Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Maoists election victory in Nepal
Need for socialist programme to break with landlordism and capitalism The Maoists won a spectacular victory in the Nepalese elections. In a shock for regional and global powers, the Prime Minister as well as ministers of Finance, Defence and the Interior, will now belong to the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) who received over a…
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Tibet erupts!
Brutal crackdown by Beijing regime meets muted reaction from foreign governments Thousands of paramilitary police and soldiers have been deployed in Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, after the most serious protests against Chinese rule for nearly 20 years. More than 80 people have been killed and hundreds injured according to exile Tibetan groups, while official Chinese…
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Darwin: The Origin of Species
Charles Darwin’s ‘The Origin of Species’, first published in 1859, was one of the most influential works of the last Millennium. It is also one of the most controversial works ever produced. Hence it becomes imperative to understand the politics behind those controversies and most importantly the theory behind those controversies, which had a profound…
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Malaysia: General election
Political tsunami’ creates new political landscape The twelfth general election in Malaysia’s history, concluded on 8th March, has changed the political landscape of Malaysia. For the 50 years since independence the country has effectively been a one-party state, thoroughly dominated by the BN (National Front) communal coalition governments. Many have called the election a ‘political…
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Kodaikanal: A struggle against Capitalist hegemony and Economic racism
“Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs (least developed countries)?” wrote Lawrence Summers, the then chief economist of the World Bank, in 1991. He argued that the loss of income due to disablement or death of workers in the LDCs would have a…
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A country on the edge
State and society in crisis Pakistan, even before the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, was gripped by a severe political and social crisis. There are country-wide protests against the price hikes and power shortages. There seems to be no end to the suicide bombings and terror unleashed by the reactionary armed Islamic groups. The state apparatus…
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25,000 textile workers protest against poor wages
Textile workers are on the move again. More than 25,000 textile workers defied a ban on protests in emergency-ruled Bangladesh to demand back pay and bonuses in one of the country’s biggest industrial zones. The workers walked off the job in Tejgoan industrial area in the capital Dhaka and held protests in the streets, forcing…
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Nuclear deal with US provokes crisis
Industry enriches bosses but endangers life and the environment Nuclear deal with US provokes crisis All essential commodity prices in India have sky-rocketed, while the foreign exchange reserve is at its peak. But that does not alter the hunger and squalor facing millions of Indian poor. There is an unprecedented growth in the macro economy…
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British rule in Asia: the poisoned legacy
The British empire dominated South and South East Asia, maintaining its power through the cynical manipulation of ethnic and religious division, alongside brutal repression. It could not, however, hold out against rising workers’ and nationalist movements, particularly after the second world war. As the 60th anniversary of Indian independence approaches, PETER TAAFFE comments on the…
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Violence erupts in Karachi as political polarisation increases
Fifty killed and more than 150 injured Karachi, Pakistan’s biggest city saw its worst political violence in decades on 12 May. Over 50 people were killed and more than 150 injured in clashes and gunfights between the pro-government Muttahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM – a chauvinist reactionary party which primarily bases itself amongst the Mohajir minority)…
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