“According to [Andrew David] Edwards, differing conceptions of money between Britain and the colonies lay at the heart of the imperial conflict. As he presents it, the main differences rely on the ‘temporary’ nature of colonial money versus the ‘permanent’ nature of imperial money, and the fact that colonial money, in his account, had no link to precious metals. Yet these distinctions, while rhetorically powerful, ultimately collapse under scrutiny. The divergences he identifies appears less substantial than he suggests, though—a point that becomes clearer when one considers the broader economic context. Both sides of the Atlantic were, in practice, grappling with the same fundamental constraint: the scarcity and high cost of precious metals.” (04/28/26)
Source: Antiwar.com
by Ivana Nikolić Hughes and Peter Kuznick
“False historical narratives abound in our contentious and divided world, as leaders and complicit historians endeavor to use public understanding of the past to push policies and gain control in the present. One of the most egregious cases is the widely accepted account of the decision by U.S. leaders to drop the atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9 of 1945, respectively. The generally held view, which is frequently taught in schools across the U.S. and beyond, is that the bombings were necessary to save lives, both American and Japanese …. This assessment is not only disputed by the facts, but it ignores the realities of what the bombings meant for the initiation of the Cold War and the future of humanity, in a world long awash with civilization-ending weapons.” (04/28/26)
“The United Kingdom is set to appeal the High Court’s landmark ruling that the government’s ban on Palestine Action was illegal. The two-day hearing, which begins on Tuesday at the Court of Appeal in London, comes after top judges described the proscription of the direct-action group as a terrorist organisation as ‘disproportionate’ in February. This week’s case marks the latest development in the legal battle between the state and the activist network whose stated mission is to target companies associated with the Israeli military. Since the UK banned Palestine Action last summer, thousands of Britons have participated in a coordinated campaign of civil disobedience, with more than 2,700 people arrested under terror laws for holding up signs reading, ‘I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.’” (04/28/26)
“There’s not a lot to glean so far about Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California. A since-deleted Bluesky account reportedly linked to the suspect included run-of-the-mill criticisms of the Trump administration; he lists himself as a self-employed video game designer and part-time teacher. According to reports, he studied mechanical engineering and computer science, was part of a Christian fellowship, and also a nerdy-sounding club for students to have battles with foam toys. He reportedly donated $25 to ActBlue in 2024 earmarked for Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign. He was a registered voter with ‘no party preference’ in California. From the evidence available so far, the suspect seems to be a normie. Trump’s regime can give rise to a normie suspected assassin because the brutality and violence it has so wholly normalized, and the impunity it has reveled in, is deranging.” (04/27/26)
“There are several important drivers of political violence at work in the U.S. today, according to my own research and research by other scholars. The United States is currently very politically polarized, meaning that Americans are sharply divided against one another along partisan lines. They are suspicious and hostile toward one another, and this produces a tense and volatile environment for politics and public life. This has produced a ‘zero-sum’ environment in which every election and political contest is perceived as a ‘do or die’ moment. There is also a moral dimension to polarization in the U.S. Each side views members of the other party not as merely having a different view on politics but rather as evil or immoral.” (04/27/26)
“Spectacular events — such as this weekend’s attempted assassination of President Trump and his Cabinet in Washington — can tempt us into thinking that ours is an unprecedented moment: uniquely turbulent, uniquely violent. The slightest friendship with a history book, however, gives the lie to such presentism. Case in point: from Hamilton’s death-by-duel to Lincoln’s demise to the JFK assassination, political violence has run parallel to American constitutional stability. Just because some things are historical constants, however, doesn’t mean their essential characteristics remain unchanged.” (04/27/26)
