Category
- Africa (96)
- Asia (528)
- Authoritarianism (99)
- Cats (1)
- Culture (333)
- Dehydration (1)
- Democracy (152)
- Dissent (259)
- Economy (431)
- Education (50)
- Elderly (2)
- Energy (729)
- Environment (850)
- Europe (467)
- Featured (1,369)
- fiction (5)
- Food (5)
- Guns (8)
- History (142)
- Human Rights (802)
- Immigration (13)
- International (467)
- Islamophobia (193)
- Juan Cole (264)
- Latin America (28)
- Latinos (3)
- leisure (21)
- media (278)
- Middle East (4,781)
- Arab World (3,517)
- Iran (416)
- Israel (575)
- Israel/ Palestine (1,096)
- Israel/Palestine (8)
- Kurds (173)
- Turkey (282)
- military (101)
- Modernism (1)
- nationalism (86)
- NATO (3)
- Natural Disasters (7)
- nuclear weapons (22)
- Peace (51)
- Persian mythology (1)
- Popular Culture (22)
- Poverty (3)
- privacy (19)
- racism (181)
- religion (584)
- Rights (107)
- Romance (1)
- science (75)
- Secular (West) (7)
- Secularism (18)
- South Pacific (1)
- Spirituality (18)
- Statelessness (14)
- Surveillance (239)
- Terrorism (940)
- Tolerance (2)
- Uncategorized (7,998)
- United Nations (54)
- Urbanization (2)
- US Foreign Policy (388)
- US politics (2,031)
- Anti-War Movement (4)
- Campaign Finance (21)
- Censors (18)
- Central Intelligence Agency (49)
- Civil Rights (74)
- Constitution (205)
- Democratic Party (406)
- Domestic Terrorism (14)
- Drone Warfare (17)
- Espionage (99)
- Ethnicities (183)
- Far Right (106)
- FBI (26)
- Foreign Policy (154)
- Gay Rights (11)
- Guns (39)
- Immigration (90)
- Israel Lobbies (58)
- Militarization (180)
- National Security State (306)
- Native Americans (12)
- Nuclear arsenal (5)
- penitentiaries (5)
- Pentagon (145)
- Police (17)
- prison reform (1)
- Reproductive Choice (7)
- Republican Party (1,085)
- Supreme Court (17)
- Voter suppression (14)
- Whistleblowers (3)
- Xenophobia (4)
- Veterans (15)
- Voting Rights (4)
- War (170)
- Western Religion (295)
- White Supremacists (20)
- wikileaks (8)
- women (171)
- workers (99)
- Writing (5)
- Youth (94)
Archives: May 2012
The Great Landgrab (Oldroyd)
Rachel Oldroyd writes at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism The latest book by science and environment author Fred Pearce is a breezy waltz through a key global problem that has yet to…Omar Khayyam (134) “When life has been drunk to the dregs”
When life has been drunk to the dregs, whether at home or abroad; and its full measure used up, whether it's been bitter or sweet; have some wine, since after you and…How Obama changed definition of ‘civilian’ in secret drone wars (Woods)
Chris Woods writes at the Bureau of investigative Journalism: Two US reports just published provide significant insights into President Obama’s personal and controversial role in the escalating covert US drone war in…My Last Phone Call from Charles Taylor, Or how Qaddafi Plagued Africa (Pirio)
Gregory Alonso Pirio writes in a guest column for Informed Comment: Charles Taylor would call me on regular basis in the early 1990s. It’s not that I was a friend of…The Secret Army inside the Army (Bacevich)
Andrew J. Bacevich writes at Todispatch.com: Unleashed Globalizing the Global War on Terror By Andrew J. Bacevich As he campaigns for reelection, President Obama periodically reminds audiences of his success in terminating…Syria: Famine and Civil War
The Syrian government massacre at Houla has probabaly killed the faltering Annan peace plan, which envisioned a ceasefire between the Syrian Baath army and the rebel Free Syrian Army that would be…Omar Khayyam (135) “You … checkmated the king of Babylon”
Your cheek is fairer than a wild white rose, and your face outshines those China dolls. You flirted with your eyes and checkmated the king of Babylon, after you took his pawns, …In Race against Carbon Catastrophe, Solar Power is Making Strides
The world probably needs to get back to 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere if truly radical climate change is to be avoided. But we are going in…
Code Pink Takes on Obama’s Drones (Woods)
Chris Woods writes at The Bureau of Investigative Journalism: Walk into any US bookstore and the stacks are crowded with hundreds of books on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yet more…
Will Houla be al-Assad’s My Lai? Artillery Massacre of Children in Syria
Syria's military bombarded the town of Houla in Homs province on Saturday, killing 90 persons, including dozens of children, according to opposition sources. The Baath regime in Syria has survived despite 14…
Is the Egyptian 2010s a Replay of the American 1960s?
