Category Archives: decline of empire

Big and Bad

Posted on July 20, 2024 by hnbjr

Recent events — or the media imagery thereof — put in my mind an old Thomas Pynchon article, “Is It O.K. To Be A Luddite?” from nearly forty years ago. There’s a photo that could go with this, but it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in america, decline of empire, electoral crisis, literature, music, punk rock | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

On Neutrality and Great Powers

Posted on March 31, 2023 by hnbjr

From Henry Adams’ Education of Henry Adams: Minister Adams felt the same compulsion. He bluntly told Russell that while he was “willing to acquit” Gladstone of “any deliberate intention to bring on the worst effects,” he was bound to say … Continue reading →

Posted in america, decline of empire, education, war | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Rebutting Radical Chic…nella Cucina Italiana

Posted on March 24, 2023 by hnbjr

In a fit of radical chic, the Financial Times published Marianna Giusti’s interview with Marxist academic Alberto Grandi, in which the latter “debunks” (a popular activity these days) Italian food traditions, most of which are admittedly as new as Italy’s … Continue reading →

Posted in decline of empire, food, italy | Tagged , | Leave a comment

O King

Posted on January 13, 2018 by hnbjr

On the occasion of the 89th birthday of Martin Luther King this coming Monday, the second movement of Berio’s Sinfonia. Recent headlines, some from my own hometown, remind us America has a long way to go to realize Dr King’s … Continue reading →

Posted in america, decline of empire, human rights, music | Tagged , | Leave a comment

An excerpt from Octavio Paz’s “Mexico and the United States”

Posted on April 8, 2017 by hnbjr

‘Today, the United States faces very powerful enemies, but the mortal danger comes from within: not from Moscow but from that mixture of arrogance and opportunism, blindness and short-term Machiavellianism, volubility and stubbornness which has characterized its foreign policies during … Continue reading →

Posted in america, decline of empire | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Enoch Powell

Posted on June 2, 2011 by hnbjr

Apropos of the histrionic tone towards immigration that Italy’s runoff elections took recently, it’s interesting to take a look at how the issue was approached in Britain 43 years ago by Enoch Powell, the conservative firebrand best remembered for his … Continue reading →

Posted in BBC, Bossi, decline of empire, immigration, italy, lega nord, the italian right, the right in europe | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Italy and Refugees

Posted on March 28, 2011 by hnbjr

As Italy struggles to accept massive flows of refugees from the Arab Spring, one hopes that the G7 country has learned something in last 20 years.  As Berlusconi’s channel report that the refugees are complaining about the quality of food … Continue reading →

Posted in decline of empire, human rights, il cav, immigration, international development, international justice, italy, lega nord, libya, maroni, the italian left, the italian right | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

I thought it was the USA…

Posted on February 19, 2011 by hnbjr

…or just another country? I’m not sure what’s more depressing — the amount of ‘worst’ categories that my adopted country is in, or the amount of ‘worst of the worst’ categories that my native country is in. But something about … Continue reading →

Posted in america, decline of empire, italy | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment