Tag Archives: Indonesia

Asia is in militaristic turmoil

By our Asian correspondent, Hadrien Levi:

Levi, in this PDF linked below the picture, explores the nature of the conflict in Asia, vastly under reported by Western media. He speculates upon a future not too many years hence where arguments between Asian nations culminate in crisis that’s not only just of confidence.  Levi is an informed analyst on Japan, China, Korea and Indonesia but is disguised under a pseudonym for his own and others’ safety.  ♦

 

 

 

MAGA-2020

The beautiful fountains near Gaja Goa in old Bali

I WAS PARTICULARLY struck by these three maidens, the last time I was in Hindu kingdom, Bali.  Did you know that in 1904 or so, the kshatryiyas there, cheesed off with Dutch rule, walked knowingly into the Dutch guns because it was a matter of honour for the men.  Behind the lines, the women kshatriyas took their own lives. Life under the colonial Dutch was absolutely unendurable, it appears. But it was a matter of honour for the men as they believed in the Hindu dharma.  My driverji stopped once at a Japanese relief – said the Japanese had liberated the nation from the Dutch.  It’s all very sad dot com.

Here is a list of my favourite toons

ONE OF my readers – yeah OK, there’s only one anyway, has asked me for a list of my favourite toons, so I thought I’d take time out to oblige him.

In order, and as I write, they are Aberdeen, Scotland – the place where I was born. Florence, Italy – the place where you can never get a beer, just an ice cream. London, Engerland – which is somehow never boring but always quite dull. Muenchen, which is always awake, even for 24 hours a day and you can always get a drink.

Paris, where the waiters love you if you’ve even a smidgeon of colloquial French. Next up is Barcelona, where you always feel like you’re on the edge between reality and dreams. New York is never dull, but somehow never awake. San Francisco has taken me to its heart – goodness knows why. It’s about the size of Aberdeen but with up-hill and down-hill slopes that make Google Maps risible.

Is that 10 yet? Here’s the list so far.

And here are my 10 least favourite toons.

  • Roma, because it is totally inaccessible
  • Reykjavik, because it’s so predictable you’ll see volcanoes and it will be cold
  • Belfast, Ulster, because you never know what you are supposed to be
  • Manchester, because it’s a shambles
  • Halifax, Yorkshire – because it is part of the Cleckshuddersfax triangle
  • Miami, because it’s a bit of a shambles too
  • Berlin, it gets really cold there
  • Hangover (Hannover) because it is the home of hateful CeBIT
  • Wankum, ‘cos I never want to go there
  • Boston, ‘cos I met so many snotty people there with funny voices

totalwankumOf course the lists can be added to and subtracted from. But these are a few of my favourite things.