Agree with everything you said Prof. Cole except "Iran is not an aggressive power and unlike Saudi Arabia has not invaded any of its neighbors."
Saudi Arabia is fighting proxy battles like Iran and perhaps it could be argued it is meddling more than Iran in other countries, but S. Arabia has not invaded other countries.
"Now the Syrian Arab Army is preparing to launch a ground offensive in East Ghouta, a suburb of Damascus with some 300,000 residents." - Juan Cole
*******
Question about this figure. The BBC states the population is closer to ~400,000.
"Air strikes resumed on Sunday, hours after the Security Council meeting. They targeted the outskirts of Douma, the main town in the Easter Ghouta, causing several casualties, observers said. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has said that both Syrian and Russian planes have been used, although Russia denies direct involvement. Barrel bombs and shells have been dropped on the area, where some 393,000 people remain trapped." - Feb. 25, 2018 - link to bbc.com
"Trump’s move violated UN Security Council resolution 470 of 1980, which was passed without a US veto after the then Israeli government tried to grab all of Jerusalem." - Juan Cole
*******
Question: Is this a typo? Should this be U.N. Security Council resolution 478?
"Resolution 478: August 20, 1980, condemned in "the strongest terms" the enactment of Israeli law proclaiming a change in status of Jerusalem. The resolution called on all states "that have established diplomatic missions" in Jerusalem to withdraw them from the city." - link to aljazeera.com
Another notable mathematician from a previous era:
Omar Khayyam (1048-1131), born in Nishapur, Persia (modern day Iran), made some wonderful contributions to algebra and astronomy: link to www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk
Excellent report from Alakhbar English published July 18, 2014, that covers the Egyptian media campaign against Hamas in particular and Gazans in general. link to english.al-akhbar.com
This is a lighter version of what happens everyday in Syria at the hands of Assad's security services. As America is complicit in Israeli state sponsored terrorism against Palestinians, so too are Iran, Russia, and Hezbollah complicit in state sponsored terrorism against Syrians.
This is the fire that will forge men of true character.
Tolkien said, "From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king."
The Arabs have an expression:
البَحرُ الجائعُ يَصنَعُ الرُّبّان الماهِر
The tempestuous ocean forges the experienced Captain.
Finally, let us not forget what Allah (SWT) says in the Holy Quran:
قالَ موسى لِقَومِهِ: استَعينوا بِاللّهِ وَ اصبِروا إنَّ الأرضَ لِلّهِ يورِثُها مَن يَشاءُ مِن عِبادِهِ وَ العاقِبَةُ لِلمُتَّقينَ.
"Moses said to his people: Seek help through Allah and be patient. Indeed, the earth belongs to Allah . He causes to inherit it whom He wills of His servants. And the [best] outcome is for the righteous." - Quran 7:128 link to quran.com
Al Jazeera reports on the unification of seven rebel groups to fight Assad and to stand against al-Qaeda: link to m.aljazeera.com
This is how steel is forged and there will be light at the end of the tunnel.
I would like to know where Bassem Youssef (host of Albernameg) is in all this chaos. Will he criticize Gen. Sisi and poke fun at him as he did to former Pres. Morsi? If anyone knows of a clip where he does so, please reply and include the link.
Dear Professor Cole,
I'm having a hard time understanding Assir's motivations. Why would he jeapordize his standing and waste men and firepower attacking the Lebanese army instead of Hezbollah? Hezbollah is the group that has sent thousands of fighters to aid the Assad regime. It seems counterproductive to the Syrian revolution to attack a neutral 3rd party.
Thanks.
Message to the Muslim Brotherhood:
Hands off Bassem Youssef and Jon Stewart. If you can't take a step back, see the humor in situations, and think deeply and critically about issues than you are no better than Fir`awn or Hosni Mubarak.
-From a Muslim in the U.S. who supported the Tahrir demonstrations was overjoyed to see Mubarak leave office.
Sheikh Muhammad al-Arifi - one the panelists visible on the Middle East Online article link provided by Dr. Cole - recently gave a khutbah (sermon) on the historical and Islamic importance of Syria on June 14, 2013: link to youtube.com
Response to #2:
Not true. Sheikh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi is a prominent Sufi sheikh that came out against the regime of Bashar al-Assad. link to joshualandis.com
Former secretary general of Hezbollah, Subhi Tofeili, states that Hezbollah intervention in Syria is ill-advised and endangers shi`ah in Lebanon and Syria: link to youtube.com
Well written Professor Cole. I appreciate your research and sincerity.
