Category Archives: foreign policy

Cold War Machinations in the Past: Allende & Bandaranaike

Darini Rajasingham-Senanayake, whose chosen title is The Cold War Killing of Ceylon’s Bandaranaike and Chile’s Allende: ‘Operation Colombo’, Culture War and the Disinformation Game”

Decolonizing Global South History and WOKE Film

 Rithika Kodithuwakku as a Tamil Sakkili Woman in Asoka Handagama’s art house rape fantasy which effectively character assassinated Chile’s Poet Laureate, Pablo Neruda in a different sort of ‘Operation Colombo’ to that which followed the CIA backed coup against Democratic Socialist President Dr. Salvador Allende in September 1973

September marks anniversaries in the chilling deaths of two democratically elected Socialist heads of state during the United States’ led Cold War anti-communist crusade that unfolded across the world for almost half a century between: The first assassination of concern here, happened in Colombo, the capital of the geostrategic Indian Ocean island of Ceylon on September 25, 1959.  The second death happened half way across the world in South America– fourteen years after the assassination of Ceylon’s first Socialist Prime Minister S.W.R.D Bandaranaike.

On September 11, 1973, President Salvador Allende, South America’s first Socialist head of state died during a US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), backed coup as military helicopters strafed the Presidential Palace in Santiago de Chile.

Continue reading

2 Comments

Filed under accountability, atrocities, centre-periphery relations, foreign policy, governance, historical interpretation, legal issues, life stories, politIcal discourse, power politics, self-reflexivity, the imaginary and the real, trauma, truth as casualty of war, unusual people, vengeance, world events & processes

The Western Pitch Exposed by Sachs & Mearsheimer

Matt Gable  ….. WATCH    https://www.youtube.com/live/VkS9zukrCFA?si=Un2HLPdhlqRVMLF5

Jeffrey Sachs takes a similar view to mine about the Jolani and General Petraeus meeting at the UN a few days ago. Fast track in this interview to 24’50 and the phrase beginning,  “Switching gears before we go ..” we see the same film clip at the UN of Petraeus expressing deep concern for the hand-chopping head-chopping terrorist Jolani followed by Sach’s readings of Petraeus and Syria.
Sachs    …..  Mearsheimer

Continue reading

Leave a comment

Filed under accountability, american imperialism, arab regimes, authoritarian regimes, centre-periphery relations, citizen journalism, disparagement, foreign policy, historical interpretation, human rights, Jews in Asia, life stories, Middle Eastern Politics, Palestine, politIcal discourse, power politics, truth as casualty of war, unusual people, war reportage, world events & processes

World Political Propaganda TODAY: Revelation vs Deception at the Heights

Matt Gable, in an  email communication ….where The Editor has  taken  the  liberty of inserting his  own  highlights

It is worth watching the first 16 minutes of a presentation  by Rick Sanchez – a Cuban-born US citizen currently living in Moscow and hosting a TV show for RT.  He is a good journalist.  Here, Rick looks briefly at common elements in three recent protests in different regions of the world – Indonesia, Nepal and the Philippines.
We are told all three protests involved students, Gen Z, were social media driven,  and used the same manga pirate flag depicting the Jolly Roger wearing Luffy’s straw hat.

Continue reading

Leave a comment

Filed under accountability, Americna imperialism, atrocities, australian media, British imperialism, centre-periphery relations, disparagement, doctoring evidence, ethnicity, Fascism, foreign policy, historical interpretation, law of armed conflict, legal issues, life stories, news fabrication, Palestine, performance, politIcal discourse, power politics, propaganda, taking the piss, truth as casualty of war, unusual people, world events & processes

USA vs Ceasefire in Gaza !!

‘Archie  S’

The United States vetoed a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Gaza no longer exists.   The UN is a zombie – an impotent bunch of misfits, like a limp dick. One can only feel sorry for the Palestinians. They’ll be turned into cutlets for the “Free World’s” dinner in “the great feast of celebration of democracy, freedom and prosperity” on the blood and bones of Palestinians. It reveals democracies are parasitic that feeds of the bones and blood of others.

Leave a comment

Filed under accountability, atrocities, australian media, centre-periphery relations, citizen journalism, disparagement, ethnicity, Fascism, foreign policy, historical interpretation, human rights, legal issues, life stories, Middle Eastern Politics, military strategy, Palestine, politIcal discourse, power politics, racist thinking, trauma, truth as casualty of war, vengeance, war crimes, war reportage, world events & processes, zealotry

Peter Mayer: Straddling USA-India-Australia via Academia

Michael Roberts

 The world of university lecturers is quite varied and cannot be easily distilled. My experience is mostly based on my years teaching at Peradeniya University n Sri Lanka (1960-62 & 1966-76) and Adelaide University from 1978-2004—besides exposures to the environments in Oxford, Chicago, Heidelberg & Bielefeldt.

I have decided to introduce my TPS readership to some personnel from this highly-variegated field. My first choice has been an easy one: PETER MAYER is an easy man – personable, talented, multi-skilled and well-travelled. As vitally, he is an American who has married an equally personable lady named “Latha” who is from India.

Continue reading

Leave a comment

Filed under accountability, art & allure bewitching, Australian culture, australian media, British colonialism, centre-periphery relations, communal relations, cultural transmission, democratic measures, education, education policy, ethnicity, foreign policy, governance, Hinduism, historical interpretation, Indian Ocean politics, Indian traditions, language policies, Left politics, life stories, modernity & modernization, nationalism, outmigration, politIcal discourse, power politics, racism, religiosity, social justice, teaching profession, terrorism, unusual people, world events & processes

Transforming Gaza …… “The Great Trust”

Outback Aussie

The Great Trust is a 38-page document setting out plans to turn Gaza into a grand American Riveria by constructing over the bones and bodies of Palestinians — hotels, casinos, bordellos, condominiums, golf courses, and million-dollar seaside properties.  America has no legal basis for taking control of Gaza but they want to do it anyway which is why the US and the West support the genocide in Gaza, ethnic cleansing, and if need be the extermination of all Palestinians in Gaza.

