The Uncensored Household
Professor of Philosophy, A C Grayling gave a wonderful presentation of essays yesterday afternoon at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. His new book is a collection of essays of a variety of subjects quite like in the ‘pre-novel’ era when essays were highly regarded.
An example of of one of his adapted essays: In the future would developing countries look to China as a model for development rather that the West and democracy? The Chinese model works well
‘The world’s largest democracy’ cast more than 500 million votes over five weeks to decide who would win and take India roaring into the future and Narendra Modi came out on top with a huge majority. India has spoken. Decisively.
For the first time in 30 years Indian voters helped create a majority government blasting the incumbents to an insignificant minority. Right wing and Hindu nationalist Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) had long been tipped to win the election but most Delhiites I spoke to last month were sure that they wouldn’t have an outright majority and would inevitably have to form a coalition of sorts. My goodness was everyone shocked, it was time for a new generation. Even former MPs that had held on to their safe seats for 15 years or more were ousted for the first time.
The Nobel peace prize already began losing credibility, just like the Oscars, when it was awarded to the newly elected President of the United States of America, Barak Obama. This time the Nobel committee have gone one step worse and awarded the prize to the European Union.
The long drawn out explanation included praise for being democratic, for not being at war and for sticking together at times of crisis and conflict.
Is Julian Assange a hero of democracy and freedom of speech or someone who fell foul of technology like a celebrity who didn’t think before hitting ‘send’?
Technological improvements and new product launches promising instant and global communication pour out across the world almost monthly. We are still naïve about the reach of the mass communication tools in our possession often to our detriment as recipients of fines for racist tweets are finding out.
Did Julian Assange honestly believe that there would be no consequences
A story that may have been buried in all the season’s festivities about the US Senate trying to force Twitter to close/block accounts believed to be registered to terrorist groups such as the Taliban and Al Shabab from Sudan. Reports have also claimed that Israel has threatened Twitter with legal action if they do not close Hezbollah accounts.
So…free speech is only okay with the expressed permission of the USA.
Amazing Grace is lovely Christian hymn that we all know and can probably recite the first two lines no problem. Interesting that the man who penned the hymn was a wealthy British slave trader who found God, wrote the hymn and then joined the anti-slavery cause.
Bury The Chains by Adam Hochschild is a wonderful book about the small number of brave people in Britain who fought to abolish slavery at a time when Britain was wealthy and powerful in the world because of it.
The Chatterjis Blog 