Roland Boer's Blog, page 51

Symposium on Criticism of Heaven and Earth book series

The journalCritical Research on Religionhas recently published a symposium on myCriticism of Heaven and Earthseries. The symposium originally took place as a conference a couple of years ago, although the pieces have been revised. Matt Sharpe, Geoff Boucher and Rory Jeffs offer critical perspectives and I try my hand at a respond. The symposium can also be found at the Critical Research on Religion webpage.

The aggression and provocation of NATO

A comrade at the University of Newcastle, Roger Markwick, has written a great piece on the ‘new cold war.’ A specialist in Soviet and Russian history, he tracks the way NATO’s blatant provocations and aggressive stances are aimed at threatening Russia and how Russia’s responses should be seen in that light. In other words, invade Russia at your own risk. NATO –‘a lethal instrument of the world’s most powerful military machine, harnessed to a predatory, highly developed capitalist system that...

Structural anti-communism

As my research has moved into the complexities of socialism in power, first in the Soviet Union and now in China, I have been struck by what might be called structural anti-communism in many Russian/Slavic Studies and China Studies programs. This is not a comment on individuals who often do excellent work, but on the structural formations of such places. My thoughts on this were initially triggered by Immanuel Wallsterstein’s observation that the disciplines of anthropology and ‘Orientalism’...

A dialectical moment worthy of Hegel’s birthday

As everyone knows, today is Hegel’s birthday (ht cp). And having been struck down with the flu virus that is afflicting all and sundry in these parts, I was reminded of the dialectic arising from the argument from design. To wit, God did not design the intricate and wily variations of the flu virus merely to afflict human beings with misery. Rather, the careful design of the flu virus produces in response very useful narcotics, such as codeine and pseudoephedrine. I have imbibed both this aft...

From Mao to Now: Test video

And here is a sample video to see how I might go. I must admit I like the second one better.

From Mao to Now: On Constructing a MOOC on Chinese Marxism

With the China Road conference over (turned out to be a great event, although it took me a few days to recover – more later), I am turning my attention to producing a MOOC on Chinese Marxism. My paper at the conference concerned precisely this, so I copy the paper below (minus the interviews):

Let me begin with a conversation from earlier this year. I was meeting with the head of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Newcastle.

‘The Vice-Chancellor wants to know if...

Russia and China closer than they have been for a long time

This is the real story of geopolitics at the moment: the increasing rapprochement between China and Russia. I have seen this at first hand in my own way, but when the two countries that make up the vast bulk of the Eurasian landmass get together, it means something. Apart from the belt-road initiative, on which they are working closely, China has neatly stepped in to supply Russia with items banned through EU sanctions, and in September this year they will hold joint naval exercises in the So...

The Greeke beane

Amazing things you find when researching for a book. In this case, I found an item on the Greek bean (broad bean), from Dioscorides and translated by John Goodyer in 1655:

The Greeke beane is windy, flatulent, hard of digestion, causing troublesomme dreames; yet good for the Cough, & breeding flesh being in ye midst of hott and cold. Being sod with Oxymel, and eaten with the shucks, it stayes dysenteries and the fluxes of the Coeliaci, and being eaten it is good against vomiting. But it is ma...

Stalin Collected Works in Russian now available at the University of Newcastle, Australia

The original site for Stalin’s Collected Works – 18 volumes – in Russian has some severe viruses attached to it. So it is now available at the University of Newcastle. This is the only Russian text that has the original pagination included, as well as additional material such as theShort Course and Stalin’s orders during the Second World War.

Trump will win and the world will breath a sigh of relief

As is no doubt the case in other parts of the globe, we have been talking from time to time about the – I admit it – most fascinating US election in recent memory. I am not a fan of bourgeois democracy, especially of the US variety. But the prospect of Trump winning has piqued my interest.

For instance, Julian Assange replied to the question as to whether he prefers Trump or Clinton: “Well, you’re asking me, do I prefer cholera or gonorrhea?” He may be a democratic liberal concerned with acco...