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Archives: April 2012
Obama: Clark Kent at home, Imperial Superman Abroad (Engelhardt)
Tom Engelhardt writes at Tomdispatch: The Obama Contradiction Weakling at Home, Imperial President Abroad By Tom Engelhardt He has few constraints (except those he’s internalized). No one can stop him or countermand…Saudi-Egypt Crisis Points to Conflict between New Democracies, Old Autocracies
The closure of the Saudi embassy and consulates in Egypt, and the continued demonstrations in Cairo in front of the Ministry of Interior, point to a coming crisis in the Arab world…
Obama Humor at White House Correspondents’ Dinner
This is C-Span's video of President Barack Obama's mostly tongue-in-cheek address at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. "[Hillary] won't stop drunk-texting me from Cartagena." "It's nice to be here in the Hilton…
Sultan Mosque Singapore (Photo)
Photo by Juan Cole, June, 2009 Sultan Mosque, Singapore Constructed 1928 Architect: Denis Santry of Swan and Maclaren Replaced: Mosque of Sultan Hussein, 1824-1826
Israeli Spy Chief Condemns Netanyahu for Iran Hype, Messianism
Former head of Israeli domestic intelligence (Shin Bet), Yuval Diskin, said Friday that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak are misleading the public about Iran: ""They are misleading…Biden to Romney “Dude, you are so 1975” and “If you Plan war with Iran, tell us Now”
Vice President Joe Biden attacked Mitt Romney's foreign policy ideas on Thursday. Romney's policies are to send tens of thousands of troops back into Iraq, and to antagonize Moscow. He had once…A Full Spectrum Confrontation World? (Escobar)
Pepe Escobar writes at Tomdispatch.com: A History of the World, BRIC by BRIC Neoliberal Dragons, Eurasian Wet Dreams, and Robocop Fantasies By Pepe Escobar Goldman Sachs -- via economist Jim O’Neill --…Omar Khayyam (107) “Not every withered Tulip is going to bloom Again”
Have some wine, since you'll be sleeping for a long time underground, lacking a best buddy, or a fast friend or lover. Be careful to tell no one this hidden secret: not…Rubio Calls for War on Iran, Syria– as Israeli Army Rejects Strike
GOP Vice-Presidential hopeful Marco Rubio on Wednesday called for unilateral US military action against Syria and Iran and blamed President Barack Obama for declining to send troops to Syria in the absence…
Obama and Fallon Slow-Jam the Student Debt Crisis
President Barack Obama slow-jams the news with NBC Late Night's Jimmy Fallon, slamming Republicans for doubling the interest on government Stafford student loans.CIA Drone Killing of Non-Combatants Detailed in British Court (Woods)
Chris Woods writes at The Bureau of Investigative Journalism: A major case in the British High Court has revealed fresh evidence of civilian deaths during a notorious CIA drone strike in Pakistan…Omar Khayyam (105) “Wine is melted Rubies”
Wine is melted rubies, and the glass is like a mine. The carafe is the body, and the alcohol its soul. This crystal goblet that laughs with wine was formed from tears…
Top Ten Reasons Israel tried to Censor Bob Simon’s Report on Palestinian Christians
Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren not only called the head of CBS news in an attempt to quash a report on the displacement of Palestinian Christians by the Israeli Occupation of the West…
Top 5 Stories from the Arab Revolutions Today
1. Syrian military forces subjected the Arba'in district of Hama to intensive machine gun fire on Monday, and some 28 civilians were killed by government forces even while UN military observers were…
The Planet has a Fever: Al Gore and Jeffrey Sachs at Granholm
Jennifer Granholm interviews Al Gore and Jeffrey Sachs on carbon dioxide emissions and global climate change. At the liberal Current TV channel. Gore: There are 5 Big Oil lobbyists on Capitol Hill…Was this 16-year-old Drone Victim Really a Terrorist? (Chatterjee)
Pratap Chatterjee writes at The Bureau of Investigative Journalism He walked quietly between his two friends as he entered the conference hall in one of the best hotels in an exclusive enclave…Drones, Drones Everywhere, and now we’ve given them to Iran
The American deployment of its thousands of drones or unmanned aircraft is one dimension of the breakdown of the rule of law. The US sends the spy craft over other countries without…Earth Day means nothing if We Don’t Limit Carbon Emissions
The first observance of Earth Day was March 21, 1970. I was 17, and along with other students at Broad Run High School, went out with garbage bags to clean up the…Yes, MEMRI, there is a Fatwa from Khamenei forbidding Nukes
I'm told that MEMRI, which has its origins in Israeli military intelligence, has put out a statement doubting that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei ever issued a fatwa forbidding nuclear weapons. (MEMRI…Omar Khayyam (104)
Every place you see a rose or red tulip, they are tinted by the blood of a fallen king. Every violet petal that falls to the ground was a mole on the…
Tens of Thousands of Egyptians Demand end to Military Rule
Friday was the Day of Reviving the Revolution in Egypt, writes al-Hayat in Arabic, with tens of thousands of protesters filling Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo. Some 30 political parties participated, including…
War is God’s way… (Rodriguez)
Courtesy Paul Rodriguez Page. This quote appears to come from his stand up routine of 1987 in Los Angeles. It is often misattributed to Ambrose Bierce.