VISIT https://www.madamasr.com/en/2025/09/01/news/u/the-38-page-displacement-framework-for-a-tourist-hub-atop-the-rubble-of-gaza/

Palestine and Israel news today on map – Jerusalem today – Israel News today – Palestine News today – israelpalestine.liveuamap.com

Continue reading

3 Comments

Filed under accountability, american imperialism, arab regimes, australian media, authoritarian regimes, centre-periphery relations, citizen journalism, demography, economic processes, ethnicity, Fascism, foreign policy, historical interpretation, human rights, Jews in Asia, legal issues, life stories, military strategy, Palestine, politIcal discourse, power politics, racism, trauma, truth as casualty of war, war crimes, world events & processes

Global Economics & Sri Lanka over the Recent Centuries

Sunil Bastian: “Sri Lankan state in a changing global context”  … a 2025 article presented  here with highlights  imposed by The Editor,  Thuppahi.**

This short article emphasises the need to analyse the Sri Lankan state by placing it in the global context. This means not confining our minds within the borders of the Sri Lankan state. To emphasise this point I would like to point out that the formation of the Sri Lankan state itself was a product of a global phenomenon – British colonialism (see Bastian Sunil (2025) State formation and Conflicts in Sri Lanka. London: Bloomsbury Academic for an analysis of Sri Lankan state formation).

Under British colonialism the entire geographic space of the island was covered by a single unit of territorial power. To administer the territory, the island was divided into spatial units using the directions of a compass. In this way cartography became an instrument of British colonialism. Other techniques of state formation were establishing an administrative structure, a judicial system, a system to collect taxes, regular census and the coercive power of the state to cover the entire island.

Continue reading

1 Comment

Filed under Americna imperialism, authoritarian regimes, British imperialism, centre-periphery relations, China and Chinese influences, commoditification, economic processes, ethnicity, foreign policy, governance, historical interpretation, Indian Ocean politics, land policies, life stories, modernity & modernization, nationalism, politIcal discourse, power politics, security, sri lankan society, transport and communications, world events & processes

For Lankan Researchers: An Oral History Workshop

 

Image description

Image description

This interactive workshop, led by experienced oral historian Gaya Fernando, will introduce participants to the principles, practices, and power of oral history. Tailored for researchers, journalists, documentary producers, and writers, it will explore how personal narratives and community voices can enrich social and political research.

 

The formal session concludes at 12:30 PM, but participants who are interested are welcome to stay on for an informal discussion with Gaya until 3:30 PM.

15th August 2025

 

9.30 AM onwards

 

Leave a comment

Filed under caste issues, centre-periphery relations, communal relations, constitutional amendments, cultural transmission, democratic measures, demography, doctoring evidence, economic processes, education, ethnicity, female empowerment, foreign policy, fundamentalism, gender norms, governance, historical interpretation, human rights, Indian Ocean politics, land policies, language policies, law of armed conflict, Left politics, lettering--history, life stories, literary achievements, modernity & modernization, nationalism, politIcal discourse, power politics, religiosity, self-reflexivity, sri lankan society

Featuring Andrekos Varnava’s Swathe of Political Studies

Andrekos Varnava is a Greek Cypriot and it has been the privilege of Flinders University in Adelaide and Australia-at-large to have him researching and teaching in their various reaches. CYPRUS is in a strategic location in the Eastern Meditteranian and has beenat the centre of many invasions and tussles.

Books by Andrekos Varnava

Exiting War: The British Empire and the 1918-20 moment, 2022
Exiting war explores a particular 1918-20 ‘moment’ in the British Empire’s history, between the F… more 
100 Views

Continue reading

Leave a comment

Filed under accountability, ancient civilisations, art & allure bewitching, australian media, British colonialism, centre-periphery relations, communal relations, democratic measures, demography, economic processes, ethnicity, European history, foreign policy, governance, heritage, historical interpretation, life stories, Middle Eastern Politics, modernity & modernization, patriotism, politIcal discourse, power sharing, religiosity, travelogue, unusual people, war reportage, world events & processes

A Pathway to History: Biographical ‘Hits’ in Thuppahi, 22 July 2025

Michael Roberts

Biographical tales and investigations serve as one pathway to historical enquiry.  Because they resonate with readers interest in their own personal journeys this fascination seems to evoke continuous appeal. The WORD PRESS record of readers hits on items in THUPPAHI confirm this fact. Let me, therefore, provide TPS readers with a list of some of the items that drew at least one reader …. that is one HIT …. today/yesterday.

Continue reading

Leave a comment

Filed under accountability, art & allure bewitching, British colonialism, charitable outreach, communal relations, cricket selections, cultural transmission, discrimination, disparagement, economic processes, education, ethnicity, female empowerment, foreign policy, fundamentalism, governance, historical interpretation, Indian Ocean politics, island economy, landscape wondrous, Left politics, life stories, literary achievements, LTTE, military strategy, modernity & modernization, patriotism, performance, photography, plural society, political demonstrations, politIcal discourse, population, power politics, prabhakaran, press freedom, religiosity, Royal College, self-reflexivity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, slanted reportage, social justice, Sri Lankan cricket, sri lankan society, Tamil migration, Tamil Tiger fighters, teaching profession, terrorism, transport and communications, truth as casualty of war, unusual people