The Trouble with Carlos
- April 06, 2011
- by
- Matt
I’ve just watched Olivier Assayas’ monumental study of Illich Sanchez Ramirez a.k.a Carlos ‘the Jackal’. It’s an engrossing, compelling and original work, which meticulously portrays Carlos and his world over more than five hours through a patient accumulation of scenes rather than a thrilleresque cliffhanger narrative.
This is no mean feat, given the fact that...
Libya: Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining
- April 05, 2011
- by
- Matt
“This is turning into the best shop window for competing aircraft for years. More even than in Iraq in 2003.”
Reuters on the commercial benefits of the Libyan ‘intervention’ for Western arms companies.
...Worth listening to
- April 04, 2011
- by
- Matt
Worth listening to
Posted on April 3, 2011 by Matt
Just got the new CD “Asfar” (Arabic “Journeys”) by the amazing Palestinian oud players Le Trio Joubran. They are three brothers, the fourth generation of a family of oudmakers and oudplayers, who look cool and sound even cooler. According to one of the brothers ...
Feasting in the Torture Gardens
- April 04, 2011
- by
- Matt
In a fine piece for TomDispatch, Karen Greenberg, director of the Center for Law and Security at NYU analyses a recurring theme in post-9/11 rightwing discourse in the United States; namely the idea that liberal “political correctness” and “excessive tolerance” of Islam have combined to undermine the “war on terror.”
Greenberg relates a recent speech by...
The lady doth protest too much
- March 09, 2011
- by
- Matt
Posted on March 30, 2011 by Matt
Laurie Penny has become the object of much self-righteous outrage for her account of last Saturday”s march in London in the New Statesman. So far her article has generated 482 comments. These numbers are unusual for a Staggers piece, but the tone is not....
Recent Comments