Bahrain: little change since ‘brutal crackdown’ as Formula 1 begins (Serle)
Jack Serle writes at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism Bird shot, tear gas and truncheon-wielding riot police are not the normal accompaniments to a Grand Prix weekend. Heavy with corporate sponsorship and…Bahrain Protests ahead of Formula One Race
Protesters in Bahrain on Thursday came out against the holding of the Formula One Grand Prix on Sunday, and met repression by police, who used stun guns and tear gas to clear…
British and Indian War Dead in Afghanistan, 1838-1843, Honored by Mumbai Church (Photos)
Plaque in the Church of St. John the Evangelist (the Afghan Church), Colaba, Mumbai (Bombay) (Photograph by Juan Cole, March, 2011) Interior of the church: (Photograph by Juan Cole, March, 2011) Number…
Amnesia and Awakening: Israel and the Nakba (Weiss)
Yfaat Weiss writes in a guest editorial for Informed Comment Diachronic Neighbors The 26th of April is this year's Israeli Independence Day. The thoughts expressed here are part of an internal Israeli…
Khamenei’s Fatwa against Nukes (Cenk Uygur Rant)
Cenk Uygur of The Young Turks on the progressive network Current TV gives us an insightful rant on Big TV News' lack of interest in Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's fatwa declaring making,…Will the Egyptian Military Allow the New President to take Office?
Al-Hayat reported that Egypt's military council is making odd demands on the eve of the presidential election scheduled for May 23-24. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) says it wants…
Love Tank
Photograph by Juan Cole at the National Museum of Singapore, June, 2009: "Love Tank by S.Teddy D. (Indonesia) Multiplex, Resin, Metal Structure Approx. 200 x 500 x 650 cm Tanks, synonymous with…Omar Khayyam (99)
Those who sow a bit of reason in their hearts never waste a single moment of their lives. Either they seek divine good pleasure, or they relax and raise a cup. Translated…David Frum on Gasoline Prices and Iran (bzzzt Wrong)
I caught Republican strategist David Frum speaking on Erin Burnett's magazine show on CNN Tuesday evening. I looked, but I couldn't find a transcript yet, so this is from memory. Frum was…Omar Khayyam (117)
It's too bad if a heart lacks fire, and is deprived of the light of a heart ablaze. The day on which you are without passionate love is the most wasted day…
US Embargo of Iran’s Oil Could Lead to Covert Ops, War (Cole @TheAlyonaShow)
Here is my interview on the Alyona Show, RT, regarding the current US and European financial embargo on the sale of Iranian petroleum.How Pakistan Gouges US on Afghan War Expense (Hiro)
Dilip Hiro writes at Tomdispatch.com Taking Uncle Sam for a Ride How Pakistan Makes Washington Pay for the Afghan War By Dilip Hiro The following ingredients should go a long way to…Top Five Green Energy Stories Today
5. France has decided to build 2 gigawatts worth of wind turbines offshore, as its nuclear plants age and updating them or replacing them becomes expensive and unpopular. France gets roughly 80%…
Romney: Poor Women with 2 year olds “Need to go to work” (Hayes)
MSNBC's Chris Hayes busts Mitt Romney on his faux outrage that stay at home moms should be said to be "not working." In fact, apparently it is only rich mothers who are…
Danish Ambassador Asks Israel for Explanation of Assault on Peace Activist (Video)
A group of European peace activists bicycling near Jericho in the Palestinian West Bank were stopped by Israeli occupation forces, and Lt Col Shalom Eisner, deputy commander of the Jordan Valley territorial…Omar Khayyam (118)
The gentle breeze seems to have brought your distant fragrance to my heart; it just abandoned me and went out looking high and low for you. And now it has forgotten all about me. My…
It’s Springtime in Kabul for the Taliban
The Taliban kicked off their spring offensive with numerous coordinated attacks in the capital of Kabul and well as in some provinces. Aljazeera English has video: This sort of tactic makes a…Iran’s Forbidden Nukes and the Taqiya Lie
