Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra
The 250 Year Pregnancy: Will U.S. Democracy Ever Be Born?
by Michael K Smith
https://countercurrents.org/2026/06/the-250-year-pregnancy-will-u-s-democracy-ever-be-born/
As the United States marks 250 years since its founding, Michael K. Smith revisits the origins and evolution of American democracy through a critical historical lens. Examining the exclusionary foundations of the Constitution, the suppression of popular movements, the role of wealth and power in shaping political institutions, and the influence of modern media and corporate interests, he argues that the promise of democratic self-government remains unfulfilled. The article also recovers the radical democratic vision of Thomas Paine, presenting it as an alternative political tradition with continuing relevance for contemporary struggles over equality and democracy.
https://x.com/i/status/2071811148173983973
Because whatever else may be said about him, Donald Trump is the most representative president the U.S. has ever had, in that his absolute shamelessness embodies our collective narcissism to near perfection... – he, and we, are the product of a specialized class of media mind managers which has convinced us that we are the greatest democracy in history, immaculately conceived by philosopher kings in Philadelphia... In other words, reports of an Age of Reason having woven Enlightenment values deep into the fabric of “our democracy” are greatly exaggerated... there was a path not taken advocated by the likes of Thomas Paine,...
https://countercurrents.org/2026/06/the-250-year-pregnancy-will-u-s-democracy-ever-be-born/
Throughout history the West has promoted the unified self. | iai.tv/articles/there… Whether it is the Christian emphasis on inner purity or the rationalist focus on eliminating contradictions in thought and reason, we have long believed that the unified self is a worthy objective. In this article, Kenneth Gergen argues that the desire for self-unity is ultimately mistaken. To adapt to the ever-changing modern world and to work with others to achieve the public good, we must shift our starting point from the fixed unified self to fluid and complex social processes.
https://x.com/i/status/2073096984295088418
New Atheism, Western Hegemony, and the Imperial Calculus
by V A Mohamad Ashrof countercurrents.org/2026/06/new-at…
"New Atheism, Western Hegemony, and the Imperial Calculus" offers a critical examination of the New Atheist movement and its relationship to power, empire, and global politics. Drawing on postcolonial theory, political sociology, and international relations, V.A. Mohamad Ashrof argues that leading New Atheist thinkers often detached religion from its historical and material contexts while overlooking the role of Western militarism and imperial intervention. The article explores debates surrounding secularism, the War on Terror, Palestine, and the legacy of Enlightenment thought, calling for a more historically grounded and politically engaged critique of religion.
https://x.com/i/status/2071475564096184388
Sant Kabir through an Ambedkarite Political-Theoretical Framework: From Ethical Revolt to the Politics of Social Emancipation
by SR Darapuri countercurrents.org/2026/06/sant-k…
This essay reinterprets Sant Kabir through the political and theoretical framework developed by B.R. Ambedkar, examining the continuities and differences between their critiques of social hierarchy. It argues that Kabir’s rejection of caste, religious orthodoxy, priestly authority, and the monopolisation of knowledge constituted an early ethical challenge to systems of oppression. While Kabir sought transformation through moral and spiritual awakening, Ambedkar advanced a programme of social emancipation grounded in constitutional democracy, political organisation, and social justice. Together, they represent two distinct yet interconnected stages in the historical struggle for equality and human dignity.
https://x.com/i/status/2071801471264543083
Rabi Ray at 100: Remembering a Socialist Parliamentarian and Defender of Constitutional Democracy
by Dr Suresh Khairnar countercurrents.org/2026/07/rabi-r…
As India reflects on the birth centenary of former Lok Sabha Speaker Rabi Ray, Dr. Suresh Khairnar revisits the life and legacy of a parliamentarian who dedicated himself to constitutional values, socialist ideals, and democratic accountability. Drawing on personal association and political experience, the article examines Rabi Ray's contributions to parliamentary democracy and places them in the context of contemporary concerns about the functioning of India's democratic institutions. It also reflects on the challenges facing parliamentary governance today and argues for renewed collective efforts to defend constitutional principles and democratic processes.
