by James Carroll | ( Tomdispatch.com) | – – America may be sinking ever deeper into the moral morass of the Trump era, but if you think the malevolence of this period began with him, think again. The moment I still dwell on, the moment I believe ignited the vast public disorder that is now […]
Archives for March 2018
Battle of the billboards as Controversial Saudi crown prince arrives in London
By Brian Whitaker | ( Al-Bab.com) | – – The roadside signs show a bearded man in Arab head-dress with the words “He is bringing change to Saudi Arabia”. Passing drivers, unless they are followers of Middle Eastern politics, may wonder who “he” is, but that doesn’t really matter. The adverts seem to have been […]
George W. Bush tried steel tariffs. It didn’t work
By William Hauk | (The Conversation) | – – President Donald Trump finally followed through on his almost year-old threat to restrict imports of foreign steel. On March 8, the president slapped a 25 percent tariff on the metal, while also putting a 10 percent duty on foreign aluminum. After initially suggesting there’d be no […]
US university demands Palestinian academic not criticise Israel in speech
Middle East Monitor Palestinian academic Hatem Bazian says Arizona State University asked him to sign a contract in which he pledges not to criticise Israel at a university event. Arizona State University is reported to have asked Palestinian academic Hatem Bazian to sign a contract in which he pledges not to criticise Israel at an […]
20,000 Scientists are Deeply Alarmed about Humanity and So should you Be
by Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The “Letter Warning Humanity” from scientists has now been signed by over 20,000 scientists, as The Independent notes. The reason for this alarm is given in these charts: They show alarmingly accelerating carbon dioxide emissions (we were up worldwide again last year), declining access to fresh […]
Saudi Prince: Turkey, Iran & Extremists are ME “Triangle of Evil”
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Egypt’s al-Shuruq newspaper, which tilts liberal and secular, reports on the press conference in Cairo conducted by neophyte crown prince Muhammad Bin Salman, 32 on Wednesday. Bin Salman said that the current “Triangle of Evil” [paraphrasing George W. Bush’s speechwriter David Frum] was Iran, Turkey and […]
Israel passes law to strip residency of Jerusalem’s Palestinians
MWC News | – – Palestinians slam new ‘breach of loyalty’ legislation as ‘extremely racist’ and a violation of international law. Israel’s Interior Minister Aryeh Deri will now have the power to revoke residency of Palestinians in Jerusalem [Reuters] The Israeli parliament has passed a law that allows the minister of interior to revoke the […]
‘These are the keys of this paradise’: how 700 years of Muslim rule in Spain came to an end
By Elizabeth Drayson | (The Conversation) | – – It was the moment which set Spain on a course to become the greatest power in early modern Europe. On January 2, 1492 Abdallah Muhammad bin Ali, or Muhammad XII, known as Boabdil, the last Moorish sultan of Granada and head of the Nasrid dynasty, surrendered […]
ACLU: US Congress ban on Boycotting Israel is Unconstitutional
TeleSur | – – The bipartisan bill was rewritten after criticism by civil rights advocates but it remains challenged by the ACLU. The legal advocacy group American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) announced Tuesday their opposition to a revised draft of a legislation targeting the growing pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. The ACLU criticized […]