Category Archives: human rights

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

A Quote from Primo Levi’s “The Truce”

Posted on November 19, 2017 by hnbjr

From the Afterword, “The Author’s Answers to His Readers’ Questions,” If This is a Man/The Truce, Abacus 1979, trans. Ruth Feldman. It is, therefore, necessary to be suspicious of those who seek to convince us with means other than reason, and of … Continue reading →

Posted in human rights, war | Leave a comment

Provoking the Unprovocative: Reactions to Norway

Posted on July 26, 2011 by hnbjr

As Italy goes into total shutdown for August, I have so much work at the day job that it’s literally made me sick for the past three weeks, but spending more than four hours on the phone with lawyers every … Continue reading →

Posted in eu, human rights, immigration, the right in europe | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Osama, Mladic, Berlusconi: rough winds do shake

Posted on June 2, 2011 by hnbjr

May ended up being a very bad month for the intolerant: first Osama bin Laden, then Ratko Mladic, and now Silvio Berlusconi, whose coalition was dealt a serious blow in run-off mayoral elections all over Italy this past week. Of … Continue reading →

Posted in electoral crisis, gypsies, human rights, humor, il cav, immigration, italy, lega nord, roma, the italian left, the italian right | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Duomo & Sarpi: stories behind images

Posted on May 10, 2011 by hnbjr

In an effort to provide a little context for Magdi’s provocative posters, some reading from the archives in order to illuminate exactly what happened: The praying at piazza Duomo was connected to protests against the Gaza War and happened on … Continue reading →

Posted in Bossi, Chinatown, Chinese, eu, freedom, human rights, il cav, immigration, italy, lega nord, maroni, roma, the italian right, the right in europe, Via Sarpi | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Magdi Allam’s Politics of Fear

Posted on May 9, 2011 by hnbjr

Some readers have criticized my use of the word “nutjob” to describe Magdi Allam. That is admittedly an imprecise description of a journalist-turned-demagogue whose views are nativist at best and racist at worst. Like Oriana Fallaci before him, Allam has … Continue reading →

Posted in Bossi, Chinese, gypsies, human rights, il cav, immigration, italy, lega nord, roma, the italian left, the italian right, the right in europe, Via Sarpi | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Life among the Lowly

Posted on May 8, 2011 by hnbjr

Journalist-cum-politican Magdi Cristiano Allam loves Italy, he tells us. The Egyptian-born Italian, who made a publicized conversion to Catholicism, seems quick to absorb Italian values — if rampant, no-holds-barred race baiting is an Italian value.  Going far beyond provocative and … Continue reading →

Posted in Bossi, Chinatown, Chinese, fini, gypsies, human rights, il cav, immigration, italy, lega nord, maroni, roma, the italian right, the right in europe, Via Sarpi | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

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

Vlastimir Đorđević at the Hague

Posted on March 1, 2011 by hnbjr

[youtube_sc url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hw7gNPJI7BY] (Video primarily in Serbian although the judge speaks in English.) Readers of yesterday’s post, which quoted Rory Stewart questioning the ability of the UN and similar organizations to do much of anything, might’ve detected a hint of disappointment. … Continue reading →

Posted in Balkans, human rights, international justice, kosovo, serbia, UN | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Thanksgiving Day post

Posted on November 25, 2010 by hnbjr

You may be thinking of Ben Franklin as you dig into your turkey.  Recall — as a graffito artist in my neighborhood apparently has — that the founding father also noted, as many a revolutionary did, that “they that can … Continue reading →

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