In London, efforts to clean the air have become politically weaponized. But the electoral calculations mask real societal issues, such as whether antipollution burdens are falling too heavily on those who can’t afford to pay for it.
When it comes to ancient kingdoms and cultures, who has legitimate claim to use that history to define themselves today? And who, if anyone, are history’s gatekeepers?
You may have read about China’s practice of foot-binding. It’s an ancient custom dating back to the supposedly pleasing aesthetic sense of the 10th century. To improve their marriage prospects, women would bind their feet with bandages from an early age to stunt the growth of them. The tradition was damaging to the development of the body, yet was accepted and practiced. Fortunately, the practice has since been condemned and discontinued.