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BANGKOK, Thailand -- After 15 years as an international fugitive ousted in a coup, homesick billionaire ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra returned on August 22, allowing the Supreme Court to sentence him to eight years for corruption and send him under heavy security to Bangkok's grim Remand Prison.

Hours later, in a backroom choreographed arrangement which is still playing out, Parliament ended a three-month deadlock and elected the candidate of Mr. Thaksin's extended party to be prime minister, politically inexperienced real estate tycoon Srettha Thavisin, 60.

Mr. Thaksin's spectacular return may have been in expectation that Mr. Srettha will somehow grant him leniency.

Mr. Srettha, relatively unknown to the public, said he will "improve the living conditions of all Thai people."

The prime minister-elect's name needs the king's endorsement before he can take over.

Mr. Srettha secured the prime ministry only by including, in his 11-party coalition, two political parties -- the United Thai and Palang Pracharath -- linked to the most recent 2014 coup.

Realizing that I’ve been taking something for granted — one grain of infinity — is never an abstraction. It generally happens by whack and wallop.

Oh yeah, the knee. The knee. It’s kind of important.

A crucial part of the realization process is acknowledgment. Maybe even learning something. So, pardon the details I’m about to reveal, but I’m trying to figure out what I may have just learned these past few days, even as I call out to the universe: “Enough!” I don’t want any more life lessons for a while. (Come on, I’m only 77.)

So what happened was, my long-time buddy, Malcolm — we’ve been best friends since 1967 — came to town for a visit last week. Wow, cool. Two long-time-ago hippies on their own in Chicago. The world felt wide open. And I was host. However, the day of his arrival — as I lay in bed that morning — my right knee woke me up with a piercing poke in my consciousness. No, not again!

 
Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, a global cold war has also kicked in.
 
As a strong ally of Washington and the home of a massive constituency of Russian,
Ukrainian and East European Jews, it was only natural that Tel Aviv would be at the heart
of the global conflict.
 
When the war began, Israel was then ruled by an odd coalition, bringing together right,
center and left political parties.
 
These parties were aware of the electoral importance of Israeli Russian Jews, who mostly
arrived in Israel following the collapse of the former Soviet Union in the late 1980s and
early 90s.
 
The sizable and rapidly growing constituency is largely anti-Moscow, as opinion public
polls have demonstrated.
 
These demographics, in addition to Israel's loyalty to Washington, complicated the Israeli
position.
 
On the one hand, Israel voted in favor of a United Nations resolution in March 2022
which condemned Russia. In response, Moscow expressed complete “disappointment” in
Israel.
 
Additionally, Israel opened its doors to Ukrainians and also Russian Jews who wanted to

At first, I admit, I was a bit flattered to learn that online entrepreneurs are selling study guides for my new book. I thought of CliffsNotes from long ago, helping fellow students who were short on time or interest to grasp the basics of notable works. Curiosity quickly won. I pulled out my credit card, paid $9.99 plus tax for one of the offerings, and awaited its arrival in the mail.

 The thin booklet got off to a reasonable enough start, explaining with its first sentence, “The U.S. media coverage that makes it easier to sell wars to the public, as well as the often-hidden cost of civilian casualties from errant U.S. attacks, are all harshly criticized by journalist Solomon.” That wasn’t a bad sum-up of my book.

 But the study guide’s second sentence was not nearly as good: “He guarantees that when Russia designated Ukrainian communities during the new attack, the U.S. media was everyone available and jumping into action with compassionate, piercing revealing.” Rereading that sentence a few times didn’t improve it, and I began to worry.

Racism goes beyond the use of certain words or the discriminatory practices of everyday life. It is also about political perceptions, intellectual depictions, and collective relationships. 

 Consider the way that Africa is currently portrayed in the news. 

 From a political viewpoint, Africa is seen as a totality, and not in a positive way, as in a united Africa. 

 For example, mainstream Western media coverage of the US-Africa Summit, held in Washington last December, presented all of Africa as poor and desperate. The continent, one can glean from headlines, was also willing to pawn its political position in the Russia-NATO conflict, in exchange for money and food. 

 "Biden tells African leaders US is 'all in' on the continent," an Associated Press headline announced on December 15. 

 The phrase 'all in' - a lingo used in Poker when someone is willing to risk it all - was cited many times in the US and Western media.