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Gaza: Right to defend itself?

AVERAGE: What about Gaza and the media? WikiLeaks was early on an important source for revelations about Israel. The dream of driving all non-Jews out of ancient Palestine governed Israel's policy long before there was a Hamas.

Criticism as a role-playing game?

LITERATURE: The informal contexts where one could try and fail without having to stand up for every careless word have shrunk. In Eirik Vassenden's 229-page book about the critic, there are no fewer than 317 question marks. We also ask: Do literary scholars necessarily have any advantage when it comes to human knowledge, life experience or social understanding?

A revolutionary language

PASOLINI: MODERN TIMES prints here the translator's foreword, in connection with our review of Pier Paolo Pasolin's Sao Paolo (Paulus).

"You can end up with the only peace being the graveyard peace."

MODERN TIMES CONVERSATIONS: We talk to the former Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn, the man who could have become Prime Minister of Great Britain, about current issues – such as military rearmament, Ukraine, Israel, climate justice and work, security, democracy, citizens' councils, and not least a hope for the future.

The Western hegemony plans

ISRAEL/UKRAINA: Support for arms to Ukraine and support for Israel are connected. Everyone who in various ways supports the Western expansion plan with support for Ukraine in the ongoing war, in practice supports the Western hegemony plans, which enable Israel's genocide.

When violence becomes the only thing

POWER: According to Hannah Arendt, the use of violence, weapons and bombs renders us politically speechless. Can her particular analyzes of power teach us anything about the violence that is being carried out from and in Gaza today?

Why do we need a peace party in Norway?

FOR: The left-wing parties have put aside international work, the press is a microphone stand for NATO, the peace movement has become toothless – and Norwegians are a nation of cold warriors. Therefore a new party is needed!

Utopias about community

FUTURE: Are we moving towards an international society that takes care of those who fall outside the established working life – and wisely converts today's military industry towards civilian tasks? It is possible that the new BRICS may point the way away from current Western ideology.

When it comes to life

REFUGEES: In Sicily, MODERN TIMES meets Morgan Lescot on the rescue ship Ocean Viking for a conversation about boat refugees, challenges and Europe's responsibility. Is this a tragedy that will only increase?

The Crucifixion of Julian Assange

JOURNALISM: In August, top American journalist Chris Hegdes visited Oslo to discuss Julian Assange's case. Assange has not only risked his career as a brilliant computer expert, but his entire life for the right to let the truth come out.

Towards a greener future at Evvia

FILM FESTIVAL/CLIMATE: In the wake of the catastrophic forest fires on Evvia, the Greek island has had its own film festival, which is fittingly also a meeting point for discussing climate, environment and sustainability.

About the glorification of Nazism

UKRAINE: Monuments and streets in honor of Nazi collaborators and neo-fascists in Ukraine with money from the US and the EU? For example, in cities all over Ukraine, many monuments have now been erected to Bandera – a Ukrainian Nazi collaborator. Or how about the 'Street of Heroes of the Azov Battalion' – a neo-fascist paramilitary formation? Socialist and communist symbols – from the red flag to the performance of the "Internationale" – are prohibited. So are all left-wing parties.

Vampiric overconsumption

WATER: Do we know the figures behind today's water consumption? For example, cotton from the fashion industry accounts for 10 per cent of global CO2 emissions – more than aviation and shipping combined. It costs 2700 liters of water to produce a cotton T-shirt. 140 liters of water to produce a cup of coffee. And one kilogram of beef requires a whopping 14 liters of water. Must we always let capitalism trump the future?

Visions of an alternative lifestyle

COMMUNITY: The need to stem the fear of an uncertain future is great today. Racism, xenophobia, violence and authoritarianism are growing all over the world. We present here some alternatives to this.

Sexualized violence – the war in Ukraine

RAPE: Russian soldiers today systematically use sexualized violence. And these abuses are not just due to 'bad discipline' or abuse of power. Commanders can also use sexualized violence as a kind of reward for their soldiers. Internationally, Russian officials categorically deny that soldiers have committed sexual crimes

With the willing and servile oil country Norway in tow

EQUIPMENT: That the rest of the world, apart from the West, does not stand on the side of Norway, the USA and NATO when it comes to Ukraine today, is not surprising when we know the centuries of looting and colonial times, followed by imperialist wars and Western-backed coups. It is still "war and weapons that create peace" that is the narrative. Stop the race to a possible world war!

When states crush the truth

ADVERTISING: Leaked classified intelligence documents from the White House revealed in April that Ukraine was soon facing a dramatic defeat – quite different from the propaganda we had all long heard. In this essay, our regular writer, John Y. Jones, looks at the many sides of propaganda – as we are today increasingly surrounded by fake news, unsubstantiated claims and politically biased information.

Propaganda in NRK

NORD STREAM: Does NRK allow itself to be led into propaganda? In the Shadow War about the blowing up of the Nord Stream, key information about the strong presence of Western ships is omitted, in order to direct suspicion towards two Russian ships.

Starmer's dirty path to the top of power

ADVERTISING: The documentary The Big Lie is the story of Jeremy Corbyn, Labor and the rot in British politics. Lord Keir, Keir Starmer, threw himself into the fight against his Labor predecessor with an appetite that only Stalin could display in eradicating former party veterans. And when commissioned reports about Corbyn's 'anti-Semitism' could not be confirmed, Starmer's method became to prevent direct dissemination of these. Rather, Starmer's people pulled out opportune parts which they propagandistically spread. Starmer could now become Britain's next prime minister.

MODERN TIMES's seven tips for a good propagandist

ADVERTISING:Learning the art of "lying masterfully" is important for all propagandists

Totalitarianism then and now

iDEOLOGY: By agreeing on a suitable 'enemy', a disintegrated society finds coherence, energy and meaning. A totalitarian propaganda has led to the conclusion that Ukraine will now be allowed to use F-16 jets against the nuclear power Russia – with the major consequences this may entail.

The caricature and the role of satire in information warfare

VISUALLY: Graphic satire has become a weapon. The first 'caricature war' arose between Protestants and Catholics. Caricature is about – also in Ukraine and Russia – increasing morale in one's own ranks by ridiculing the enemy with all possible means and stereotypes – and praising one's own side.

Advantages and disadvantages of plastic

ECOLOGY: On the one hand, plastic replaces more polluting building materials. On the other hand, we have enormous amounts of plastic waste. We have produced 7 billion tonnes of plastic as of today.

Green electricity from Africa

NAMIBIA: Dependence on Russian gas, Putin's war of aggression in Ukraine and provoked supply crises have put energy at the center of European politics. But in Namibia, the plan is now to focus on 'green' electricity where seawater is desalinated and produces hydrogen through electrolysis.

Political thriller from real-life Egypt

ARAB MOVIE DAYS: "Boy from Heaven" is first and foremost a well-composed suspense film, but at the same time gives an exciting insight into religious environments and political lines of conflict in today's Egypt.