(March 4, 2015)
The prime minister has been warning for over 20 years that Tehran is close to achieving its pursuit of nuclear weapons.
Archiv: Gesellschaft und Geschichte / society and history
The Shadow Of The Nomenklatura: Corruption, Elite Privilege, And Eroding Trust In Democratic Strongholds
(June 14, 2026
The final decade of the Soviet Union showed how systemic corruption and elite self-enrichment destroy public faith in a governing system. The nomenklatura—the Communist Party’s privileged bosses—enjoyed dachas, special stores, and luxury while ordinary citizens faced shortages and endless propaganda about equality. Scandals like the Uzbek cotton embezzlement exposed billions diverted through falsified records and bribes. This hypocrisy sped up the CPSU’s moral and practical collapse in 1991.
Wer will deutsche Soldaten im Libanon?
(August 14, 2006)
Eine Auflistung der BefĂĽrworter und Gegner der wichtigsten Entscheidung nach dem Irakkrieg
“I’m Not Political” Just Means “I Support The Status Quo”
Politics is pervading every aspect of our experience of life on this planet. Our only volition is in what we choose to do about this inescapable reality.
Der Untertan
»Dieses Buch Heinrich Manns, heute, gottseidank, in aller Hände, ist das Herbarium des deutschen Mannes. Hier ist er ganz: in seiner Sucht zu befehlen und zu gehorchen, in seiner Roheit und in seiner Religiosität, in seiner Erfolgsanbeterei und in seiner namenlosen Zivilfeigheit.« (Kurt Tucholsky)
Saudis consider nuclear bomb
(September 18, 2003)
UN officials said there have been rumours going back 20 years that the Saudis wanted to pay Pakistan to do the research and development on nuclear weapons.
In 1988, Saudi bought from China intermediate-range missiles capable of reaching any part of the Middle East with a nuclear warhead.
Four years ago, Saudi Arabia sent a defence team to Pakistan to tour its secret nuclear facilities and to be briefed by Abdul Qader Khan, the father of Pakistan‘s nuclear bomb.
Die Kunst des Krieges
Jede Kriegführung gründet auf Täuschung. Wenn wir also fähig sind anzugreifen, müssen wir unfähig erscheinen; wenn wir unsere Streitkräfte einsetzen, müssen wir inaktiv scheinen; wenn wir nahe sind, müssen wir den Feind glauben machen, daß wir weit entfernt sind; wenn wir weit entfernt sind, müssen wir ihn glauben machen, daß wir nahe sind.
Lege Köder aus, um den Feind zu verführen. Täusche Unordnung vor und zerschmettere ihn. Wenn der Feind in allen Punkten sicher ist, dann sei auf ihn vorbereitet. Wenn er an Kräften überlegen ist, dann weiche ihm aus. Wenn dein Gegner ein cholerisches Temperament hat, dann versuche ihn zu reizen.
Gib vor, schwach zu sein, damit er überheblich wird. Wenn er sich sammeln will, dann lasse ihm keine Ruhe. Wenn seine Streitkräfte vereint sind, dann zersplittere sie. Greife ihn an, wo er unvorbereitet ist, tauche auf, wo du nicht erwartet wirst.
Der General, der eine Schlacht gewinnt, stellt vor dem Kampf im Geiste viele Berechnungen an. Der General, der verliert, stellt vorher kaum Berechnungen an. So führen viele Berechnungen zum Sieg und wenig Berechnungen zur Niederlage – überhaupt keine erst recht! Indem ich diesem Punkt Aufmerksamkeit widme, kann ich voraussagen, wer siegen
oder unterliegen wird.
What Astrophysics Has Taught Me About Changing the World
None of us is helpless. Our actions—as well as the actions we don’t take—make a real, tangible impact. So, ask yourself: in which direction will you push the world today?
New footage of Palestinians swarming aid trucks entering Gaza
(July 28, 2025)
Footage shared by Turkish outlet TRT showed people climbing onto vehicles, reportedly after the Israeli military paused hostilities to facilitate aid deliveries.
Video shows crowds of Palestinians running towards aid trucks in Gaza
(August 6, 2025)
U.N. convoys have been repeatedly overwhelmed by looters and desperate crowds in recent days, and witnesses say Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire. At least 28 Palestinians were killed overnight and into Wednesday in the Morag Corridor, an Israeli military zone in southern Gaza.
In pictures: Starvation in Gaza
(August 22, 2025)
Editor’s note: This gallery contains disturbing images. Viewer discretion is advised. Some captions in this gallery have been updated to reflect new information regarding the condition of some of the subjects in the photos.
Parts of Gaza are officially experiencing a “man-made” famine, according to a report by a United Nations-backed initiative on August 22.
