Newsletter 1045
Best of the Moment
Life In Wartime
David Thomson | The New Republic | 29th June 2013
Review of In The Fog, a film by Sergei Loznitsa, about WWII and occupation in Belarus. "It seems to me a masterpiece. This film might have been made in 1945 when the disasters of war were fresh and corpses were everywhere. The fog is the creep of chaos and the loss of belief when occupation has gone as far as madness, stripping every citizen of confidence. It is devastating and immaculate. It is like Tolstoy"
The Middle-Class Revolution
Francis Fukuyama | Wall Street Journal | 28th June 2013
From Tunisia and Egypt to Turkey and Brazil, political turmoil is driven by the failure of governments to meet the rising expectations of the newly prosperous and educated, who want "democracy, individual freedom and tolerance for alternative lifestyles." But while the young and educated may be skilful at protesting, they are "pretty clueless" about forming the broad coalitions needed to underpin stable new regimes
How We Got Pukka
Josephine Livingstone | Prospect | 28th June 2013
Admiring review of Kate Teltscher's abridged edition of Hobson-Jobson: A Glossary of Colloquial Anglo-Indian Words and Phrases: "A lexical snapshot of a truly strange and fascinating moment in world history — the very pinnacle of British imperial dominance over other lands. The most interesting entries include something of the contemporary social mores of colonial British India, while also communicating linguistic mysteries behind common words".
Caught Out: The Scandals Of Indian Cricket
James Crabtree | Financial Times | 28th June 2013
Indian Premier League cricket mixes big money, glamour, and national pride. Trouble is, the money is winning. Illegal gambling rings are corrupting players and managers. "The system is run by a handful of larger syndicates, who work with small teams of freelance bookies. Any tip is useful, from team line-ups to pitch conditions. But the better the information, the better the return, hence gamblers increasingly seeking to bribe cricketers directly"
Video of the day: Z
Thought for the day:
"Originality consists in trying to be like everybody else, and failing"— Raymond Radiguet