Catégorie : English

Accueil, English, Politique

The Path to Scottish Independence: from the Treaty of Union to the Brexit fiasco

 “May she sedition hush; And like a torrent rush; Rebellious Scots to crush; God save the Queen”. Thus, ends one of the most famous anthems in the world, that of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Though it may seem merely symbolic, Scotland is here, at the heart of British identity, intimately associated with the ideas of rebellion and dissidence, seditious habits that must be systematically repressed. The political context of Brexit has given the already historically tense – to say the least – Anglo-Scottish relations a dramatic turn: will Scotland remain part of the United Kingdom?  Continuer de lire « The Path to Scottish Independence: from the Treaty of Union to the Brexit fiasco »

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Accueil, Culture, English

American painting : a political instrument?

American painting is very interesting for its plurality and specialty of subjects. For instance, many similarities can be found between French, English or German paintings but American art appears to be very specific from its beginning. From great landscapes to portraits, focusing on the pictural art in America really allows one to understand the wish to build a great independent nation.

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Accueil, Economie & Société, English, Politique

Glyphosate: the poisonous gift that isn’t going anywhere

During August 2018, the jury of a civil Californian trial found Monsanto – acquired earlier this year by the German chemical colossus Bayer- guilty of causing the cancer of Dewayne Johnson, a school groundskeeper. Continuer de lire « Glyphosate: the poisonous gift that isn’t going anywhere »

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Accueil, Conférences, English, Politique, Zap' Int'

The Paris Peace Forum – A level playing field for global governance?

On Monday November 12, queuing to pass the security check of the Grande Halle de la Villette was a long row of seemingly ordinary people chatting in their winter coats. Nothing extraordinary, nothing excessive, the frenzy of the day before had gently faded away. Big speeches, heads of state, grand commemorations of World War I, the flashes of journalist cameras had given place to another … Continuer de lire The Paris Peace Forum – A level playing field for global governance?

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Accueil, English, Fiches de Lecture, Politique

“If I Die in a Combat Zone”: a personal account of the Vietnam War

“Can the foot soldier teach anything important about war, merely for having been there? I think not. He can tell war stories.”

        2018 is a year charged with political symbolism. It marks not only the 50th anniversary of May 1968 in France, but also one of the major events of the Vietnam War: the Tet Offensive, a series of North Vietnamese surprise attacks against South Vietnamese and U.S troops. The offensive is identified as the moment that turned U.S public opinion against the war effort, even though the conflict only officially ended in 1975.

It was in this context that American novelist Tim O’Brien was drafted to serve his country in the summer of 1968. His experience as a foot soldier in Vietnam served as a leitmotiv for most of his works, such as “If I Die in a Combat Zone”, first published in 1973. Through the 23 chapters of the book, we take on the author’s journey from a small town in Minnesota until his final days of military service in the Vietnam War. Continuer de lire « “If I Die in a Combat Zone”: a personal account of the Vietnam War »

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