I have been hopping mad since yesterday. Somehow I waded into the warbloggers’ world and found everyone berating the Spanish for letting the terrorists win. I disagree. The terrorists did win. But not on sunday. They won on thursday when they killed 200 people. On sunday, the Socialist party won. I don’t understand what the… Continue reading The Jingoists Have Won
Category: International Affairs
Vote to Heaven
Via the Head Heeb comes this report of God focussing attention on the Malaysian elections since the football (American) season is over. Is God a swinging voter in this month’s Malaysian elections? An unholy row has broken out between the ruling coalition and the Islamist opposition over which side the Prophet Mohammed will be barracking… Continue reading Vote to Heaven
No Saudi Visit for Us
Via Brian’s Study Breaks, it seems that the Saudis are doing what they do best. Saudi Arabia is barring visits by Jews after launching a new visa scheme to try to attract more tourists. The Saudi tourism department website said tourist visas would not be issued to Israeli passport holders or Jews. Earlier this month,… Continue reading No Saudi Visit for Us
Pakistan and Iran are Arab?
There was a really bad article in the New York Times by Leslie Wayne about Arab Americans backing Bush in this election cycle. Leslie Wayne considers Iranians and Pakistanis as Arab too. Who knew? Fortunately, I don’t have to debunk it since Jack Shafer of Slate already has. Juan Cole provides a good summary of… Continue reading Pakistan and Iran are Arab?
Fading Stars and Fraying Stripes
In the past few years, a thought has grown in my mind. The seed of it, a nod to inevitability, long layed dormant, but the events of the past few years prompted germination. The steady erosion of the nation’s manufacturing base and malignant mediocrity of the nation’s primary educational system serve as the soil in… Continue reading Fading Stars and Fraying Stripes
Humanitarian Imperialism
Referring to the current troubles in Haiti, Tacitus asks: One might fairly ask whether such chronically failed states might be better off under some sort of permanent protectorate or even colonial arrangement for the maintenance of peace and good governance. I don’t know why colonialism and empire fascinates some Americans today (see Max Boot, for… Continue reading Humanitarian Imperialism
Learn to Become a Terrorist at Tech
The School of International Affairs at Georgia Tech is offering a course on terrorism. I mean student projects in that course include terrorist acts. For those students who always seem to have a gripe with Tech, a 3000-level special topics class in International Affairs entitled “The Challenge of Terrorism” could allow those idle musings about… Continue reading Learn to Become a Terrorist at Tech
Turkey and EU
A Fistful of Euros reminded me of the discussion my friends and I had recently about Turkish membership in the European Union. The first objection I have always heard is that Turkey is not in Europe except for Istanbul. Mrs. T of A Fistful of Euros “wave[s] [this] aside with a laugh.” Looking at a… Continue reading Turkey and EU
More About Israel and Pakistan
I have argued before that Pakistan should recognize Israel. There have been some ambiguous signs regarding relations between these two countries recently. First, there was Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf meeting Israeli opposition leader Shimon Peres during the World Economic Forum in Davos. The Davos Conference was the site of a rare and unusual meeting… Continue reading More About Israel and Pakistan
Israel: 1948 Transfer?
An Unsealed Room points to an interview with historian Benny Morris1 in Haaretz. Benny Morris is promoting a new version of his book about the Palestinian refugee problem, The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem Revisited. Allison is definitely correct about this interview making “tidal waves.” Benny Morris seems to be on a mission to… Continue reading Israel: 1948 Transfer?