Featured

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Pakistan is in the midst of an extreme heat wave with highs around 110 degrees F., which has killed 700 persons in the past 3 days. Three weeks ago it was India’s turn, when extreme heat killed 1200 in the country’s south. Despite the severe dangers […]

African-Americans

What South Carolina needs to do for Racial equality (taking down the flag is just symbolic)

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) – – Governor Nikki Haley announced on Monday that she would attempt to remove the Confederate flag from the grounds of the statehouse, recognizing the pain it causes the one-third of the state who are African-Americans (about a quarter of whites also don’t care if it is up or […]

African-Americans

Top 5 Reasons Confederate Flag should stop Flying at SC Statehouse

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – 1. The Confederate flag in its current form was adopted by the seceding slave states to differentiate their banner from the Stars and Stripes on the battlefield. It isn’t a symbol of regionalism. It is a symbol of violent attack on the Union. 2. Those who […]

Arab Americans

European Islamophobic Networks influenced Roof to Kill in Charleston

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The Muslim-hatred of the Geert Wilders and Marine LePens in Europe, for which Daniel Pipes, and Pamela Geller, and the whole Islamophobic network are cheerleaders and enablers, was a key influence on Dylann Roof, according to his manifesto. These same hatemongers helped whip Norwegian white supremacist […]

African-Americans

How Lindsey Graham & GOP lost the Chance to be Presidential over Charleston

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) in my view never had any chance of becoming president, though he has thrown his hat into the ring for the Republican nomination. So it would be an overstatement to say that he lost the opportunity because of his maladroit response to […]

African-Americans

Our reply to Dylann Roof’s Hate: Donate to “Mother Emanuel” AME Church

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – There are many essential responses to the racist terrorism that attacked Emanuel AME Church, which the state of South Carolina should take. It should stop flying the Confederate flag. It should undo the gerrymandering by the white Republican Establishment that keeps the one-third of the population […]

African-Americans

Another White non-Terrorist Kills 9, Makes Bomb Threats

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Update: Suspected shooter Dylann Roof has been apprehended. He had a gun with him at the time. It is being alleged that he wore Apartheid South Africa flag, complained of African-Americans raping, taking over US. So, then, it was political and indubitably terrorism. Police in Charleston, […]

Arab Americans

Can the GOP live down Donald Trump’s Middle East “Policy”?

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Comedians, bloggers, and pundits are ecstatic about The Donald throwing his toupee in the ring for the Republican nomination. The stories write themselves. But the Republican Party establishment is appalled, because Trump will create an image for the party that will hurt it in the general […]

Bush

The Middle East Policy of President John Ellis “Jeb” Bush: Iraq, Iran Wars?

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Jeb Bush announced his run for president on Monday. It is hard to know what his Middle East policy would be from his wibbly wobbly pronouncements, but that it would be imperial and aggressive can be deduced from his foreign policy advisory team, including Neoconservatives such […]