The Iranian and Chinese teams at the negotiations in Istanbul this weekend between the UN Security Council plus Germany on the one hand, and Iran on the other, are leaking that the…What the Laws of War Allow (Madar)
Chase Madar writes at Tomdispatch.com What the Laws of War Allow Do the WikiLeaks War Logs Reveal War Crimes -- Or the Poverty of International Law? By Chase Madar Anyone who would…
Egypt’s Saturday Night Massacre and the Presidential Race
The election of Egypt's new president to succeed deposed dictator Hosni Mubarak, has taken on increased importance and has become more unpredictable because of the intervention of the judiciary and the electoral…Omar Khayyam (114)
At first I looked for the pen of fate, and the tablet on which it wrote, and heaven and hell in the skies above. Then my teacher guided me, saying that all…
Aurora Light show on Uranus captured by Hubble (Video)
Mashable reports on video from Hubble of aurora light shows on the frozen planet of Uranus.
Tens of Thousands of Syrians Protest Peacefully after Ceasefire, 6 Killed
On the first day since the Baathist regime of Bashar al-Assad maintained that it had accepted a ceasefire with its opposition, tens of thousands of Syrians came out into the streets to…
Mark Twain on Bankers
A banker is a fellow who lends you his umbrella...China hopeful Iran will compromise with the UNSC
China's official Xinhuanet news service is predicting that Iran will compromise with the 5 members of the UN Security Council plus Germany as they meet in Istanbul beginning on Friday. The Chinese…
The Syrian Army’s outlaw Executions (Serle)
Jack Serle writes at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism: Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have published eight formal reports on Syrian human rights violations since the rebellion began. These have appeared…
Washington’s Dangerous Blockade of Iran (Cole at Tomdispatch)
My essay, "Why Washington’s Iran Policy Could Lead to Global Disaster," is out at Tomdispatch.com Go to that site for Tom Englehardt's powerful introduction. Why Washington’s Iran Policy Could Lead to Global…
Bahrain Crisis between Hunger Strike and Grand Prix Boycott
The crisis in Bahrain continues to boil along, despite the harsh crackdown of the Sunni monarchy on the protest movement (made up largely of the Shiite majority, but also supported by some…
Dear CNN: This is not News; *This* is News
Dear CNN: You are in danger of being sued for false advertising, since you characterize yourself as a news channel. Just so you know, this is your home page as I write…Afghanistan’s Taliban – a differing view of drones (Woods)
Chris Woods writes at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism: Scholars Alex Strick van Linschoten, 28, and 32 year old Felix Kuehn have swapped the musty libraries of London for the dusty streets…Egyptian Court throws out Fundamentalist Constitution-writing assembly, Insists on a Representative Body
Egypt's administrative court invalidated the current constituent assembly charged with drafting the new constitution, on the grounds that it is overly stacked with Muslim fundamentalists and is unrepresentative of Egyptian society. The…
Text from Hillary to Santorum: The Front Line of Combat is Not the Best Place for You
h/t to Texts from Hillary and Kevin Lamarque Rick Santorum on women serving in combat: "I think that could be a very compromising situation where people naturally may do things that may…
Amman, Jordan (0111)
Photograph of Amman, Jordan, August, 2008, by Juan ColeThe Afghanistan Syndrome (Engelhardt)
Tom Engelhardt writes at Tomdispatch: The Afghan Syndrome Vietnam Has Left Town, Say Hello to the New Syndrome on the Block By Tom Engelhardt Take off your hat. Taps is playing. Almost…Omar Khayyam (94)
I have no idea if the one who created me placed me among the good in paradise or the hideous in hell. A cup, a sweetheart, and a lute are cash enough…
Syrian Civil War Kills 160, Spills over onto Lebanon, Turkey; Will US Intervene?
