( Tomdispatch.com) – Who is America’s god? The Christian god of the beatitudes, the one who healed the sick, helped the poor, and preached love of neighbor? Not in these (dis)United States. In the Pledge of Allegiance, we speak proudly of One Nation under God, but in the aggregate, this country doesn’t serve or worship […]
Archives for November 2021
As Biden and Xi Zoom, the Iran issue Looms
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – President Joe Biden and his counterpart Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke for half an hour on Monday by video, as Biden attempted to establish “guard rails” in the relationship of the two countries so that tensions do not spiral out of control. Biden is a status quo president, attempting to […]
Climate Emergency: This Southwestern US City has had to Create an Office of Heat Response and Mitigation
By Shane Purcell | – ( Cronkite News) – PHOENIX – David Hondula recently got a job he never dreamed of – maybe because it never existed before. He’s the director of the city’s Office of Heat Response & Mitigation, which is touted as the first publicly funded municipal office of its kind. Hondula, who […]
Muslim Generosity and the Obligation of Zakat
By Iqbal Akhtar | – Muslims see wealth as a gift and a divine dispensation. The Quran urges individuals to share their wealth and income with those of lesser means. Almsgiving is one of the five pillars of Islam – a fundamental practice within the faith. One key way this happens is through Zakat, the […]
How the US lost in Afghanistan (Juan Cole Interview with Michigan Online Teach-out)
Interview by the University of Michigan Online‘s Jenni Patterson | – “Following the removal of American troops from Afghanistan, there has been a surge of Afghans trying to escape amid the country’s turmoil. Learn more about the current crisis in Afghanistan and how to support displaced people in your own community with the “Afghan Refugees […]
All Trump’s Cover-Ups: From Syria Airstrike on Civilians to US COVID Genocide
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The US Founding Fathers had a cynical side. They did not think people in government could be trusted to do the right thing. They thought people often do what they can get away with. The point of James Madison’s checks and balances was not just to guard against tyranny but […]
Biden’s gestures at more Even-Handed Israel-Palestine Policy Derailed by far-right PM Naftali Bennett
By Kamel Hawwash | – ( Middle East Monitor ) – Any hopes that the removal of Benjamin Netanyahu from power would bring us closer to a revitalised peace process or less oppression of the Palestinian people have been dashed. The new Israeli Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, has been unequivocal in his rejection of attempts […]
Extreme Heat causes Heart Attacks, Miscarriages, Malnutrition, requiring Urgent steps to Curb CO2
By Abdu Mohiddin, Christopher Jack, Evans Kituyi, Kristie Ebi, Matthew Chersich, and Stanley Luchters | – The African continent is heating up more, and faster, than other regions in the world according to the recently released State of Climate in Africa Report. By 2030, the report says up to 118 million extremely poor people will […]
As Climate Emergency Worsens, Freak Lightning Storm sends Snow, Scorpion Plague on Egypt’s Aswan
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – How freakish and biblical our climate emergency could become was illustrated this week in the Upper Egyptian city of Aswan, which was struck in November by rolling lightning storms, downpours, snow and a plague of scorpions. High winds blew the deadly Egyptian black, fat-tailed scorpions from the surrounding desert into […]