Antony Loewenstein

Watching her fade away

Antony Loewenstein — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 20:28:35 +0000

After reading in one day the wonderfully moving memoir by New York Times writer and author David Rieff about his dead mother Susan Sontag - Swimming in a Sea of Death aims to articulate the struggles of a child coping with a parent who simply can’t face the reality of death from cancer - he speaks here about the work:

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Israel’s faulty plan

Antony Loewenstein — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 19:53:49 +0000

Gideon Levy, Haaretz, July 7:

So what is the “great plan”? As things look now, this is the way Israel is planning its future: Every time some Middle Eastern country tries to obtain nuclear weapons, Israel will bomb it. Bomb - and bombard. Beyond the problematic assumption that we are allowed to do what others are not allowed, and what is secure in our hands is dangerous in the hands of others, this kind of conduct will lead to disaster. We tried twice, in Iraq and in Syria, and it worked; it is doubtful it was essential.

Now it seems we are going to try a third time against Iran. It may even be successful, but nothing lasts forever. It will end in catastrophe. From bombardment to bombardment, that is not the way for Israel to establish itself in the Middle East in the long term. But no one discusses the long term beyond tomorrow.

We could and should now discuss the chances, and especially the risks, of an attack on Iran. We usually hold such a discussion, if at all, under impossible conditions: either retrospectively, when it is too late, lacking information or after receiving disinformation. Those in on the secrets are also the ones to make the decision. But those in on secrets always lean in a belligerent direction; war is the only doctrine and craft they know. So it is very dangerous to depend solely on them.

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Oh, baby, what a legacy

Antony Loewenstein — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 09:47:00 +0000

Inspiring is the only word:

Bush Tours America To Survey Damage Caused By His Disastrous Presidency

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Where do ideas come from?

Antony Loewenstein — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 09:41:02 +0000

Thoughts about creativity by one of the world’s finest and most provocative film-makers, David Lynch:

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The censors are coming for us all

Antony Loewenstein — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 09:17:56 +0000

Portugal experiences its first ever blocked blog.

This doesn’t just happen in repressive regimes, anymore.

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What does being Jewish mean to you?

Antony Loewenstein — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 20:31:40 +0000

Jewish architect Daniel Libeskind, world famous designer of the Jewish museum in Berlin and San Francisco, is asked by Heeb magazine how Judaism affects his work:

I wanted to emphasize that Jewish culture is deeply rooted in the past but has always had an incredible horizon of freedom into the future. I wanted to create spaces that simultaneously connect you to history and reinvent history. That, to me, is part of Jewish tradition and I wanted to introduce that concept through not only the design but the use of the building, which is why there are spaces programmed for a multi-purpose room, education spaces, and event areas, not just galleries.

And I wanted it to be obvious that there is a Jewish sensibility to creating such a building. All of it – from the small to the big, both in the design and the way the building operates – is symbolically and truly Jewish. That’s why the area for kids and families is at the center, the front desk welcomes you with both a literal and mystical understanding [lights create the word pardes on the lobby wall behind the front desk] and the museum is located in an urban context. I think all of those things make you think about and consider Jewish culture in America. It’s not merely an appliqué of Jewish truth, it’s an extension of many Jewish themes through architecture.

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Curtailing social networking

Antony Loewenstein — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 08:44:49 +0000

Will Facebook succumb to the Chinese internet censor?

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Putting a smile to your face

Antony Loewenstein — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 20:09:36 +0000

Something to remind us of the emotional power of the web to bring people together from across the globe (read this first):

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

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Navigating the red lines

Antony Loewenstein — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 19:36:34 +0000

A portrait of the film-maker as a young man in Castro’s Cuba.

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Target: Islam

Antony Loewenstein — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:31:56 +0000

Shahid Malik, British minister in the Department for International Development:

I think most people would agree that if you ask Muslims today what do they feel like, they feel like the Jews of Europe. I don’t mean to equate that with the Holocaust but in the way that it was legitimate almost – and still is in some parts – to target Jews, many Muslims would say that we feel the exact same way. Somehow there’s a message out there that it’s OK to target people as long as it’s Muslims. And you don’t have to worry about the facts, and people will turn a blind eye.

Hating Islam and Muslims has become legitimate and encouraged. Can we imagine Jews being treated in the same way?

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