Dateline: Dublin, Ireland – IN THIS MOST EUROPEAN OF CAPITAL CITIES,  I have a very effective viewing platform from which to look over all of Europe. But the view can sometimes be very disturbing.

News comes from Germany this week that the first of three big criminal trials involving an extremist, far-right conspiracy has opened in Stuttgart. The defendants are accused of plotting high treason and belonging to a terrorist organization.   Continue reading “Nazis and Other Rightists – An Old Story Resurging” »

I’VE MADE TV DOCUMENTARIES MOST OF MY LIFE. A lot of them are historical. And in those that address contemporary issues, I’ve nearly always felt the need to include some historical background.   Continue reading “Staying Truthful in Documentaries, Even In An A.I. World” »

COMEDY … and … GAZA. Two words that probably don’t sit together too well. But they did come together in this week’s news.

Israel’s military onslaught against the Hamas movement in Gaza, in response to last October’s deadly incursion into southern Israel, and the capturing of hostages, was again the subject of  many swirling media questions.   Continue reading “Media Opp! Issues of War & Peace in Odd Settings” »

THE TABLEAU IS VERY RESONANT. It echoes infamous episodes from an earlier time. Chief Executive Officers of big corporations are lined up, all being sworn in, hands raised solemnly, and then being called to account by our country’s elected representatives.   Continue reading “Social Media’s Harms Condemned But Not Halted” »

THE SLOGAN, AS OFTEN WITH SLOGANS, is provocative, though it lacks precision as well as any subtlety. Appearing overnight, it’s fly-posted now on the streets of many cities, and it says: FREE PALESTINE – END APARTHEID! (See below right) Continue reading “South Africa versus Israel: Many (Under-Reported) Reasons Why” »