Fighting on Monday in Homs and other Syrian cities left some 160 dead on Monday, and, ominously, Syrian troops fired into Lebanon and Turkey, killing 3 persons. The Syrian crisis has escalated…
“Smile” – Tamer Hosny and Shaggy’s Feel-Good Arabic Music Video
Egyptian singing star ("the King of Pop") Tamer Hosny, a late convert to the Egyptian revolution, and Shaggy released this music video, entitled "Smile" a couple of months ago and it is…Omar Khayyam (93)
I am a sinner, where is your acceptance? My heart is dark, where is your light and clarity? If you grant me paradise because of my obedience, that is just a salary.…
Advancing is Perfection (Gibran)
From Kahlil Gibran, "The Vision," available at Amazon.com.US Pentagon Trained Iranian terrorists in Nevada: Hersh
For those who missed this this weekend. The intrepid Seymour Hersh reports at the New Yorker that the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) of the US military gave members of the Mojahedin-e…What We Lost in Iraq and Washington (Van Buren)
Peter van Buren writes at Tomdispatch.com: Left Behind What We Lost in Iraq and Washington, 2009-2012 By Peter Van Buren People ask the question in various ways, sometimes hesitantly, often via a…All Hell is still Breaking Loose in the Arab World, Television is just not Reporting it
5. Several center-left parties in Tunisia have formed a centrist party for the next election. The Progressive Democratic Party only got 16 seats in parliament, despite being a popular party, and it…
Liberty without Thought: Kahlil Gibran
From Kahlil Gibran, "The Vision," available at Amazon.com.British PM Anthony Eden and the Persian Poet Hafiz
"I suppose that anyone with sort of broad European culture has a fairly good idea of Persian history-- he must have-- it's part of our history, as well. And, having been brought…America’s new data center: The Biggest Big Brother of All (TBIJ)
From the Bureau of Investigative Journalism: In the small town of Bluffdale in the Utah desert, the US government is halfway to completing a gargantuan complex designed to store and trawl through…Contemporary Coptic Icon of the Resurrection from Egypt (Wall Painting)
A contemporary Egyptian, Coptic Christian icon of the Resurrection by Adel Nassief: "1994 – The Resurrection – Holy Family Church – Bahir, Egypt" courtesy Adelnassief.net, /frescos For Coptic Christian paintings and icons,…Omar Khayyam (89)
For a whole lifetime, I've made praising wine a constant exercise. I always have its instruments around me. Prude, if reason is your teacher here, cheer up-- for your teacher is my…
Muslim Keyholder of Church of Holy Sepulchre Opens it for Easter Pilgrims
On Good Friday in Jerusalem, religious cooperation among Christians, Muslims and Jews is on display. The key to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is turned by a Muslim family, the Nuseibehs,…
Omar Khayyam sung in Persian by the Kamkaran Group
The Kamkaran group performs Khayyam's poetry in classical style in Tehran:Omar Khayyam (88)
Since we have to go, what is it to exist? What is it to chase impossible ambitions? They'll never pass by anyplace with a sense of well-being. What is it to be…
Videos on the Muslim Brotherhood and the Quest for Power in Egypt
Aljazeera English on the Muslim Brotherhood's Khairat al-Shater and his plans to run for the presidency of Egypt: The USG Open Source Center paraphrased this piece from the Muslim Brotherhood web site…Tomgram: Bill McKibben, How You Subsidize the Energy Giants to Wreck the Planet
Bill McKibben writes at Tomdispatch.com Payola for the Most Profitable Corporations in History And Why Taxpayers Shouldn’t Stand for It Any More By Bill McKibben Along with “fivedollaragallongas,” the energy watchword for…The Paradox of Israeli Politics: Sternfeld
