Via Liveleak: German Television does first Edward Snowden Interview
The 18th Brumaire of Gen. al-Sisi in Egypt
(By Juan Cole) On Monday, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) announced that Field Marshall Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (also the minister of defense) was free to run for president if his conscience led him to do so. There had been a question whether the officers wanted him to get directly involved in politics. […]
The Future of Cool: Electric Muscle Cars at the Detroit Auto Show
(By Juan Cole) I dropped by the Detroit Auto Show this weekend (its last this year) at Cobo Center as it was wrapping up. Regular readers know that I am a big fan of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, so I had a lot of fun window shopping and fantasizing. I have a Chevy Volt […]
Israeli PM Netanyahu faces Zionist Racism from Son dating Norwegian
(By Juan Cole) Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is caught in a firestorm of controversy because his son Yair, 23, is dating a Norwegian woman whom he met while she was studying at university in Israel. Ordinarily I would not want to bring up a story like this, since poor Yair is not a politician […]
The Human Cost of Income Inequality in America
BBC: “What does Income Inequality mean for Americans?”
54 Dead in an Egypt Polarized between pro-Military, anti-Coup on Revolution Anniversary
(by Juan Cole) January 25 marked the third anniversary of the revolution that overthrew dictator Hosni Mubarak, and Egyptians observed it in three distinctively different ways. In the iconic Tahrir Square downtown, thousands of supporters of the military coup of July 3, 2013, gathered for a big party. People never used to dance to patriotic […]
The Real Irony of Rep. Harman being interrupted on NSA Spying by Bieber Bulletin
(By Juan Cole) MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell interrupts former Rep. Jane Harman, speaking on NSA surveillance from Davos, for breaking news about Justin Bieber’s DUI arrest The real irony of interviewing Harman on NSA spying is that, as Ryan Gierach points out, she is both a victim of it and a big defender of it, which […]
Why Tunisia’s Transition to Democracy is Succeeding while Egypt Falters
(By Juan Cole) On Sunday, Tunisia’s parliament will vote on the final text of the new constitution. If it passes by a two-thirds vote, the text will not have to go to a national referendum, but just would become the organic law of the country. The constitution guarantees equal rights for women and wants gender […]
CSI Baghdad: Why don’t Crime Units in the Carbomb Capital of the World do their Job?
(By Mustafa Habib, Baghdad) It is estimated that around 250 car bombs exploded in Baghdad last year. This year the numbers are climbing and bombers’ skills are improving. This is taking a heavy toll on ordinary Iraqis. More locals are suffering from stress disorders and living in fear. Hospital morgues are crowded and some families […]