https://x.com/i/status/2072905363209539691
Kishan Patnaik: A Life of Uncompromising Values and Independent Socialist Thought
by Dr Suresh Khairnar countercurrents.org/2026/06/kishan…
On the 96th birth anniversary of socialist thinker and activist Kishan Patnaik (1930–2004), Dr. Suresh Khairnar reflects on the life and values of one of India’s most original and uncompromising political minds. The article traces Patnaik’s early rejection of communal politics, his lifelong commitment to democratic socialism, his opposition to political opportunism, and his advocacy of alternative development and politics. Drawing on decades of personal association, the author recalls Patnaik’s intellectual independence, moral integrity, and unwavering commitment to safeguarding human values in adverse times.
https://x.com/i/status/2071457967707410527
Subrata Basu (1940–2026): Remembering a Marxist Revolutionary Who Sought Unity Through Struggle
by UCCRI(M-L) countercurrents.org/2026/06/subrat…
The passing of Comrade Subrata Basu marks the end of a long chapter in the history of India's communist revolutionary movement. Active for more than six decades, Basu dedicated his life to the pursuit of people's democracy, socialism and revolutionary unity. This tribute traces his political journey from the upheavals of the 1960s to his later efforts to rebuild relations among communist revolutionary organisations, highlighting his association with Kanu Sanyal, his critique of left adventurism, and his enduring commitment to mass politics and ideological struggle.
https://x.com/i/status/2071484010254246130
The Intellectual Life of TK Oommen
War Europe and the rise of Hindutva in India drove Oommen to embark on a new
intellectual journey, which ultimately extended the scope of sociology in India …
[PDF] Motivational Framing in Networked Publics on Indian Social Media: A Case Study of# HindusUnderAttack
rooted in the use of motivational frames (ie calls to action). Our findings illustrate
three critical insights into framing around #HindusUnderAttack: 1) politically aligned …
Indigenising India's Brahmanical settler/colonial sovereignty in Kashmir
colonial Orientalism, Nehruvian secularism and the current Hindutva project. India’s
settler/colonial project in Kashmir resonates historically with Zionist settler/colonial …
[HTML] International law and the question of minorities in postcolonial states: Past, present and future
of Postcolonial States in International Law by paying attention to his central
argument that the oppression of minorities is deeply rooted in the ‘ideology’ of …
'Re-Reading'Panchatantra: Reflections on Political Conduct in the Animal Fables
This fact, however, opens the possibility of studying the contents of the ‘ancient’. The
study of ancient ideas and literature in India is often plagued with unsatisfactory and …
[PDF] Conceptions of national identity and interreligious contact avoidance in differing domains: A multigroup analysis of majority and minority religious groups in India
national identity were associated with interreligious contact avoidance across
relatively public (neighbours) versus private (marriage) domains among majority …
BJP's philatelic reimagining: envisioning a Hindu nation
2014 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has redefined the ‘symbolic
repertoires’ of India’s official nationalism using the visual iconography of postage …
Revisiting the Kartabhaja Tradition of Bengal: An Alternative Conceptual Framework of “Presence” for the Crisis of Present
Hindutva nationalists silently by taking the appeal of Hinduism to a broader audience.
One of the points critics make is that through a partial understanding of history, these …
[PDF] Voices of the Voiceless: Social Transition and Resistance in the Nonfiction of Arundhati Roy
trade liberalization (through GATT/WTO), nuclear ambitions, the rise of Hindutva
politics, and outbreaks of communal violence such as the 1992 Babri Masjid …
[HTML] Casteless queer
queer’ in Nepal and South Asia due to the structural silences that make dialogue
impossible. Drawing on Sharmila Rege’s theorisation of ‘casteless gender’ and …
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