Month: November 2016

‘Hail Trump!’ Alt. Right leader Milo Yiannopoulos “Hail Trump, hail our people, hail victory!” The audience’s Nazi salutes grabbed the headlines, but just listen carefully to self-proclaimed ‘Alt. Right’ leader Richard Spencer’s speech to the 19 November annual conference of The National Policy Institute, held at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington D.C. It is truly chilling. ‘Hail Trump!’: White Nationalists Salute the President Elect Video of an alt-right conference in Washington, D.C., where Trump’s victory was met with cheers and Nazi salutes. Daniel Lombroso and Yoni Appelbaum, The Atlantic, Nov 21, 2016 “Hail Trump, hail our people, hail victory!”… More

Messing up on Mahinda Mahinda Rajapaksa meets the people during the 2015 Sri Lankan predsidential campaign It feels a little odd to be sharing my latest Sri Lanka thinkpiece, published this morning, on a day when focus is very much on the other side of the planet. But here it is in any case. Messing Up On Mahinda: Michael Roberts On Eelam War IV Colombo Telegraph, 9 November 2016 As a commentator on Sri Lanka’s civil war Michael Roberts has proved himself as productive and tirelessly self-referential as he is frequently misguided. The latest example comes in his article ‘From… More

An ugly victory Jubilant: President-elect Trump. John Locher AP/Press Association Image This is not a moment when considered analysis or reaction comes easily. But this piece makes a pretty good stab at attempting to understand the phenomenon that is Donald Trump. As Liam Kennedy suggests below: ‘Trump embodies that most American of American archetypes: the huckster or “confidence man”, a figure with a long history in American culture, dating from at least the early 19th century. He is a charlatan whose schemes invariably fail. In the end he skips town, leaving those he has scammed to learn their lesson….. Right… More

Here’s my latest column for The Indian Economist: Was Brexit An Emotional Decision? Has the Brexit referendum only been successful in unleashing rage and violence against different communities in the UK, making everyone including Brits insecure? A recent visit to Britain produced plenty to think about. Over four months since the referendum that delivered a narrow vote in favour of the UK leaving the European Union (EU), the outcome remains a, if not the dominant topic of political discussion. This is hardly surprising given that both the modalities and wider implications of the ‘Brexit’ vote are still being worked out. Mirroring… More