The recent launch of the Twenty Years project, on decades of war in Afghanistan, included two major events with Afghan artists, journalists and musicians playing, speaking and considering the recent past and likely future with the Taliban back in charge. Night 1 on 7 October included: MC Afghan-Australian human rights lawyer Diana Sayed, London-based Afghan…
Showing all posts tagged Afghanistan
Twenty Years of the Afghan war
I’m excited to announce the launch of Twenty Years, a project more than two years in the making: Twenty Years is an artistic and journalistic project to assess the legacy of the post 9/11, US-led war in Afghanistan. Originally conceived in 2019 by journalist, author and film-maker Antony Loewenstein and artist Tia Kass alongside Afghans…
Melbourne’s Triple R radio interview on Taliban takeover of Afghanistan
The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has been a humanitarian disaster for many Afghans and yet much of the Western media coverage has ignored the dark reality of 20 years of US-backed war. Here’s my interview this week with Melbourne’s Triple R Breakfasters radio show on the current reality in Afghanistan and the role of imperial…
The dark legacy of the post 9/11 Afghan war
This year is the 20th anniversary of the post 9/11 Afghan war. I was recently asked to speak at an event organised by the Institute of Modern Art in Brisbane, Australia. It was held during an exhibition of amazing Afghan/Australian artist Khadim Ali. In the Q&A, Khadim spoke along with a number of Afghans from…
Stop the rush to war (with China)
I’m happy to have signed this public letter to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison to stop the rush to another war (ie. with China). The letter was written by Australians for War Powers Reform: With multiple military and defence commentators offering increasingly bleak assessments of the possibility of armed conflict, now is the time to…
Accountability in Palestine?
After the recent news that the International Criminal Court made an historic decision to allow its prosecutor to investigate war crimes in Palestine, I was asked by global broadcaster TRT World to comment: Antony Loewenstein, an independent author and film-maker who lived in Jerusalem from 2016-2020, is also happy about the ICC decision. “The recent…
The ugly allure of mining in Afghanistan
My story in Australian outlet Crikey this week: Australia’s second-richest person Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest was in Afghanistan in September to investigate the viability of resource projects in the war-torn country. According to The Australian Financial Review, “Forrest has been travelling to some of the world’s most dangerous nations in search of new resource projects and pursuing philanthropic interests”.…
Disaster capitalism in the age of Covid-19
My 2018 film, Disaster Capitalism, investigates the reality of privatised forces in Afghanistan, Haiti and Papua New Guinea. Last week, the film’s co-producers, Media Stockade, hosted me in a public conversation/Q&A about the film, my book of the same name and how disaster capitalists are exploiting the current Covid-19 moment:
Disaster Capitalism film now streaming on multiple, global platforms
My 2018 documentary, Disaster Capitalism, on people, companies and governments making money from misery in Afghanistan, Papua New Guinea, Haiti and the US, is available to stream on multiple, global platforms. The film is directed by Thor Neureiter, produced by Media Stockade and written/produced by me. Watch the film on Amazon Prime in the US, Australia,…
Murdoch’s Tasmanian newspaper publishes piece on legalising drugs
Tasmania’s Mercury newspaper is the state’s major newspaper and it’s owned by Rupert Murdoch. Today prominent lawyer Greg Barns writes his column in the paper about my new book, Pills, Powder and Smoke: Inside the Bloody War on Drugs, and why the drug war should end: lowens-16092019104600