Category: Politics
Whisky, war crimes, and the law: Howard Morrison on justice and power
Had the pleasure of hearing Judge Howard Morrison speak at the University of Greenwich. He’s sharp, direct, and very funny. A man who has stepped between armed factions, drafted laws with a stroke of the pen (literally), and taught Radovan Karadžić how to cross-examine witnesses. He describes himself as a “fully qualified grumpy old man.” Hard to argue.
How Superman captured Hitler and Stalin in 1940
In 1940, Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster crafted a comic strip for Look magazine, portraying the Man of Steel as a World War II hero.
A season of lectures: From petro-aggression to prison reform
Ten years after reading Internal Colonization: Russia’s Imperial Experience, I finally met its author, Alexander Etkind, in person. He gave a brilliant lecture at King’s College London on petro-aggression—when an oil and gas producer attacks a neighbor, often to tighten control over energy transit.
Peter the Great gets a Ukrainian paint job
In Deptford, there’s a monument to Peter the Great crafted by Mihail Chemiakin. Viewing it, much like encountering the artist’s other works, is a challenge that often leaves observers tearful—not from the depth of emotion it might inspire, but rather from its sheer lack of appeal.