It now seems clear that the run-off in the Egyptian presidential election will be between Muhammad Mursi of the Freedom and Justice Party (Muslim Brotherhood) and Gen. Ahmad Shafiq, former Aviation Minister…
Egypt’s Presidential Election: Between Revolution and Counter-Revolution
The results of the Egyptian presidential election, held on Wednesday and Thursday, won't be announced until Monday, say official sources in the government. In contrast, the High Electoral Commission is indicating that…Shell’s $4bn lobbying campaign cleared the way for Arctic oil drilling (Ross)
Alice Ross writes at The Bureau of Investigative Journalism: Offshore oil drilling in the Arctic has long been considered off-limits – but as the New York Times revealed . . ., a…
A Memorial Day to Break your Heart (Engelhardt)
Tom Engelhardt writes at Tomdispatch.com: May is the official month of remembrance when it comes to our war dead, ending as it does on the long Memorial Day weekend when Americans typically…Iran, UNSC talks have the effect of Averting War
The meeting of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany (P5+1) with Iran in Baghdad is apparently producing a lot of detailed proposals for resolving the crisis. Apparently…Are Egyptians voting Ideologically?
Interpreting political behavior in a brand spanking new democracy such as Egypt is trying to become is littered with pitfalls, and these are multiplied when dealing with the Middle East. The Muslim…
Americans pay $1 Trillion a year for War and ‘Security’ – Why? (Hellman & Kramer)
Chris Hellman and Mattea Kramer write at Tomdispatch: Recent months have seen a flurry of headlines about cuts (often called “threats”) to the U.S. defense budget. Last week, lawmakers in the House…
Iran-Azerbaijan Tensions, Human Rights Outcry, over Pop Music ‘European Idol’
Iran has withdrawn its ambassador to neighboring Azerbaijan, in part over Baku's hosting of the Eurovision pop singing contest, which the ayatollahs consider to be too sexy for their turbans. Eurovision goes…Israel, Electric Cars, and Existential Threats
Israeli entrepreneur Shai Agassi has launched an Israeli electric car, and also arranged for four recharging stations. Israel is a perfect place for this experiment, since it is a relatively small and…
Israeli Squatters fire with Impunity at Palestinian civilians as Israeli Army watches
The slow civil war in the Palestinian West Bank, occupied illegally by Israel, between the hundreds of thousands of Israeli squatters planted there by the Israeli government and the local people who…
Egypt between the Left, Muslim Fundamentalism, and the Old Regime
The campaigns of the candidates for president of Egypt drew to a close at midnight on Sunday, in preparation for voting on Wednesday and Thursday. On Sunday, al-Shuruq published an opinion poll…
The Great Fracking Catastrophe in Rural America (Cantarow)
Ellen Cantarow writes at Tomdispatch.com If the world can be seen in a grain of sand, watch out. As Wisconsinites are learning, there’s money (and misery) in sand -- and if you’ve…Congress Wants the Department of Defense to Propagandize Americans
Two congressmen are attempting to insert a provision in the National Defense Authorization act that would allow the Department of Defense to subject the US domestic public to propaganda. The bipartisan amendment…
Aleppo Joins the Syrian Revolution: Are al-Assad’s Days Numbered?