When and Why Did the Roman Republic Fall? Understanding the Complex Collapse
Sulla‘s Dictatorship: A Precedent for Tyranny
Lucius Cornelius Sulla, a brilliant but ruthless general, became one of the first to exploit this new reality. In the 80s BCE, he marched his legions on Rome – an act unheard of in previous centuries – to oust his political rivals. He then appointed himself dictator, not for a limited term as allowed in emergencies, but with the stated intention of reforming the Republic. His proscriptions, a brutal process of listing enemies of the state who could be summarily executed and their property confiscated, instilled widespread terror and eliminated many of his opponents. Sulla‘s actions were a stark violation of Republican norms. While he claimed to be restoring the Republic‘s authority, his methods effectively demonstrated that military might could override the rule of law and the established political order. He voluntarily relinquished his dictatorship, a move that might have been seen as restoring the Republic. However, the precedent had been set. He had shown that an ambitious general could seize absolute power through force, and that the Republic‘s institutions were vulnerable to such a challenge. This event loomed large in the minds of subsequent generations, particularly Julius Caesar, who would later replicate and exceed Sulla’s actions.
Lebanese Civil War
Among the consequences of the war was the Syrian occupation of Lebanon until 2005; the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon until 2000; the creation of the Hezbollah, a ShiĘżi militia formed to confront Israel and later adapted into a political party and social welfare network; the expulsion of the PLO from Lebanon; and the rebuilding of Lebanon by a handful of businessmen, including the two-time prime minister (1992–98; 2000–04) Rafic al-Hariri. (…)
With Palestinian forces continuing to conduct cross-border raids into Israel, Israel launched a major reprisal attack in March 1978, sending troops into the south of Lebanon as far as the Litani River. The resulting conflict led to the establishment of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)—a peacekeeping force meant to secure Israeli withdrawal and support the return of Lebanese authority in the south—as well as to the creation of the South Lebanese Army (SLA)—a militia led by Saad Haddad and armed and financed by Israel to function as a proxy militia under Lebanese Christian command.
Israel has invaded Lebanon six times in the past 50 years – a timeline of events
(October 1, 2024)
Israel has launched its sixth incursion into Lebanese territory since 1978. Here’s a timeline of how this seemingly unending conflict has evolved.
Jun 1979 – Israeli Invasion of Southern Lebanon, March 1978 -Deployment of UN Peace-keeping Force -Israeli Withdrawal
(June, 1979)
Israel on the night of March 14–15, 1978, launched a major invasion of southern Lebanon with 20,000-25,000 ground troops backed by tanks, artillery, fighter planes and gunboats. The operation was mounted notwithstanding a number of diplomatic moves to forestall an anticipated reprisal attack in reply to the March 11 guerrilla raid on Israel and despite assurances by the Lebanese Government that it was in no way responsible for the Palestinian action[see above].
South Lebanon Army
The South Lebanon Army (SLA) was a Lebanese militia established during the 1975–1976 Lebanese Civil War by Major Saad Haddad, a defected Lebanese Army officer, to secure southern Lebanon against Palestinian fedayeen incursions backed by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).[1] With Israeli military and logistical support, the SLA controlled a border „security zone“ from the late 1970s, evolving into Israel‘s primary local proxy force after Haddad‘s death in 1984, when retired General Antoine Lahad assumed command.[2] Comprising 2,500 to 3,000 fighters drawn mainly from Christian and other non-Shiite communities in a predominantly Shiite region, the SLA conducted patrols, ambushes, and defensive operations alongside the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).[3]
(…)
In May 2000, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak implemented a unilateral withdrawal of Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) from southern Lebanon, fulfilling an election pledge from July 1999 to end the occupation of the security zone by July 2000, though accelerated due to mounting pressures.[64][3] On April 17, 2000, Israel formally notified the United Nations of its intent to withdraw in compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 425, but proceeded without a negotiated agreement with Lebanon or Syria, leaving the South Lebanon Army (SLA) exposed to immediate collapse.[65][28] The withdrawal commenced on May 23 and concluded on May 24, 2000, with IDF forces pulling back to the 1949 armistice line amid rapid disintegration of SLA positions.[66][67]
Aldous Huxley: Schöne neue Welt
(1932)
Und auf einmal begann aus dem Synthetofon eine Stimme zu sprechen. Die Stimme der Vernunft und der Eintracht. Auf dem Tonband lief die synthetische Aufruhrbeschwichtigung Nummer 2 (mittlere Stärke) ab. Unmittelbar aus der Tiefe eines nicht vorhandenen Herzens sagte die Stimme pathetisch: »Meine Freunde, meine Freunde«, sagte das mit so unendlich zartem Vorwurf, daß selbst den Polizisten hinter ihren Gasmasken für eine Sekunde die Tränen in die Augen traten. »Was soll das alles? Warum seid ihr nicht allesamt glücklich und gut miteinander?
