The world is on the edge of nuclear catastrophe in no small part because of the failure of Western political leaders to be forthright about the causes of the escalating global conflicts. The relentless Western narrative that the West is noble while Russia and China are evil is simple-minded and extraordinarily dangerous. It is an attempt to manipulate public opinion, not to deal with very real and pressing diplomacy.
Category Archives: modernity & modernization
In Appreciation of Professor Riaz Hassan: Two Accolades as Vale
ONE …. Joanne Barker: A Memory about RIAZ HASSAN
From 1992-2006 I worked at Flinders University in various positions, finally leaving in 2006 as the faculty general manager of one of the four faculties. In around 1993-4 when I was still in my early 30s and quite new at the university, I came to know Riaz Hassan as one of the professors. He probably didn’t know my name, but he was always kind and smiled and said hello if we passed on campus.
Filed under accountability, Australian culture, centre-periphery relations, communal relations, cultural transmission, economic processes, education, ethnicity, governance, heritage, historical interpretation, Indian religions, Islamic fundamentalism, landscape wondrous, life stories, literary achievements, martyrdom, modernity & modernization, nationalism, performance, politIcal discourse, power politics, psychological urges, religious nationalism, self-reflexivity, social justice, suicide bombing, teaching profession, trauma, truth as casualty of war, unusual people, welfare & philanthophy, working class conditions, world events & processes
Exposing Sachi Sri Kantha: A Tangential Tamil Sniper
Michael Roberts
In presenting an article on Duncan White’s achievement at the World Olympic Games held in London in August 1948, I limited my focus to the 1940s. Sachi Sri Kantha in Japan has often entered comments on Thuppahi items and on this occasion ventured a point-scoring set of remarks on this item. At times these comments have proceeded tangentially to topics straddling the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
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The LTTE’s Remarkable Capacities: Its Air Tigers
Compiled by Kumar Kirinde, Retd Officer of the SLAF, whose chosen title was as follows: “The Air Tigers: The Air Wing of A Terrorist Organisation” …… with information and images sourced from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Tigers and Google Images)
Pirapaharan (ext. left) with Anton Balasingham on his left and KP Pathmanathan in front and Shankar on the extreme right in the Vanni jungles circa 2001(?) … Shankar was in effect the Air Tiger chief
Filed under accountability, anton balasingham, Eelam, historical interpretation, landscape wondrous, life stories, LTTE, martyrdom, military expenditure, military strategy, modernity & modernization, performance, Tamil Tiger fighters, transport and communications, unusual people, war reportage, world events & processes
Power Balancing Moves in Asia: Displacing USA
Scott Ritter in Energy Intelligence, 9 September 2022, with this title “India And China Eye Asian Century”
As the world lurches through the growing pains of massive geopolitical change, the US’ relationship with India will increasingly take center stage. Washington likes to see itself as providing a geopolitical center of gravity that is inherently attractive to nations like India, especially against regional competitors such as China. As the US is about to discover, however, India and China have a shared ambition about who should dominate the Pacific in the coming century, and it doesn’t include the US.
Filed under accountability, american imperialism, authoritarian regimes, centre-periphery relations, China and Chinese influences, economic processes, ethnicity, foreign policy, governance, historical interpretation, Indian Ocean politics, landscape wondrous, military strategy, modernity & modernization, Pacific Ocean issues, politIcal discourse, power politics, propaganda, self-reflexivity, transport and communications, world events & processes
Denmark’s Imperialism in the Past: Its Colonies
Thuppahi Editorial Note:
“Amidst the prominent history of imperial expansion by Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Britain and France, the imperial intrusions (and outrages) by such European nations as Italy and Denmark during the early modern period can be passed over. Senaka Weeraratne in Colombo reminded me of this dimension of the past by sending me the tales of Denmark’s ‘work’ in this arena…. a world arena…. captured in Wikipedia: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danish_overseas_colonies
………… and especially the Maps of Danish colonies/or settlements acroos the world.
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A Tamil Saivite Temple in Australia: Sustaining Community Amidst Linguistic Diversity
A Notice re a NEW BOOK on the negotiation of language and identity in a Tamil Saivite Temple in Australia by NILRUKSHI PERERA
Diversity is a buzzword of our times and yet the extent of religious diversity in Western societies is generally misconceived. This ground-breaking research draws attention to the journey of one migrant religious institution in an era of religious superdiversity.
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Vignettes of Colombo: Some Place Names & the Tramcar
Vinod Moonesinghe
A historical vignette: The Colombo Electric Lighting and Tramways Co Ltd was a British company represented in Ceylon by Boustead Brothers. The Tramways were ready for operations by 1899/1900. This company owned and operated the Pettah Power Station at Saunders Place which supplied the 110 volts DC power to propel the trams.
Filed under architects & architecture, British colonialism, cultural transmission, economic processes, governance, heritage, historical interpretation, island economy, landscape wondrous, modernity & modernization, politIcal discourse, sri lankan society, transport and communications, travelogue, world events & processes
Rejuvenation! The Colts CC Pavilion in Colombo
Jagath C. Savanadasa, in Daily News, 5 September 2022, where the title reads “The beautiful new Colts CC Pavilion – a lasting tribute to a rich history” .… with highlighting added by The Editor, Thuppahi
It’s truly a great tribute to the history of this legendary cricketing institution. the Colombo Colts Cricket Club is due to celebrate 150 years of existence in 2023. The new Colts C.C. Pavilion is one of the best of its kind, if not the best among clubs in the country.
Filed under architects & architecture, art & allure bewitching, British colonialism, cricket for amity, cricket selections, cultural transmission, ethnicity, heritage, historical interpretation, island economy, landscape wondrous, life stories, modernity & modernization, patriotism, performance, politIcal discourse, Sri Lankan cricket, sri lankan society, world events & processes
The West’s Devious Demonization of Russia and China
Jeffrey Sachs, in Pearls and Irritations 24 August 2022 where the title reads thus “The west’s false narrative about Russia and China”
Filed under accountability, american imperialism, British imperialism, centre-periphery relations, China and Chinese influences, conspiracies, economic processes, European history, governance, historical interpretation, landscape wondrous, law of armed conflict, legal issues, life stories, military strategy, modernity & modernization, Pacific Ocean politics, politIcal discourse, power sharing, security, self-reflexivity, slanted reportage, truth as casualty of war, unusual people, war reportage, world events & processes