The largest demonstrations held in Syria's second city, Aleppo, since the beginning over a year ago of the revolutionary movement in that country, were held on Friday. In part, they were provoked…Frantic Civilian Tweets Map Out US Drone Strikes in Yemen (Woods and Serle)
Chris Woods and Jack Serle write at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism Though the hour was late, Yemen’s social media was still very much awake. A US drone’s missiles had just slammed…NDAA Provisions attacking Freedom of Speech Struck Down
A federal judge has ruled unconstitutional portions of this year's National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which provided for indefinite imprisonment for journalists and activists who reported on organizations deemed 'terrorist' by the…
Time Magazine Cover asks if Bibi Netanyahu will Make Peace… 1996
h/t @AmirmizrochFacebook and the Middle East after the Arab Spring
The Facebook IPO may or may not be a good business investment, but the Facebook phenomenon hasn't faded in one area of the world-- the Middle East. The social networking site, along…Saudi ban on women’s sports blamed for rising obesity (Zambarakji)
Angie Zambarakji writes at The Bureau of Investigative Journalism: A girl’s school in Saudi Arabia has defied a ban on sport for girls by letting pupils play basketball. This comes comes after…Minority Births the Majority? On how the whole idea of White People is Made Up
The news is going around breathlessly that 50.4% of births in the US in the past 12 months were to families categorized as ethnic minorities, presaging the time when 'whites will be…Egypt’s Tantawi Pledges no first Strike Abroad, Fair Elections at Home
Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi addressed Egyptian troops on Wednesday and attempted to raise their morale for praising them as the guarantors of Egypt's security. Al-Masrawi reports: "Field Marshal Tantawi said, "We are…Omar Khayyam (130) On Forgiveness and Falling off the Wagon
I singlehandedly keep this bar afloat. My heart has bled with repentance a couple thousand times. But if I don't go on sinning, what would divine mercy do? He can't bestow forgiveness…
Charges of Afghan Army Torture Prevent British Detainee Transfer (Stickler)
Angus Stickler writes at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism: British troops have been banned from transferring suspected Taliban prisoners to the Afghan authorities because of claims of torture by local forces. The…Top 10 Green Energy Good News Stories Today
1. The Department of the Interior has given the green light to a power transmission line that is intended to bring power from Google, Inc.- backed offshore wind farms in the Northeast…Legalize Pot, Save Public Education, and end Student Indebtedness
College students and graduates in the United States have a debt crisis on their hands, owing a trillion dollars. Some 80% of university students attend public colleges and universities, which were set…Omar Khayyam (129) “No one ever returned”
We travelled far and wide over desert wastes, and journeyed toward the horizon. We never met anyone coming from other direction. When once they set out on that path, no one ever…
Top Ten Ways the US Military can Avoid Teaching Hatred of Muslims
The Pentagon brass are condemning a course on Islam taught at the Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Va., which mischaracterized mainstream Muslim persons and organizations as radical, violent extremists, and called…
US arms Sales to Bahrain Undercut Criticism of Russia, Iran on Syria
You wouldn't think Bahrain and Syria were much linked. Both are Arabic-speaking countries, though about half of Bahrain's residents are non-citizen guest workers who speak anything but Arabic. One is a geographically…
Oil Billionaires Plot Secret Campaigns against Renewable Energy (duh)
The intrepid Suzanne Goldenberg of the Guardian reveals the secret campaign waged behind the scenes by the greasy oil billionaires, the Koch brothers, and other Big Oil interests to fight wind and…
Romneynejad: We didn’t have gays in the 1960s
Mitt Romney, accused of harassing gay students when he was in high school, tried to get out of the charge by pretending that being gay was not a big issue in the…The Egyptian Presidential Debate: It is all about Constituencies
Egyptians watched their first national presidential debate with great interest on Thursday evening. The event, sponsored by two television channels and two newspapers, was preceded by an overview of the concept of…Analysis: Why we must name all drone attack victims (Woods)
Chris Woods writes at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism: Sunday’s death of Fahd al-Quso in a CIA drone strike was a significant US success. The admitted al Qaeda bomber had long been…Bombings shake Damascus, kill 70
