Juan Cole

Paul Krugman, among my favorite political commentators, has spoken forthrightly of how during the past few years we have had “monsters” in office, naming Tom Delay, Karl Rove and Dick Cheney. He complains that until recently, if an observer simply called them what they are, he or she was termed “shrill.” (h/t Daily Kos). I […]

Afghan President Hamid Karzai called on president-elect Barack Obama to reverse the increasing US and NATO dependence on air strikes to combat anti-government guerrillas. The call came in the wake of reports that a US bombing raid intended to disrupt Taliban supply lines to the southern city of Qandahar had accidentally killed 40 civilians and […]

Pakistan’s president, Asaf Ali Zardari, and its prime minister Sayyid Raza Yusuf Gilani, gave a warm welcome to Barack Obama as US president. They recently maneuvered military dictator Pervez Musharraf out of office, despite support for him from the Bush White House and much of the Republican Party Establishment, including John McCain. Obama has differed […]

Ann Arborites celebrated Obama’s victory into the wee hours on Nov. 4-5.

Padme Amidala makes a statement.

Nabil Al-Tikriti writes in a guest op-ed for IC: All day they came. And came. On this overcast Tuesday wave after wave of “real Americans” quietly queued up in determination to rattle the cage of the old order. The first woman in line had proudly planted her folding stadium chair in a light drizzle at […]

Wouldn’t it be nice if Jack, Martin, Bobby, Cesar and Patsy could have been around to see it?

Alaska: The only one of the 50 states where secessionists are considered American patriots rather than traitors. Catholic working class: Synonym for “feminist.” Communist: 1. A believer in a graduated income tax (“Communists” include Adam Smith and 81% of professional American economists). 2. When modified by ‘Chinese‘ : A supplier of retail goods to Walmart. […]