Category Archives: logistics

Marsaxlokk-Jabal-Ali: Besotted with the sea

Posted on 21 February 2015 by

6 February 2015 “For a ship is a bit of terra firma cut off from the main; it is a state in itself; and the captain is its king.” (Melville, White-Jacket – did Conrad plagiarise Melville as I often think … Continue reading →

Posted in Allan Sekula, capital accumulation, infrastructure, labour, literature, logistics, Melville, ports, readings, the sea | 2 Comments

Es Mejor Vivir Asir: Still in Marsaxlokk

Posted on 19 February 2015 by

Marsaxlokk-Jabal Ali; First impressions 4 February 2015; 10.00 Malta time After what seemed like an interminable wait for the transport to take us (myself and three Croatian officers) from the hotel to the port, I am onboard the ship.  I … Continue reading →

Posted in logistics, shipping conditions, transport, Travels | Leave a comment

Marsaxlokk-Jabal Ali: Surmises

Posted on 18 February 2015 by

How will I ever be able to return to life, “circumspect life” in Melville’s words, after that, the “delirious throb” of this research adventure? In his gorgeous opening to Moby Dick, Melville writes, “whenever it is a damp, drizzly November … Continue reading →

Posted in Allan Sekula, logistics, Melville, political economy, the sea, transport, Travels | Leave a comment

The Logistics of War

Posted on 7 January 2015 by

The indispensable National Security Archives has released a memo by Rumsfeld (dated 6 October 2001) that has loads on the logistics of war.  The memo covers Rumsfeld’s visit to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt and Central Asia, in preparation for the invasion … Continue reading →

Posted in empire, imperialism & colonialism, logistics, Middle East, militaries, war | Leave a comment

Ghost ships

Posted on 4 January 2015 by

In the last two weeks, two ships filled to the brim with hundreds of Syrian refugees have been brought in to Italian ports.  The ships seem to have left Eastern Mediterranean, and sailed parallel to the Turkish coast, picking up … Continue reading →

Posted in infrastructure, literature, logistics, Middle East, political economy, ports, shipping conditions, transport, war | Leave a comment

From detention to logistics

Posted on 11 December 2014 by

As I wrote earlier, one of the most amazing sections of Deb Cowen’s amazing book is about how after its closure, Camp Bucca was transformed into Basra Logistics City.  Today, yet another article has come out about how Camp Bucca … Continue reading →

Posted in logistics, Middle East, militaries, war | 1 Comment

Golden Dawn recruited by shipping magnates to break unions

Posted on 19 November 2014 by

‘[Golden Dawn] created battalions against their political opponents, and then they rented them out, to whoever wanted to rent them,” he told Channel 4 News. In one of the most important cases, a network of businessmen active in the shipping industry … Continue reading →

Posted in capital accumulation, infrastructure, labour, logistics, political economy, ports, transport | Leave a comment