Slow Thoughts from Dale du Preez

  • Politics and “National Interest”

    How does one define the “National Interest” for any country? (Does such a thing even exist?) And how does the “National Interest” differ from humanitarian interest? My interest was piqued a while ago by an article in the NYT about how increased regulations regarding proof of citizenship resulted in fewer…

  • Zimbabwe

    The situation in Zimbabwe has been deteriorating even further of late, culminating in well-documented state brutality. But the diplomatic “effort” of other countries have yet to make any impression on Mugabe’s rule. I don’t want to say too much, but will rather let the following video, put together by the…

  • Somewhere in Translation

    I’ve not posted for a while and I apologise for that: I would prefer to post far more frequently. Of late, however, I’ve been thinking about my posts even more than normal. (I chose “Slow Thoughts” for a reason.) If you would prefer not to deal with postmodern angst, you…

  • Conundrum

    I got an email about the BRICK Awards earlier today because I know one of the nominees. The awards are for outstanding individuals making a difference in the world and the twelve recipients of the Brick Awards seem to be making a serious difference. I know that Kimmie Weeks, the…

  • Suggestions for the parents

    My parents are going to be coming to my graduation in a few months’ time, and I want to show them something of the US of A. Neither of them has been to the US before, so just about everything will be new to both of them. Still, in the…

  • Statehood and Violence

    The question of statehood and arbitrary boundaries has really been bothering me of late. In particular, the violence that continues to exist as a result of state boundaries arbitrarily drawn by countries in the West really makes me wonder about the sensibility of retaining many states in their current form.…

  • An Extrapolation of Thoughts from Paul Graham: (Un)Happiness

    If you haven’t noticed the link on my blog to Paul Graham’s website, you should do so now. It’s there for a reason. (Imagine that?!) In all seriousness, though, it really is worth having a look at his site, especially his essays. He’s a well-known essayist who writes about intriguing…