Imperial Possessions In The Far East, September 1939

Areas where Buddhism is a major religion and the predominant traditions

“Let’s talk about socialism. I think it’s very important to bring back the idea of socialism into the national discussion to where it was at the turn of the [last] century before the Soviet Union gave it a bad name. Socialism had a good name in this country. Socialism had Eugene Debs. It had Clarence Darrow. It had Mother Jones. It had Emma Goldman. It had several million people reading socialist newspapers around the country. Socialism basically said, hey, let’s have a kinder, gentler society. Let’s share things. Let’s have an economic system that produces things not because they’re profitable for some corporation, but produces things that people need. People should not be retreating from the word socialism because you have to go beyond capitalism."  ..  (Howard Zinn)

The mediterranean coast of Iraq, by The Sun

Labeling the violent acts of those Muslim Others as “terrorism” - but never our own - is a key weapon used to propagate this worldview. The same is true of the tactic that depicts their violence against us as senseless, primitive, savage and without rational cause, while glorifying our own violence against them as noble, high-minded, benevolent and civilized (we slaughter them with shiny, high-tech drones, cluster bombs, jet fighters and cruise missiles, while they use meat cleavers and razor blades). These are the core propagandistic premises used to sustain the central narrative on which the War on Terror has depended from the start (and, by the way, have been the core premises of imperialism for centuries). That is why those most invested in defending and glorifying this War on Terror become so enraged when those premises are challenged, and it’s why they feel a need to use any smears and distortions (he’s justifying terrorism!) to discredit those who do.

Glenn Greenwald (via soupsoup)

Main directions of opiate traffic

Map showing the distribution of slaves in the Southern States, 1860

More info and higher resolutions

Run the Jewels drop some major truth a year after Ferguson

“Riots work.” At least, that’s according to Run the Jewels. In a video exclusive to the BBC, Killer Mike discussed how the events that unfolded on the streets of Ferguson last year forever changed the city for the better. And Ferguson’s own law enforcement actually agrees.

The Spread of Buddhism, Flemming, 1846

The architecture of dissent: Urban design influences how public protests can take root

(Photo: Jason Decrow/AP)

Europe in 800 AD