the middle of it all in London. There is too much happening in different parts of London and I cannot be everywhere, so I cannot form an elaborate opinion … Continue reading

Posted in London, Politics, UK | Tagged , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Tottenham Riots August 2011

Last night, a peaceful protest in Tottenham in North London against the shooting of Mark Duggan (29) by police turned violent. The questionable circumstances of the shooting have led to (more) anger in the community against the police. When I … Continue reading

Posted in London, Photography, Politics, UK | Tagged , , , , , | 15 Comments

Peace Camp at Parliament Square in London

I wonder if the participants of the “Peace Camp” at Parliament Square in London have ever noticed the irony of protesting against all kinds of wars under the amused eyes of Winston Churchill. The “Peace Camp” is a continuous protest … Continue reading

Posted in History, London, Military, Photography, Politics, UK | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

How Osama bin Laden was really found

That the most-wanted terrorist, Osama bin Laden, was finally tracked down after a manhunt that lasted decades has caused admiration for the US intelligence and military (including by me in my post about the killing of Mr bin Laden) as … Continue reading

Posted in Afghanistan, Military, Politics, Terrorism | Tagged | 5 Comments

Dominique Strauss-Kahn at Rikers Island

To those who think that the imprisonment of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the head of International Monetary Fund, at Rikers Island prison in New York is a bit harsh, I would suggest that it rather demonstrates an ironic homage to the literature … Continue reading

Posted in Books, France, Law, Politics, USA | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Globalisation is a Myth

Globalisation, this concept that everyone writes about and that many people blame for their woes or use as an excuse for their policies, is in large parts a myth. Who am I to claim this? Having grown up in a … Continue reading

Posted in China, Economics, Politics, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

May we celebrate somebody’s death?

I admit it: when I woke up this morning to the headline “Osama Bin Laden Killed“, I reacted with surprise (about the manhunt still being actively pursued) and jubilation, as well as admiration at the execution of the operation by … Continue reading

Posted in Law, Philosophy, Politics | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments