In 58 posts with close to 100k words, we shared a lot in 2024! Explore 2024’s biggest geopolitical shifts, cultural battles, and bold insights with Drishtikone’s year in review. See you in 2025! Happy New Year! Be safe!
When you see Russia get into existential war over Ukraine, or Israel bomb Syria or India battle with Pakistan or Bangladesh, it is not because of some whim. It has a historical and geographical context. That is critical to understand for analyzing geopolitics.
Today's twitter threads discuss what makes India India, Premji and his investments, Slave Jail to Iconic University, Intelligence-Social media connivance, how was Bluetooth's named #DrishtikoneNewsletter
“Wander a whole summer if you can...time will not be taken from the sum of your life. Instead of shortening, it will definitely lengthen it and make you truly immortal.” ― John Muir
1. Why India?
Throughout history, India's significance and the very character has been defined by two things: the Himalayas and the Indian Ocean.
Why was that so important?
Because those two things make India a fluke of nature.
A fluke that creates one of the world's most fertile land in the world. To understand this, read this extremely informative thread.
2. Azim Premji and his anti-India University
The details of how Indian billionaires like Premji's money funds some of the most anti-India and anti-Hindu publications and universities has been brought out really well by Rajiv Malhotra ji in his book "Snakes in the Ganga".
This thread from Vijay Patel discusses the hires and their work at Azim Premji University. A must read!
3. Slave jail to an iconic Black University
Slaves jails were places to confine and torture black men, women and kids. One woman Mary Ann Lumpkin, was the African-American widow of a white owner. She inherited a slave jail known for long as Lumpkin's Jail.
And there she opened a school. It became Richmond Theological Institute (formerly Colver) It later combined with Wayland Seminary of Washington in 1899 to form Virginia Union University at Richmond. It is still there.
4. How Intelligence and Social Media firms connived
Bill Evanina, Director of National Counterintelligence and Security Center (Office of the Director of National Intelligence) shares how the US Intelligence community combined with the social media and tech firms to "take stuff down." The combination of government, intelligence and tech firms effectively created a fascist and imperial state.
“What we accomplished the past 2 years…as an integrated, holistic Government effort in PARTNERSHIP with Social Media & Tech Firms is unprecedented”
Worth going through thread.
5. Bluetooth and the Vikings
Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson (or Harald Blåtand Gormsen) was a king of Denmark and Norway. He pushed Christianity in Denmark and consolidated his rule over most of Jutland and Zealand. In 1997, Bluetooth wireless specification design was named after him. Why? Because just like he united the tribes of Denmark into a single kingdom, Bluetooth technology will unite devices. Go figure!
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