I have a different view than those scholars who thought that Jesus (Peace be upon him) was a zealot or DoubtingThomas' idea that he threatened to tear down and rebuild the 2nd Temple of Solomon (PBUH). First a little background. The 1st Temple of Solomon was destroyed by the Babylonians as mentioned in the Bible:
"15 The LORD, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. 16 But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the LORD was aroused against his people and there was no remedy. 17 He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians,... 19 They set fire to God’s temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem;" - http://www.biblegateway.com, NIV, 2 Chronicles 36
The Jews later returned to Jerusalem, gained strength, and rebuilt the Temple: link to gojerusalem.com
Then corruption once against entered the hearts of the believers and Jesus (PBUH) admonished the Israelites that sincerity came before outward displays of piety. He then prophesied:
"Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”" - http://www.biblegateway.com, NIV, Matthew 24:1-4
This came to pass in 70CE when the Roman emperor Titus laid waste to Jerusalem right after several internecine struggles among various Jewish factions including the zealots: link to gojerusalem.com Destroyed-the-Temple
Both events occurred on the 9th of Av (Tisha B'Av).
These sad events and the lessons to be gleaned from them are summarized beautifully in the Qur'an:
"And We conveyed to the Children of Israel in the Scripture that, "You will surely cause corruption on the earth twice, and you will surely reach [a degree of] great haughtiness. So when the [time of] promise came for the first of them, We sent against you servants of Ours - those of great military might, and they probed [even] into the homes, and it was a promise fulfilled. Then We gave back to you a return victory over them. And We reinforced you with wealth and sons and made you more numerous in manpower. [And said], "If you do good, you do good for yourselves; and if you do evil, [you do it] to yourselves." Then when the final promise came, [We sent your enemies] to sadden your faces and to enter the temple in Jerusalem, as they entered it the first time, and to destroy what they had taken over with [total] destruction. [Then Allah said], "It is expected, [if you repent], that your Lord will have mercy upon you. But if you return [to sin], We will return [to punishment]. And We have made Hell, for the disbelievers, a prison-bed."" - http://www.quran.com, Sahih International Translation, 17:4-8
The integrity and soul of corporate American news media began to die with the retirement of great anchors such as Peter Jennings: link to youtube.com
Thankfully, that void is being filled by alternative media, many of which are featured on Informed Comment.
Message to the Muslim Brotherhood:
Watch "The Jon Stewart" show and "The Colbert Report" and you will realize the value of comedic satire.
Fear Allah, educate yourselves, and learn to prioritize what is important in Islam.
What is greater in the sight of Allah? Making fun of Morsi (little bit bad) or killing Muslims and spreading corruption (fitnah and fasaad) in the earth, like Assad (very bad)?
Tailor your response to the gravity of the situation. Think before you act.
I believe there was also a funneling effect that occurred prior to the crash of 2008. Large sums of money were fed into the stock market bubble that then magically "vanished" (i.e., were transferred). You can see the 2 major dips here. link to stockcharts.com
I recall going to dinner parties where my Dad's friends (baby-boomer generation) would talk incessantly about stocks. Even classmates made statements like, "If you put your money in the stock market, it will double every 8 months." So some people became addicted day-traders. A pot of gold lay at the end of the road of a lifetime of hard work! Now entire life savings could be leveraged to make tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of dollars easily. Many small timers from the middle class became "experts" in a game they had never invented or played before. After the crash of 2008, those dinner party conversations came to a crashing halt.
What happened? The "Meltdown" documentary available on YouTube sheds a small candle on what happened. But the story is much larger than that. Most of us (including myself) will never know the real transactions, agreements, & games played behind the scenes. But, the following will suffice:
1. As can be seen in the wealth distribution video above, you and I hold a very very small portion of the total wealth.
2. The American saying, "You can't get something for nothing." is an immutable law and has a parallel in the 1st Law of Thermodynamics, AKA The Law of Conservation of Energy. Does it makes sense for money to magically double, triple, without actual work being done?
3. Let's say 10 people play a securities game. 2 people have a $1 each (the poor), 7 people have $100 each (middle class), and 1 person has $100,000 dollars (the 1%). The 2 poor people cannot afford to enter the game and decide to leave. The 1 rich guy is in league above. He doesn't run in the same social circles as others and certainly never has dinner with them. The 7 middle class people eagerly jump into and consider themselves "experts" after a few rounds because they see their money multiply. They happily discuss the game with each other and trade stock market tips. The rich guy plays the game but his assets and transactions are unknown to the others. He watches the market with cold calculating eyes as he releases market information via his PR staff and quietly makes large transactions. He grins in self-satisfaction as the 7 middle class players unknowingly follow his subtle cues, buying and selling in sync with his release of information and market nudges. The 7 middle class people never think of quitting. Why quit when you're getting ahead? Finally, the market plunge occurs, which was perfectly timed and known by the rich guy beforehand. By the time the 7 middle class people realize what is going on, it's too late, they've lost their life savings.
