2019

(Special to Informed Comment) – President Trump recently reported on another one of those perfect conversations. Jerome Powell and he purportedly talked about interest rates and the importance of keeping them low to maintain a booming economy. Powell of course reported on no such conversation. In any case, however, the imagined conversation highlighted such issues […]

Afghanistan

Is American Exceptionalism Killing the Planet? The Many Abuses of Endless War

William J. Astore

( Tomdispatch.com) – Ever since 2007, when I first started writing for TomDispatch, I’ve been arguing against America’s forever wars, whether in Afghanistan, Iraq, or elsewhere. Unfortunately, it’s no surprise that, despite my more than 60 articles, American blood is still being spilled in war after war across the Greater Middle East and Africa, even […]

Featured

Back to Jim Crow under Trump: ‘Lynch her’ is Republicans’ Big Idea to Deal with Rep. Ilhan Omar

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Liz Sawyer at the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that the Twitter account of Danielle Stella, the Republican challenger to Ilhan Omar has been shut down after she called for her opponent to be lynched. Stella managed to combine the worst excesses of Jim Crow punitive policies toward the African-American congresswoman with […]

Climate Crisis

Where will the Millions of Refugees Created by our burning Fossil Fuels Go?

The Conversation

By Derek Groen and Diana Suleimenova | – In the near future, global warming is expected to create millions of climate refugees, and individuals and organisations are already searching for ways to help them. Some ideas are obvious, such as improving conditions in refugee camps. gregorioa / shutterstock But there are also more high-tech projects […]

China

New Leaked Documents Reveal China’s Chilling Crackdown on Muslims

Human Rights Watch

By Sophie Richardson, China Director | – (Human Rights Watch) – “I’m sure that you will support them, because this is for their own good…and also for your own good.” This was one of the lines officials were instructed to deliver to children returning to Xinjiang and learning that their family members had been sent […]

Featured

Iraqi Crowds Erupt in Joyous Celebrations as PM, elected under Bush Constitution, Offers to Resign

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – AFP Arabic reports that Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdulmahdi said Friday he would tender his resignation this weekend after five weeks of massive protests throughout Iraq. Huge crowds of demonstrators throughout Baghdad broke into raucous celebrations at the news, the local stringers for AFP report. Some interviewees among them, however, […]

African-Americans

The Fate of the Nation depends on Dems Turning out the Black Womens’ Vote

Yes! Magazine

By Tasha Williams | – ( Yes! Magazine ) – Turnouts demonstrate that when we are effectively engaged, our work can make seemingly impossible victories possible. A volunteer checks off voters as they arrive at the Beulah Baptist Church polling station in Montgomery, Alabama, on Dec. 12, 2017. Tasha Williams posted Nov 21, 2019 Democratic […]

Israel/ Palestine

In Search of Mideast Empire? Why is Russia Cozying up to Hamas?

Middle East Monitor

By Adnan Abu Amer | @adnanabuamer1 | – Hamas and Russia have in recent months have shared a remarkable series of official visits and telephone calls, which led observers to conclude that the two sides are strengthening their relations. Russia’s rapprochement with Hamas shows the latter’s need for Moscow, being a major capital in the […]