Lior Sternfeld writes in a guest editorial for Informed Comment Israel's center-right Kadima Party has just elected an Iranian-Israeli, Shaul Mofaz, as its leader, in an attempt to position itself to defeat…
Life of Omar Khayyam pt 5 (Documentary)
Fifth and final part of "The Genius of Omar Khayyam" -- the continuing appeal of his poetry and philosophy, and the question of how much of Fitzgerald's Rubaiyat translation is Fitzgerald and…Rafsanjani: Iran does not Want Nukes, Should improve relations with US, Saudi
Former Iranian president Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, gave an interview in a security studies journal recently, and I thought it might be important to share some key passages here. They were translated…Arab spring brings steep rise in US attacks in Yemen (Woods & Slater)
Christ Woods and Emma Slater write at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism: Arab spring brings steep rise in US attacks in Yemen by Chris Woods and Emma Slater Covert US strikes against…Omar Khayyam (85)
A cup full of rose-colored wine is beautiful; the tunes of the lute are lovely. As for the prude who knows nothing of wine, it is beautiful when he is very far…
Life of Omar Khayyam, pt 4 (Documentary)
Part 4 of the "Genius of Omar Khayyam"-- how Edward Fitzgerald's translation became a Western publishing sensation:Why Romney is Lying about the Causes of high Prices at the Pump
After his wins on Tuesday, Mitt Romney is clearly the Republican standard bearer in the 2012 election, and he is already flailing about attempting to find some mud to throw at President…Omar Khayyam (86)
The life of this world without wine and bartender is not happy; without the airs of the Iraqi flute, it is not happy; Whenever I look at the world's condition, its fruits are…Data Mining You: Engelhardt
Tom Engelhardt writes at Tomdispatch.com: Data Mining You How the Intelligence Community Is Creating a New American World By Tom Engelhardt I was out of the country only nine days, hardly a…
Life of Omar Khayyam, 3 (Documentary)
Part 3 of "The Genius of Omar Khayyam", with special attention to the place of the Rubaiyat (Quatrains) in Iranian music:Arab revolutions Continue
5. Tunisia's Muslim religious party, Ennahda, has pledged to retain the secular character of the Tunisian constitution. Leader Rashid Ghanoushi says that the party won't try to make sharia or Islamic canon…Omar Khayyam (87)
Hurry up, for you will be separated from the spirit. You will go behind the curtain of God's mysteries. Have some wine, since you don't know where you came from; be happy,…
Life of Omar Khayyam, Part 2 (Documentary)
Part two of "The Genius of Omar Khayyam"
Iraq Slams Saudis, Qataris for Plans to Arm Syrian Rebels
The meeting of the so-called 'Friends of Syria' group of nations in Istanbul on Sunday produced some heated exchanges over a key issue: whether to arm the Syrian rebel forces. Saudi Foreign…Omar Khayyam (83)
Khayyam, you wove tents of wisdom, but fell into a campfire and suddenly burned up. The scissors of fate severed the guy ropes of your life, and the broker of destiny sold…Tomgram: Michael Klare, Welcome to the New Third World of Energy, the U.S.
Michael Klare writes at Tomdispatch.com: A New Energy Third World in North America? How the Big Energy Companies Plan to Turn the United States into a Third-World Petro-State By Michael T. Klare…
Instruments of War Propaganda (Jamiol Cartoon)
This cartoon courtesy of Jamiol's World. Congratulations to Paul Jamiol on the publication of his book of trenchant editorial cartoons from the past couple of years.
Life of Omar Khayyam, Part 1 (Documentary)
The life and times of a medieval poet and scientist, Omar Khayyam, Part 1, a documentary by Sadiq Saba:Omar Khayyam (75)
That wine which can take on diverse forms in its essence sometimes becomes an animal, sometimes a plant. Don't imagine that its being ever goes away. Its essence is always there even…