Consider the scenario above from the perspective of supply and demand. The rich man's $100,000 dwarfs the $700 owned by the 7 other players. The intelligence of the middle class 7 is irrelevant. Besides, who gives them the information on which they base their decisions? More importantly, the rich man can buy in large quantities and drive up the price OR sell in large quantities and drive down the price just as easily.
The lessons we should all take away are:
You can't get something for nothing.
Invest long term. Get rich quick schemes are doomed to failure.
Suroosh Alvi, co-founder of Vice returns to Baghdad after the American withdrawal for a 2nd time. Filled with great street level videography: link to youtube.com
The history of the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem gets very little coverage in the American educational system. Some fascinating historical facts:
1. The 2nd Caliph Umar conquered Jerusalem in 638 C.E. and preserved the Christian heritage of the city. He was horrified to see the Temple Mount used as a landfill and had the site restored.
2. The Byzantine Christians had outlawed Judaism prevented Jews from visiting the city. Umar allowed the Jews to return. link to gojerusalem.com link to gojerusalem.com
This Amnesty International Report corroborates Pvt. Bradley Manning's testimony. It details forced confessions extracted by the Iraqi security services under the government of Nouri al-Maliki: link to youtube.com
The Syrian state must be desperate for recruits because they've taken a page from al-Qaeda's playbook by airing the same songs on state TV. Al Arabiya reports: link to youtube.com
There is an interesting subtle connection between this story and the case of Pvt. Bradley Manning. Glenn Greenwald, of The Guardian, is interviewed on DemocracyNow and when discussing the consistency of Pvt. Manning's testimony, states that some of the people detained and poorly treated by the authorities in Iraq were NOT terrorists, but rather political opponents of Nouri al-Maliki. The question begins at 5:00 and the answer is at 6:00: link to youtube.com
A great textbook for learning Urdu grammar is:
Urdu: An Essential Grammar by Ruth Laila Schmidt link to amazon.com
For those interested in hearing proper Urdu (akin in to the literary form), the BBC Urdu Service is a good place to start: link to bbc.co.uk
"Monsters are everywhere."??? This NRA lobbyist has watched too many zombie flicks. It's ironic how Right-wing conspiracy theorists preach that Obama (one of the most impotent presidents this country has ever seen, btw) is attempting a socialist takeover. Therefore, citizens need to be armed to defend themselves.
NRA solution: A massively increased police presence spread out to every school. Who's advocating for a police state here?
Now for some more practical concerns:
1. How many police officers do we currently have?
2. How many schools do we have?
3. How much would it cost to put an armed guard in every school? What would they do during 99% of the time when no shooting takes place?
4. How much would it cost to have an honest discussion about messages that music groups such as KMFDM put in their lyrics?
5. How much would it cost to reinstate the assault weapons ban?
Dear Professor Cole,
I completely agree with your sentiments on the idiocy of large magazines married to rapid-fire mechanisms in firearms.
But there is another aspect to this story the media perpetually ignores. Why was this individual so mentally and spiritually bankrupt in the first place? How is extreme individualism and materialism connected to this crime? What messages did he consume and internalize? Did he follow the satanic maxim, "Do as thou wilt" espoused by the music industry?
-Azeez
Dear Professor Cole,
I used to be a supporter of the two state solution, but looking at the green-highlighted areas of the map I wonder, 'Could such a zig-zag territory ever make a viable state?' Gaza could provide a seaport, but the rest of the land is deeply pierced and surrounded by Israeli territory. Further I'm seeing at least 4 non-contiguous zones.
Are there any other countries in the world that have non-contiguous territories? I suppose Hawaii & Alaska are separated from the mainland U.S. by an ocean. But I can't help but remember the failed West & East Pakistan experiment finally breaking up into Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Concerning point #9, Professor Cole, there's an excellent documentary by Journeyman Pictures on illegal Israeli settlers /squatters: link to youtube.com
"They had tended to vote Republican in the 1990s, but George W. Bush’s wars in the Middle East and his alliance with the worst elements in the evangelical community and the right wing of the Israel lobby drove them into the arms of the Democrats."
I can completely identify with that comment. In high school I was a staunch Republican due to their stance on social issues. When the neocons (Karl Rove, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Gonzalez) took over the party, I dumped the Republicans. I'll consider returning when the party regains its sanity. It It looks like it's beginning to happen with people like Ron Paul.
Gun violence is a huge problem in Brooklyn, NY (especially in Brownsville). Kids as young as 14 y/o are joining gangs and getting guns. A new robbery trend involves taking people's iPhones/Android phones to finance these activities. Go to http://www.spotcrime.com and signup for crime alerts in Brooklyn and you'll get the daily digest of shooting and armed robbery.