Glücklich und gut«, wiederholte die Stimme. »In Frieden, in Frieden.« Sie bebte, sank zu einem Flüstern herab und erstarb für einen Augenblick. »Oh, wie möchte ich euch so gerne glücklich sehen«, begann sie von neuem mit sehnsüchtig eindringlichem Ernst. »Wie gerne sähe ich euch gut! Ich bitte euch, ich bitte euch, seid gut und -«
Nach zwei Minuten hatten die Stimme und die Somadämpfe ihre Wirkung getan. Unter Tränen küßten und umarmten die Deltas einander, immer ein halbes Dutzend Simultangeschwister auf einmal in einer großen Umarmung.
Sogar Helmholtz und der Wilde waren den Tränen nahe.
Ein neuer Vorrat Pillenschachteln wurde aus der Somakammer gebracht, in aller Eile verteilt, und unter den ĂĽberströmenden SegenswĂĽnschen der Stimme zerstreuten sich die herzzerbrechend schluchzenden Dutzendlinge. …
Iraq conflict has killed a million, says survey
(January 30, 2008)
The margin of error in the survey, conducted in August and September 2007, was 1.7 percent, giving a range of deaths of 946,258 to 1.12 million.
ORB originally found that 1.2 million people had died, but decided to go back and conduct more research in rural areas to make the survey as comprehensive as possible and then came up with the revised figure.
Melania Trump shares the spotlight with a robot at an education and technology event
The first lady paused just before entering the East Room while the robot walked around the table with the panelists and took up a position in the center of the room.
It took a moment to scan the audience before speaking.
„Thank you, first lady Melania Trump, for inviting me to the White House. It is an honor to be at Fostering the Future Together‘s global coalition inaugural meeting,“ it said.
„I‘m Figure 03, a humanoid built for the United States of America,“ it continued.
As US Attacks Iran, Daniel Ellsberg Speaks to Us Once More
(March 2, 2026)
“Don’t delegate conscience,” Daniel Ellsberg wrote.
“Most people conform and accept,” he noted. “A minority protest, withdraw. A tiny minority resist, take risks.”
“The temptation is strong to obey powerful men passively and unquestioningly,” Ellsberg observed in 1971, the year he turned himself in for giving the Pentagon Papers to the press and faced the prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison.
He instantly became a pariah among colleagues who’d been his friends at the RAND Corporation, a think tank serving the US war machine. He’d been working there as a strategic analyst before and after a stint at the Defense Department.
“After I released the papers,” he vividly remembered, “some people were afraid to write to me . . . to shake hands with me . . . to receive a phone call from me.” Three years later, his takeaway was: “Accept the risks of freedom and commitment, instead of the risks of obedience and conformity.”
Libyen-Krieg: Neue Sitzung der Schwachmächte im UNO-Sicherheitsrat
(22. März 2011)
Am 19.März, dem Tag des Angriffs von Frankreich, Großbritannien, Kanada, Italien und den USA auf Libyen, wurde in Moskau eine der erbärmlichsten Erklärungen in der russischen Geschichte veröffentlicht (Angriffskrieg gegen Libyen beginnt: Ticker). Das russische Außenministerium von Sergei Lawrow:
“In Moskau bedauern wir diese bewaffnete Intervention im Rahmen der UN Resolution 1973, die hastig beschlossen wurde.”
Die Weltöffentlichkeit konstatiert: Russlands StaatsfĂĽhrung ist ein Haufen Tölpel, dem – wenn er schon nicht lesen kann und deshalb nicht weiss was vor sich geht – selbst das Wort „Veto“ mit einem einfachen Armhochhalten schon zu viel ist. Das Gleiche gilt fĂĽr die Atomschwachmacht China, deren leseunkundige kommunistische Staatspartei immerhin 1.3 Milliarden Menschen herumkommandiert. In der Parteizeitung „People´s Daily“ redete man sich heute nun selbst in ein Gewissen, was man nicht hat (1):
„Die blutgetränkten Gewitter, denen Irak seit acht Jahren unterzogen wurde und das unaussprechliche Leiden seines Volkes sind ein Spiegel und eine Warnung. Die militärischen Attacken auf Libyen, folgend den Kriegen in Afghanisten und Irak, sind das das dritte Mal, dass einige Länder bewaffnete Aktionen gegen souveräne Staaten gestartet haben. Es sollte augenscheinlich sein, dass jedes Mal, wenn militärische Mittel benutzt werden um Krisen zu begegnen, dies ein Schlag gegen die Charta der Vereinten Nationen und die Regeln der internationalen Beziehungen sind.“
Die Weltöffentlichkeit versteht: frĂĽher hiess es in China „Bombardiert das Hauptquartier“, letzten Freitag hiess es „Bombardiert Libyen“ und heute wieder anders herum. Mal sehen, zu was sich Chinas StaatsfĂĽhrung am Donnerstag entscheidet. Vielleicht der Einfachheit halber zu „Bombardiert irgendwas“.
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