Monday, April 30, 2012
Yesterday, 'pretty large demonstrations were held in Spain 'to protest publicly against budgetary cuts in education and healthcare. The king recently offered apology to the nation for his scandalous hunting trip. The country has reportedly slided back into a double-dip recession as nearly 25'% of Spain's employable men and women are out of job now.
Tungku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim's influence not big
It is now fairly clear that Senator Tungku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim is not as influential as previously believed. Sekarang rakyat boleh fikir sendiri. Undoubtedly, 'Mat Sabu is more representative of folks in the streets.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Vital lesson to be learnt from Eurozone crisis
The impact of the financial crisis in Europe, especially Spain, which is hit the hardest, is multifaceted. The very vital lesson to be learned is that economists and also planners of economy ought to factor in non'-economic considerations in their analyses, discourses or strategising. The most essential and fundamental question is NOT whether for the Eurozone economies to impose austerity measures or not BUT, given the determination to reduce public spending, which categories in the expenditure should be cut so that the budget could be more balanced.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Observations on change & continuity in Spain
Reflections in Spain on a scandalous monarch
Reportedly, many people in Spain have begun to ask critical questions after the very scandalous trip of their king was exposed to the public. Meanwhile, the economic conditions of the country have deteriorated with almost a quarter of the employable men and women out of work.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Historian urges Britons to be proud of empire
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Post-imperial Britain faces new Indian reality
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
P.G. Lim' s autobiography launched in Penang
P.'G. 'Lim attended the soft launch of her autobiography Kaleidoscope in Penang. In her memoirs, she also recalls her life as a diplomat in a very 'historic period when Malaysia was rebalancing 'its foreign policy. A study of Malaysia''s diplomatic history was conducted by the late Dr. Chandran M. Jeshurun and it was published in a book titled Malaysia'- Fifty Years of Diplomacy, 1957-2007 '( Kuala Lumpur, TOP, 2007 ). It is now available in paperback in most bookstores such as Kinokuniya.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Sarawak & Brunei in Britain's colonial archive
The recently released imperial files in Britain are said to have entries on Sarawak as well as Brunei. What happened there and when ? Julian Thompson''s book The Imperial War Museum Book on Modern Warfare provides an account of an 'secret war' there from the perspective of a British military historian. 'How accurate and balanced is the account ? Are there other accounts that have not surfaced for various reasons ? Why did Brunei 'choose' not to join Malaysia like Sarawak (or Sabah) ? It is not immediately known whether there are ''stories'' on Singapore. Certainly, to render the many files intelligible, 'there is a need for an overall context for dots to be made lines '(and lines to form pictures). Seen in this light, 'Julian Thompson''s work is useful although readers may not share his interest and/or worldview when he wrote the book.
US president's father in UK's colonial dossiers
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Britain's imperial history offers useful lessons
Imperial past of Britain under global spotlight
Saturday, April 21, 2012
UK's colonial files 'lost', found & de-classified
The BBC also reported the controversy over Britain's "colonial files" in a recent item. The surviving files could, 'if studied and understood in context, could affect the existing interpretation of history in many of Britain's ex-colonies in Asia, Africa and the Middle East ( West Asia ). These files can be examined with reference to earlier materials, such as Julian Thompson''s The Imperial Museum Book on Modern Warfare. Meanwhile, 'it is not immediately clear whether there are files on the detention of Rashid A. Maidin and hanging of martyr S.A. Ganapathy. Under what circumtances was martyr (William) Kuok Hock Ling shot ?
Friday, April 20, 2012
Batang Kali files said to be 'missing' in Britain
Thursday, April 19, 2012
P.G. Lim recalls her politics in autobiography
King of Spain apologizes over outrageous trip
Spainish monarch Juan Carlos has reportedly issued an unprecedented apology for his elephant-hunting trip in Africa, while his country is hit hard by economic disorders that have caused massive unemployment.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Lessons to be learnt from West's ups & downs
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
King in Spain under fire for controversial trip
Reportedly, Spain' s monarch Juan Carlos is under fire for his hunting trip to Africa while the country is still hit hard by the economic crisis. Spain''s monarchy once ruled much of the central and south Americas as well as the Philippines. Beween 1936 and 1939, a very bloody civil war was fought between the newly set up republican government and fascist forces backed by 'clergies and landlords loyal to the monarchy. The civil war 'ended with the victory of the fascist and restorationist forces, but all the ex-colonies of Spain in central and south Americas have upheld republican polities ever since they gained independence. The Spanish language and culture as well as Catholicism are still well preserved in those republics in the Latin America, such as Argentina.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Multiple impacts of economic crisis in Europe
Now, 'it is abudantly clear that the impacts of the financial trouble in several parts of Europe is multifaceted '('and not only confined to the markets). While there are countries that are hit very hard, there are also other economies which, due to a combination of factors, do well.
