International Politics and Economy

(Foreign Policy in Focus) – Democracy faces a global crisis. And this crisis couldn’t be coming at a worse time. If you’re a supporter of Donald Trump — or Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil or Matteo Salvini in Italy — you probably think that democracy has never been in better health. Recent elections in these countries […]

Elections

Why the Information Arms Race is a Rat Race: Can we Secure our Elections?

Aeon

By Cailin O’Connor | – (Aeon) – Arms races happen when two sides of a conflict escalate in a series of ever-changing moves intended to outwit the opponent. In biology, a classic

Corruption

Trump Broadcasts Free Ad via Disney to Thuggish Regimes, requesting Hacked Dirt on Dems

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Trump revealed again on Wednesday that he has no legal or ethical compass. In an interview with ABC news Chief Anchor George Stephanopolous, Trump was asked if he would go to the FBI if a foreign government contacted him with dirt on his Democratic opponent or if he would accept […]

Corruption

Is Jared Kushner Literally in Bed with the Saudis?

Juan Cole

The Guardian’s Jon Swain broke the story on Monday that Cadre, a real estate investment firm in which Jared Kushner has as much as a $50 million stake, has received a mysterious $90 million infusion of cash from unknown and possibly foreign sources. At least $1 million came in from Saudi Arabia, according to Swain. […]

Climate Crisis

After Immigration, Europe’s Next Big Left-Right Divide is Climate Action

Clean Energy Wire

By Rachel Waldholz | – ( Clean Energy Wire) – The European elections delivered major gains for Green parties in several countries, as voters signalled a strong desire for more aggressive action on climate change. In Germany, the Green surge was especially strong. The party doubled its support, coming in second to Chancellor Angela Merkel’s […]

Far Right

After Death Threats, Rep. Rashida Tlaib Pleads with FBI to take Far Right White Terrorism Seriously (TYT Video)

The Young Turks

“Rep. Rashida Tlaib gets emotional while questioning FBI officials about domestic terrorism: “How is that not enough to fall under domestic terrorism if they’re targeting solely based on my faith, and others, and saying that a good Muslim is a dead one?”. . . Rashida Tlaib revealed what the opposite of white privilege truly is. […]

Antisemitism

In US History, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism have Gone together as Hate Speech

The Conversation

By Peter Gottschalk | – Congresswoman Ilhan Omar tweeted recently that “Islamophobia and anti-Semitism are two sides of the same bigoted coin.” Her comments came in response to media reports that the suspect behind the shooting at a San Diego synagogue was also under investigation for burning a mosque. Hate crimes associated with both Islamophobia […]

Donald Trump

On Anniversary of D-Day: Would Trump have bothered, or Been on Other Side?

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – I grew up in the shadow of World War II. It ended only seven years before I was born. I had an uncle who had been at the Battle of the Bulge. My father was too young to serve, but was inspired by the fight against fascism and joined as […]

astronomy and outer space

No, Ben Shapiro, Science isn’t White

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – In this clip via Twitter, Ben Shapiro, who is somehow touted as a serious thinker on the Right, alleges that the scientific method is peculiar to something he calls “the West.” He appears to think it consists of Greek empiricism mixed with what he terms a “Judeo-Christian” conviction that to […]