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 commission. In a way, the principle of the separation of powers and of checks and balances is operating in Egypt, whether Montesquieu would […]
Archives for April 2012
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 four lie within you. Translated by Juan Cole from [pdf] Whinfield 114
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 protest. The regime did not, as promised, pull tanks from the streets, so that the crowds were thinner than they might have been. […]
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 news service points out that Iran is suffering 25% to 35% inflation at the moment. Moreover, the Iranian currency has fallen dramatically against […]
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 alongside almost daily statements and calls for action over the abuses meted out on civilians. And yet the violence has continued for more […]
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 Disaster What History Should Teach Us About Blockading Iran By Juan Cole It’s a policy fierce enough to cause great suffering among Iranians […]
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 Sunni parties). The crackdown has left about 83 dead in the past year, and hundreds have been imprisoned. Abd al-Hadi al-Khwajah, a protester […]
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