The continuing turmoil in Syria turned even more deadly on Thursday morning when two enormous bombs were set off at a government intelligence building in Damascus, the capital. The bombings took place…
The New Energy Wars (Klare)
Michael Klare writes at Tomdispatch.com: The Energy Wars Heat Up Six Recent Clashes and Conflicts on a Planet Heading Into Energy Overdrive By Michael T. Klare Conflict and intrigue over valuable energy…Kenyan police accused of brutal attacks on Somalis (Serle)
Jack Serle writes at the Bureau of Investigative Jounalism: For more than two decades Somalia has been pummelled by a bloody conflict. The country has suffered warlords, invading neighbours, Islamic extremists and…
New Israeli government likely won’t launch Iran attack
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu moved from the far right to just the Right on Tuesday by bringing into his government the center-right Kadima Party, led by Shaul Mofaz. Mofaz has been…Power and Money in America (Noam Chomsky)
Noam Chomsky writes at Tomdispatch.com Plutonomy and the Precariat On the History of the U.S. Economy in Decline By Noam Chomsky The Occupy movement has been an extremely exciting development. Unprecedented, in…
Why India blew Hillary Clinton off about Iran
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in India on Monday that New Delhi can reduce its oil imports from Iran further, pressuring that country to fall in line with unilateral US sanctions…
Sarkozy’s Loss in Part due to his Islamophobia
The bad economy in France and outgoing President Nicolas Sarkozy's refusal to do a stimulus program, preferring instead "austerity," were the primary reasons he lost the election to Socialist Francois Hollande. That…
“Material things kill us painlessly but love revives through torments” (Kahlil Gibran Poster)
From Kahlil Gibran, "The Vision," available at Amazon.com.Palestinian Hunger Games
Some 2000 of the estimated 4600 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons are now hunger striking. Three hundred of them have been deprived of the right of habeas corpus and are being held…Omar Khayyam (103) The sword of fate is sharp
Take care, for the age is in an uproar. Don't be assured, since the sword of fate is sharp. If destiny puts candy in your path, avoid it, since it is poison.
Military-Salafi Clashes in Egypt Injured hundreds, Kill 1 Soldier
The Egyptian military pushed back Friday against largely Salafi protesters, who insisted on attempting to get near to the Ministry of Defense in the al-Abbasiya district. When they tried to cut through…
Romney v. Carter (Jamiol Cartoon)
Courtesy Paul JamiolNo, Virginia, Iran isn’t in Bed with Al-Qaeda (Abbotabad Trove)
The al-Qaeda documents released by West Point's Center for Combatting Terrorism (which needs to be better funded by Congress) show that the whole warmonger meme that Iran and al-Qaeda are in bed…Omar Khayyam (128): Lovers are at home in heaven and in hell
Seekers of the truth look at the lovely and the ugly as the same. Lovers are at home in heaven and in hell. Those who've lost their hearts can dress in satin…Raging Weather & Climate Change (McKibben)
Bill McKibben writes at Tomdispatch.com Too Hot Not to Notice? A Planet Connected by Wild Weather By Bill McKibben The Williams River was so languid and lovely last Saturday morning that it…
Ashton Kutcher ad in Indian ‘Brownface’ Pulled for Racism
Ashton Kutcher's ad for Popchips, playing an Indian character in brown make-up, has had to be pulled over charges of stereotyping and racism, reports ITN: Reaction from Manan Ahmed, @sepoy: Dear US…Top Five Reasons to Celebrate World Press Day (Rice)
Alice Rice writes at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism; alas, the breaking news is that she could have added Tunisia to the list: Today the United Nations highlights the pressures and dangers…
Deaths of Protesters Lead Egyptian Politicians to Suspend Presidential Campaign
Thugs, very possibly backed by the continued military dictatorship in Egypt, attacked protesters at dawn on Wednesday in front of the Ministry of Defense in al-Abbasiya, Cairo, leaving some 20 dead. The…
Almohad Tower of Gold, Seville (Photo)
Photograph by Juan Cole, July 27, 2010 The Torre del Oro in Seville, Spain, was built in the 1200s by the Almohad (Berber Muslim) dynasty to serve as a watchtower to guard…
Collapsing Afghanistan & Pakistan Refuse to Cooperate with Obama Photo Op
President Barack Obama sneaked in and out of Afghanistan by the cover of night, his advance security team clearly too worried about the situation in Kabul to allow him to appear in…
Romney wants to Fight Whole Muslim World, not Concentrate on Bin Laden
Mitt Romney said Monday that of course he would have taken out Bin Laden and that 'even Jimmy Carter would have made that call.' Since Jimmy Carter ordered a brave and risky…