… give or take
Bret Stephens opined recently in the Wall Street Journal that the cause of Islamic terrorism is not so much Israeli settlements or the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine as it is… Lady Gaga. Specifically, Stephens points to Said Qutb, widely regarded as the intellectual father of modern Al Qaeda and other Islamist groups: In his [...]
// Another completed election in the third world, another round of fraud charges. Of course, it was almost guaranteed that whoever lost the recent elections in Iraq would allege fraud—regardless of the truth or falsity of the claim. That’s just how “democracy” works in these kinds of places. The cloud of “fraud” will continue to [...]
// The recent actions of the Benjamin Netanyahu government can be characterized with a good Yiddish word: chutzpah. Admittedly, the Israelis have little reason to believe that any consequences are in store, given the history of their relations with the US. And cautious optimism is still very much warranted when it comes to any analysis [...]
// President Obama, always a good speaker, didn’t disappoint on rhetoric. The tone was upbeat and optimistic on continuing change. Inspiring words and ideas abounded. He spoke of strong values, of unity and the American character. However, in the area of policy, the speech came up short. As a general rule, Obama maintained his MO [...]
// From the western perspective, looking on a map, Afghanistan looks like a discrete political unit, comparable to any other sovereign country like France, Canada, Mexico or Japan. Therefore, westerners often assume that the kinds of social and political institutions present in those other countries can also be built in Afghanistan, with due regard for [...]
