August 2021
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Hindutva, Asabiya and Apostacy
The author questions comparisons between Hindutva anger over beef-eating and Islamic takfir, arguing that Brahmanical orthodoxy mostly policed ritual purity rather than politics, but that apostasy-style memes could arise within…
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An IPL for field hockey ?
The author argues a sport’s popularity reflects identity and class more than its qualities, and that India could lift field hockey into a global sport with an IPL-style league built…
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India and the medal hunt in the olympics
No Medals For Brown Men.
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The Economic History of the American Empire
Tracing the United States from a rural republic in 1790 to the largest economy, the author argues that American power rests on commodity extraction, construction and manufacturing built up through…
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Open Thread – 08/04/2021 – Brown Pundits
Open thread for 4 August 2021, asking readers about a Twitter claim that ‘Indian American’ culture is basically Punjabi culture, and noting that podcasts go to patrons early.
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Electronic Surveillance; New Frontier
Hamid Hussain surveys state electronic surveillance, from the NSA’s PRISM and the Stuxnet attack to the Pegasus spyware sold by Israel’s NSO, arguing surveillance is now a settled part of…
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Afghan Snake Pit
Replying to a senior Pakistani officer, Hamid Hussain argues that US-Pakistan ties over the next year turn on Afghanistan: Washington wants Pakistan to restrain a Taliban takeover, while Pakistan insists…
