All Commentaries
Palestine, the Arab Spring, and the Middle East Lobby
During the upheavals sweeping the Arab world, a common refrain among hawkish supporters of Israel has been that the Arab street is indifferent to the plight of the Palestinians, and thus the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not at the heart of Middle East troubles.
Mexico’s House of Deputies Likely to Approve Police State Law
Mexico’s House of Deputies has brought the country to the cusp of a police state. The reform to the National Security Law now before the lower house would grant sweeping military powers to the executive and limit congressional oversight of domestic military activity.
Three Cups of a Flawed Hero
It’s tempting to expect perfection from those we admire, but we romanticize lone heroes at our peril.
Review: After 9/11
In After 9/11: Leading Political Thinkers about the World, the U.S. and Themselves, researcher Tobias Endler explores the role and aspirations of public intellectuals and how they reach out to their preferred audiences.
The Future of South Sudan
On July 9, 2011 South Sudan is expected to become an independent state, Africa’s 54th. Prior to that date, much preparation must be done to establish a vigorous economy, stable government, and peaceful society. The name and capital of the country have yet to be officially declared. Issues of debt, oil, aid, and borders also remain undecided.
WikiLeaks: Zubaydah Not Certified al Qaeda, Just Plain “Certifiable”
Though Abu Zubaydah was rejected by al Qaeda and is mentally ill, he’s been detained at Guantanamo for nine years with no plans to review his case.
Europe’s Crisis and the Pain in Spain
If Spain and Italy apply for bailouts, the EU will be split between northern haves and southern have-nots. Can a house so divided long endure?
Haiti’s Reconstruction: Who Benefits?
Georges Marie is a proud and angry Haitian lawyer who lost her husband in the earthquake. As she mourned, the humanitarian industry exploded. She watched with concern as Port au Prince’s narrow streets became clogged with white Land Rovers, each stamped with an aid agency logo on the driver’s door. It still rankles her when the humanitarians dine and dance in a four-star restaurant overlooking the Place Boyer, a public square now strung with tarps, home to some of the million-plus people still displaced from the 2010 earthquake.
Time to Sever the Saudi Ties That Bind
It would be nice to see America expand its cache of good will cache to enhance our diplomatic — as opposed to military — capital.
Break the Silence in the UAE
As democratic uprisings have spread across the Middle East in the Arab Spring, the U.S. response has been as notable for its silences as for its selective words and deeds on behalf of the democracy movements in the region.