Germany's economy under spotlight in Britain
Several countries 'in Europe have been hit hard by financial problems. But, Germany is still doing fairly well or, at least, 'better than Britain. Still,, there is a body of opinion in Britain that questions whether the economic 'model' in Germany is to be emulated by other countries. It is, of course, also pertinent and legitimate to debate the question of how relevant is the British 'model' to other countries, like France and Russia 'where Vladimir Putin 'has been elected as the president again and whose oil-and-gas supply plays a role in the European economies. How Britain sees 'Germany, 'France, Russia and also other nations on earth at this juncture of world history and how it is seen by other can indeed be an interesting focus for observations, studies and debates.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Malaysian legend P.G. Lim's memoirs out now
Legendary barrister and forer diplomat P.G. Lim's autobiography has been published and it is being distributed. Born into a wealthy family, she championed and fought' several just causes' for the downtrodden. Given P.G. Lim's vast experience in politics, diplomacy and practices of law, she must have many exciting stories to share with the nation. Kaleidoscope will certainly enrich our understanding of the Malayan / Malaysian society and its history which is not as simple as it appears in, 'for example, those pretty colourful brochures for foreign tourists.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Port city in Greece uses alternative currency
To live in hard times, some people in Greece have operated a system of alternative currency . It is a form of community solidarity network. What if' the idea becomes attractive to more and more Greek people who are being adversely and seriously affected by the ongoing crisis ?
Hard times in Europe impacts on human lives
The financial crisis in Europe has not only affected the protection and preservation of its cultural heritage but also more tragically impacted on human lives. In the long run, the problems may be over as a result of the working of the "hidden hands" but as Keynes remarked: "in the long run, we are all dead'". In the mid-19th century, Marx had already shown with analyses the destructive tendency of unmanaged market (while he also saw capitalism''s liberating effects vis-a-vis feudalism). At almost the same period, great novelist in England Charles Dickens had also discerned the not-so-rosy sides of the dog-eats-dog system. It is time to understand capitalism with a more balanced perspective. There is a real need to rekindle an intellectual interest in the studies of history and philosophy of economic thoughts in economic faculties as the Cold War was over in 1991 following Soviet Union's dissolution.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Economic woe hits Greece's cultural heritage
Reportedly, the economic crisis in Greece has begun to undermine its ability to protect and preserve its cultural heritage that, in a complex interaction or articulation with the Roman, Judeo-Christian as well as Germanic elements, 'forms the foundation of civilisation in the West. The economic crisis has also caused a criminal riot in England as well as many socio-economic protest movements in other parts of Europe. Also, Europe's law and order is challenged by faith-inspired terrorists, neo'-'Nazis and psychopaths with relatively easy access to small arms. Influx of migrants, whether legal or illegal, from the Middle East and North Africa, which is not in good condition, is an additional concern.
Monday, April 09, 2012
Critical questions for history of science buffs
Clearly, there was no Nobel Prize or any other now globally fairly well'-known international awards in the ancient world. So, what motivated scientists and technologists at that time to think and do great stuff ? What drove ancient Arabs and also Indians to study the stars ? Issac Newton ( 1642-1727 ) died before Nobel was born. Was - or was not - Newton a great scientist ? What led him to learn science ? Why did Nobel ( 1833-1896 ) himself not choose to be a lawyer or theologian ?
Sunday, April 08, 2012
Basic books on Chinese & Western philosophy
British scholar Bertrand Russell's A History of Western Philosophy 'has also been available in Chinese-language edition for a long time. Fung Yu Lan''s A Short History of Chinese Philosophy remains a pretty good reference book for people who are interested 'in comparative studies. Some very well-known universities in China such as Peking and Fudan offer courses' - of various levels - in Chinese and Western philosophy. Philosophy is often made an entry point 'for dialogues of civilizations.
Wednesday, April 04, 2012
P.G. Lim's memoirs to be published very soon
Malaysia' s well-known lawyer and former diplomat Dato' 'P.G. Lim has completed her memoirs in English. It is titled Kaleidoscope. The book ('Petaling Jaya, SIRD, 2012') is going to be printed and launched soon.