Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Sam Harris’s error-ridden and bigoted “The End of Faith: Religion, Terror and the Future of Religion” (Norton, 2005) singles out Islam for special opprobrium. Although Harris lambastes politicians of the Religious Right for having no special knowledge or credentials, the fact is that he himself has no credentials to write […]
Is the Green New Deal our Civil Rights Movement? John Lewis Joins
Veteran Congressman and Civil Rights icon John Lewis (D-GA) has joined the Green New Deal proposed by the Sunrise Movement and endorsed by newly elected Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). Here is a video of his remarks, among them that the people “have a right to know what we are breathing.” Here’s the video of civil […]
Trump tries to counter CIA Leak on Bin Salman complicity in Khashoggi Murder
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Trump attempted on Saturday to push back against his own Central Intelligence Agency’s assessment that Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and his brother Khalid (the Saudi ambassador to the US) were behind the assassination at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Trump called the leak of […]
Juan Cole @ Rising up With Sonali on “Muhammad: Prophet of Peace”
RISING UP WITH SONALI KOLHATKAR: FEATURING JUAN COLE – Islam is the youngest of the world’s major religions – and sadly the most misunderstood especially in the West. A whopping 1.5 billion humans identify as Muslim. Yet there are political forces that have interpreted an extremist version of the religion and there are racist forces […]
Is CIA leak of Bin Salman’s guilt in Khashoggi Murder aimed at Kushner, or Trump himself?
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The CIA has leaked against Jared Kushner and Trump that Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS), the Saudi crown prince, ordered the murder of Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. President Trump had asked the CIA to do an assessment of the murder. Apparently, from the leak to the US […]
Trump said Considering Extradition of Turkish Cleric to Quiet Erdogan on Khashoggi Murder
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – NBC News maintains that four sources in US government agencies (probably the FBI and the State Department) told its reporters that the Trump White House is seeking ways to expel Turkish religious leader Fethullah Gulen. But the kicker is that Trump apparently is exploring the extradition as a bribe to […]
Scotland was first Industrialized Country to Run wholly on Wind in October
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Scotland generated enough wind power from onshore wind turbines in October to fuel electricity for five million homes, that is, virtually the entire country. By the end of 2017, renewable energy generated nearly 70% of Scotland’s electricity. That percentage continued to grow this year, led by wind projects. The next […]
Chomsky: Occupation, Gaza ‘Concentration Camp’ turning Israel Fascist
Trump’s Visa Ban, Rhetoric Scare off Foreign Students, Threatening 450K Jobs
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The “Open Doors” annual report of the Institute for International Education on the surface seems to contain good news. There are slightly more foreign students studying at American universities than last year, i.e. slightly over a million. This is good news because foreign students at US universities bring in $42 […]






