Arundhati RoyThinkers

The Afghan War is being being made out as a mission to topple the Taliban regime and liberate Afghan women from their burqas. We are being asked to believe that the U.S. marines are actually on a feminist mission.

America is like some crazed, bewildered, rich giant bumbling around in a poor area with his pockets stuffed with money, and lots of weapons - just throwing stuff around.

America is the world's 'freeest' country and has the highest number in prison.

Art should be used to fight.

The Bomb is inherently destructive. Just making bombs will destroy us. It doesn't matter whether we use them or not. They will destroy us either way.

Change is coming — another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.

Communism is a failure in the Soviet context for the same reason that 21st market capitalism, American-style, will fail - they both allow too few people to usurp too much power.

Corporate media is, in the US, not the "free press", but a hollow pillar on which contemporary American democracy rests.

The Dam is the temple of secular India and almost worshipped. They are huge, wet cement flags that wave in our minds. They're the symbol of nationalism to many.

Delhi is a secret city, it doesn't hang out its wares. It's like a very deep river. Floating right up on top are the institutions of contemporary power: government, politics, media, and then there's the bureaucracy, the diplomatic missions. But it's also the city of intellectual debate, of protest, it's the city where people from all over the country converge to express their anger. And then, underneath all that, there's this crumbling, ancient city, a confluence of so much history.

Edward Snowden is the thoughtful, courageous saint of liberal reform.