International Politics and Economy

AJ+ | – “Anti-Islam activists have planned a “peaceful” protest at an Arizona mosque. Protesters are encouraged to bring American flags and “to utilize their second-amendment right” … just in case.” AJ+: “Anti-Islam Activists Organize Protest At Mosque, Encourage Fire Arms”

Colonialism

Kaplan’s Fantasies of Empire and the Myth of the Arab Strongman

contributors

By Ari Heistein | (Informed Comment) | – Robert Kaplan explains the current conflicts in the Middle East as the inevitable results of the withdrawal of colonial powers which led to a vacuum of power filled by Arab strongmen who then fell and then left the Middle East back in its natural state– chaos and […]

Democracy

As Elections approach, Turkey’s Political Wildcard is the Kurds

contributors

H. Akın Ünver | (Informed Comment) | – Regardless of the outcome of June 7 elections, Kurds have already grown into Turkey’s main corrective political camp with domestic and international implications. The real, long-term effect of Turkey’s People’s Democracy Party (HDP), which is the only political outlet rooted in the Kurdish movement, goes beyond the […]

Colonialism

Kaplan: An Impish Desire for Imperial Déjà Vu

Juan Cole

Daniel Martin Varisco | (MENA Tidningen) | – A recent online commentary by Robert Kaplan for Foreign Policy displays the provocative title: “It’s time to bring imperialism back to the Middle East”. The punch line surfaces in the final paragraph: “Imperialism bestowed order, however retrograde it may have been”. Retrograde? How about brutal? Let’s see: […]

Corruption

Turkish Voters worried about Integrity of Elections, Deterioration of Democracy

contributors

By Deniz Erkmen | (Informed Comment) | — As Turkey approaches a pivotal parliamentary election on June 7, there is growing doubt about just how “free and fair” this election is going to be. A recent survey conducted by academics Ali Çarkoğlu and S. Erdem Aytaç shows that among the public, trust in the […]

censorship

Egypt: Executing Muslim Brotherhood leader Morsi for “Terrorism” will Fuel… Terrorism

contributors

By Ebrahim Deen | (Informed Comment) | — ‘In contemporary Egypt, due process is often not granted, evidence is often not considered, and impartiality and independence are often not maintained.’ The sentencing of former Egyptian president Mohamed Mursi and a hundred and five others to death for a 2011 prison break and subsequent death […]

Cold War

After the Cold War, did We all Get the worst of both Capitalist & Communist Worlds?

contributors

By John Feffer | (Tomdispatch.com) | – Imagine an alternative universe in which the two major Cold War superpowers evolved into the United Soviet Socialist States. The conjoined entity, linked perhaps by a new Bering Straits land bridge, combines the optimal features of capitalism and collectivism. From Siberia to Sioux City, we’d all be living […]

Bashar al-Assad

Syrian Opposition, Caught between Assad & Extremists, Despair at World’s Neglect

contributors

By Haroro J. Ingram with L. T. Anthony | (The Conversation) | – Syrian civilians are trapped in the middle of a holocaust: prizes in a ruthless contest for popular support and cannon fodder mercilessly slaughtered by forces with little regard for human life. Despite many groups being implicated in actions targeting civilian populations, the […]

Featured

Iraq: 25,000 Shiite Militiamen gather for Battle of Ramadi

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | — Al-Zaman (The Times of Baghdad) reports that Iraqi Prime Minister Haydar al-Abadi met Tuesday with leaders of the Shiite militias to plan the retaking of Ramadi, a Sunni Arab city about 78 miles due west of Baghdad that fell on Sunday to Daesh (ISIS, ISIL) as the […]