Southwest Harbor, Maine (Special to Informed Comment) – Why is there even a question as to whether any Cov19 vaccine or diagnostic test kit should be free? Vaccines and diagnostic tests are essential components of any public health program, not merely conveniences to an isolated individual. When symptomatic patients are tested for a disease, indispensable […]
Archives for March 2020
With Bernie Sanders in Dearborn, Arab-Americans and Muslim-Americans take the Political Stage
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Bernie Sanders’ rally at Dearborn, Michigan with a crowd that included Arab-Americans, on stage and off, was a frontal attack on one of the last permissible prejudices in America. Media personalities have been fired (and rightly so) for bigoted public statements about African-Americans and other minorities. But Arab-Americans and Muslim-Americans […]
How the US could Restart Negotiations with Iran
(Special to Informed Comment) – Trump‘ s policy of exerting maximum pressure on Iran, highly provocative targeting of Quds Force General Qassem Suleimani, non-recognition of Congress’s war powers, vow that as long as he remains in power Iran will not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons, and Iran’s increasingly alarming violations of its own obligations […]
Germany set to overtake China as Market Leader for Electric Cars in 2021 with Nearly 2 mn. to be Produced
By Sören Amelang | – ( Clean Energy Wire) – German carmakers VW, BMW and Daimler are set to overtake Chinese rivals to become global market leaders for electric cars from 2021, according to business consultancy McKinsey. The German trio will likely double their worldwide output to more than 1 million fully electric and plug-in […]
Between Libya and the Deep Blue Sea: How migrant rescuers are making history in the Mediterranean
By Bryan Farrell (Waging Nonviolence) – While governments fail to meet basic humanitarian requirements, rescue organizations like Sea-Watch are taking life-saving action on the frontlines of the European migrant crisis. [Listen to this bonus “City of Refuge” episode or read a Q&A version below that has been lightly edited for length and clarity.] When I […]
Seeking Absolute Power in Saudi Arabia, Bin Salman engineers Arrest of Rivals, including former Crown Prince
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Glen Carey and Vivian Nereim at Bloomberg report that the Saudi government has arrested former crown prince Mohammed Bin Nayef, his brother Nawwaf, and the brother of King Salman, Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. They say their Saudi sources intimated that the three are accused of plotting to overthrow […]
Why Mike Pence is the Worst Choice to Lead a Coronavirus Response
( Otherwords.org ) -The former Indiana governor presided over the state’s worst ever HIV outbreak. His ignorance made it worse. A year after Trump took office, Saturday Night Live did a sketch called “What Even Matters Anymore?” Game show host Jessica Chastain read a list of outrageous things Trump has done and asked, “Does it […]
Are Syria’s Social Media Meme Wars the Face of Modern Warfare?
( Middle East Monitor) – Social media continues to influence our perception of conflicts around the world, though rapid updates around the clock on developments on the battlefield often hours before mainstream news picks it up, disseminating propaganda or spreading misinformation and fake news to the sharing of graphic content and the ugly brutality of […]
Trump may want out of Afghanistan, but this so-called “Peace Deal” with Taliban isn’t Likely to Succeed
By Madhav Joshi | – After 18 months of negotiations, the U.S. and the Taliban signed a peace deal on Feb. 29. It is expected that the deal will provide a plan for a comprehensive Afghan peace process. The deal addresses the security of foreign troops; the Taliban’s commitments to sever ties with terrorist organizations; […]