Author Archives: Laleh Khalili

The Multivalence of Infrastructures II – Rail

Posted on 28 March 2017

I am reading a fascinating article about colonial engineering. Canay Ozden’s fabulous “Pontifex Minimus” is about the British engineer of the Low (or old) Aswan Dam, and the article just drips with all sorts of wonderful quotable sections.  For example, … Continue reading →

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The Multivalence of Infrastructure I – Roads

Posted on 28 March 2017

As always Paul Rabinow’s French Modern is an extraordinary reminder of how transport infrastructures serve functions at once military and commercial – and in fact “war, commerce, and transit” (in Paul Nizan’s memorable phrase) cannot be prised apart. Here is Rabinow … Continue reading →

Posted in empire, empire, imperialism & colonialism, imperialism & colonialism, infrastructure, transport, Uncategorized, war | Leave a comment

Logistic Routes and the Détente

Posted on 28 March 2017

Reading an interesting article on the alignment of USSE with Siad Barré’s regime in Somalia from 1969 onwards and it has some interesting tidbits having to do with military logistics and transport.  The article by Gary Payton is standard Cold … Continue reading →

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Labour and Capital

Posted on 27 March 2017

From Walter Rodney’s wonderful How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, this passage on the making of infrastructures in Africa: The combination of being oppressed, being exploited, and being disregarded is best illustrated by the pattern of the economic infrastructure of African colonies : … Continue reading →

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Malta-Dubai; 27 August 2016 – Day 18, Arrival

Posted on 1 March 2017

     

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Malta-Dubai; 26 August 2016 – Day 17, Steaming towards Hormuz

Posted on 1 March 2017

26 August 09.25 (GMT +4) Steaming towards Hormuz Straits The only thing that lightened the monotony yesterday was the alarm at around 10 last night. And the ridiculous conversations between the Iranian ship’s captains on channel 16 (which is supposed … Continue reading →

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Malta-Dubai; 24-25 August 2016 – Day 15-16, The Indian Ocean

Posted on 1 March 2017

24 August 09.15 (GMT+4) Steaming in the Indian Ocean The “rough seas” promised by the weather bulletin appeared somewhere close to 21.00 last night. It really wasn’t all that rough in any case and the rolling was more like being … Continue reading →

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