In many articles about ISIS/ IS/ ISIL/ Daesh, I came across the name of William McCants, fellow and director of the Brookings Institute, and his book on Islamic State. As he seemed to be a trustworthy source for many writers on the subject, I wanted to read his book – subtitled The History, Strategy andContinueContinue reading “Why ISIS is so attractive”
Category Archives: Politics
The Hedgehog and the Fox
In this essay on Tolstoy, philosopher Isaiah Berlin argues that there is a fundamental distinction between those who are fascinated by the infinitive variety of things (foxes) and those who relate everything to a central, all-embracing system. The distinction comes from a saying of the ancient Greek poet Archilochus: “The fox knows many things, butContinueContinue reading “The Hedgehog and the Fox”
The Future of Europe
What is to become of Europe, now that it is in the midst of a perfect storm of several crises: recovering from a deep recession, coping with an unprecedented number of asylum seekers and refugees, not being able to protect its borders, terrorist attacks and – as a result – declining trust of its citizens?ContinueContinue reading “The Future of Europe”
De smerigste, slimste en gekste campagnes
Dit boekje belooft ‘alles over de Amerikaanse verkiezingen’, wat enigszins overdreven is. Wel is het een leuk en nuttig overzicht van de smerigste campagnes (de allersmerigste is die van 1856), slimste leuzen (de beste: I Like Ike), zwakste running mates (natuurlijk Dan Quayle) en beste presidenten (FDR). Voor Amerika lovers. 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue – PaulContinueContinue reading “De smerigste, slimste en gekste campagnes”
Kings of War
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xi9vEYbSaMo Indeed a marathon (4,5 hours is by all means long), but our perseverance was rewarded. Visually beautiful, invoking most of our senses (including video, dj, countertenor) this vintage ‘Van Hove’ proved to be a successful way to shed light on the story of power through the lives of three kings of England. Above all,ContinueContinue reading “Kings of War”
What is disruptive innovation?
Sometimes it seems all innovation is disruptive and all start-ups will change our lives, but as this HBR article explains the term is often wrongly used and can be misleading. And – spoiler alert – Uber doesn’t fit the label.
Son of Saul – László Nemes (2015) ****
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWQTfbXLTHQ A beautiful and very touching movie about a member of a Sonderkommando (Jewish prisoners forced to assist the Nazis in processing the remains of the doomed) in Auschwitz. The protagonist, Saul, seeks to give his hellish life some meaning by trying to give a proper Jewish burial to a young boy; an eight yearContinueContinue reading “Son of Saul – László Nemes (2015) ****”
Why our brain is hard-wired to love Trump
Interesting Politico piece arguing we don’t really care about the truth, the reason why so many politicians get away with lies. We are inclined to believe them unless we have a previous reason not to believe them. It’s all about cognitive dissonance. Related, some insight on whether the Republican party will survive the Donald.
Al Qaeda’s youthful new face
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sPY0X8SrLo A chilling inside report of Al Nusra, the Syrian branch on Al Qaeda. Al Nusra is fighting Bashar Al-Assad’s forces and the Islamic State. What broke my heart was watching 8 year olds sing ‘I am going to fight the Jews’ and yelling that Americans will find their grave in Syria. One of the youngest giggles whenContinueContinue reading “Al Qaeda’s youthful new face”
Paris reste debout!
Als ik de metro uitkom op Place de la Republique valt meteen de mensenmassa op die het 19e eeuwse monument omringt. Er zijn camera’s en veel bodyguards – waarschijnlijk is er een beroemdheid of notabele om een krans te leggen. Als ze weer weg is – ik meende een lange bos rasta’s te zien -ContinueContinue reading “Paris reste debout!”
Genocide & a summit
Every year I look forward to IDFA, the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam. From the five documentaries my friend Bart and I saw this year ‘Meru’ and ‘Fog of Srebrenica’ stood out. The first one is a thrilling tale about climbers obsessed with the impossible ascent of peak Meru in the Himalayas – the climbing genreContinueContinue reading “Genocide & a summit”
At war
Since the horrendous attacks in my beloved Paris I’ve been increasing my reading on ISIS, the attacks, jihadism and the Middle-East. Here’s a selection: A Vox article on the gap between true narratives and true facts. “America has not changed Iraq or Syria, but the wars there have indeed changed America” – a long-read ContinueContinue reading “At war”
Oorlog en Kermis – Olaf Koens (2015)
A set of stories about the surreal world Russians, Ukrainians and other former Soviet peoples live in. A world wherein everything and everyone is suspect, where the abnormal is normal and vodka is consumed like water. Although every story is different – from the adventures of Pussy Riot to the incarceration of Greenpeace employees, fromContinueContinue reading “Oorlog en Kermis – Olaf Koens (2015)”
A day in the life of a ‘sensor’ – a drone pilot
Thousands of people have been killed by drones in the last 14 years: in Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia and probably many other countries. This is how such a remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) is operated, from thousands miles away.
Will Angus Deaton’s thinking now become mainstream?
This week Angus Deaton won the Nobel Prize in Economics for his work on development, welfare and poverty. Although he is optimistic about the world as a whole becoming a better place he very much criticizes the West’s attempts to alleviate poverty in developing countries. He even insists that ‘we’ are currently making things worse.ContinueContinue reading “Will Angus Deaton’s thinking now become mainstream?”
The Tyranny of Experts – William Easterly (2014)
This book wants to provoke, to stir debate and eventually change our thinking on how to help the poor. Its great subtitle, Economist, Dictators and the Forgotten Rights of the Poor, is just the start. Easterly main message is that the real cause of poverty is the unchecked power of the state against poor peopleContinueContinue reading “The Tyranny of Experts – William Easterly (2014)”
PEPIJN VAN DIJK 