Privatization of US hospitals is another related trend. It's sad to see institutions such as St. Mary's hospital of Waterbury, CT which has been a nonprofit Catholic institution for a century, now merging with Waterbury Hospital and going for-profit. I think the founding nuns must be turning over in their graves now.
© 2026 All Rights Reserved
Agree with everything you said Prof. Cole except "Iran is not an aggressive power and unlike Saudi Arabia has not invaded any of its neighbors."
Saudi Arabia is fighting proxy battles like Iran and perhaps it could be argued it is meddling more than Iran in other countries, but S. Arabia has not invaded other countries.
"Now the Syrian Arab Army is preparing to launch a ground offensive in East Ghouta, a suburb of Damascus with some 300,000 residents." - Juan Cole
*******
Question about this figure. The BBC states the population is closer to ~400,000.
"Air strikes resumed on Sunday, hours after the Security Council meeting. They targeted the outskirts of Douma, the main town in the Easter Ghouta, causing several casualties, observers said. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has said that both Syrian and Russian planes have been used, although Russia denies direct involvement. Barrel bombs and shells have been dropped on the area, where some 393,000 people remain trapped." - Feb. 25, 2018 - link to bbc.com
"Trump’s move violated UN Security Council resolution 470 of 1980, which was passed without a US veto after the then Israeli government tried to grab all of Jerusalem." - Juan Cole
*******
Question: Is this a typo? Should this be U.N. Security Council resolution 478?
"Resolution 478: August 20, 1980, condemned in "the strongest terms" the enactment of Israeli law proclaiming a change in status of Jerusalem. The resolution called on all states "that have established diplomatic missions" in Jerusalem to withdraw them from the city." - link to aljazeera.com
Jake Tapper is one of the few decent anchors at CNN.
Another notable mathematician from a previous era:
Omar Khayyam (1048-1131), born in Nishapur, Persia (modern day Iran), made some wonderful contributions to algebra and astronomy:
link to www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk
Excellent report from Alakhbar English published July 18, 2014, that covers the Egyptian media campaign against Hamas in particular and Gazans in general.
link to english.al-akhbar.com
This is a lighter version of what happens everyday in Syria at the hands of Assad's security services. As America is complicit in Israeli state sponsored terrorism against Palestinians, so too are Iran, Russia, and Hezbollah complicit in state sponsored terrorism against Syrians.
Iran also does not provide permits to build Sunni masjids (mosques).
Detailed blog on conditions in Gaza covering flooding, lack of power, and more:
link to ingaza.wordpress.com
Statement by Turkish PM Erdogan (pronounced Er-Do-Wan) to the International Community on Syrian refugees during this winter:
link to worldbulletin.net
This is the fire that will forge men of true character.
Tolkien said, "From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king."
The Arabs have an expression:
البَحرُ الجائعُ يَصنَعُ الرُّبّان الماهِر
The tempestuous ocean forges the experienced Captain.
Finally, let us not forget what Allah (SWT) says in the Holy Quran:
قالَ موسى لِقَومِهِ: استَعينوا بِاللّهِ وَ اصبِروا إنَّ الأرضَ لِلّهِ يورِثُها مَن يَشاءُ مِن عِبادِهِ وَ العاقِبَةُ لِلمُتَّقينَ.
"Moses said to his people: Seek help through Allah and be patient. Indeed, the earth belongs to Allah . He causes to inherit it whom He wills of His servants. And the [best] outcome is for the righteous." - Quran 7:128
link to quran.com
Al Jazeera reports on the unification of seven rebel groups to fight Assad and to stand against al-Qaeda:
link to m.aljazeera.com
This is how steel is forged and there will be light at the end of the tunnel.
Excellent idea!
Primary Source Documentation of Chemical weapons use by Assad: link to youtu.be
I would like to know where Bassem Youssef (host of Albernameg) is in all this chaos. Will he criticize Gen. Sisi and poke fun at him as he did to former Pres. Morsi? If anyone knows of a clip where he does so, please reply and include the link.
Dear Professor Cole,
I'm having a hard time understanding Assir's motivations. Why would he jeapordize his standing and waste men and firepower attacking the Lebanese army instead of Hezbollah? Hezbollah is the group that has sent thousands of fighters to aid the Assad regime. It seems counterproductive to the Syrian revolution to attack a neutral 3rd party.
Thanks.
Shaykh Moaz al-Khatib discusses Iran in relation to the Syrian revolution and wider regional sectarian concerns (in Arabic):
link to youtube.com
Message to the Muslim Brotherhood:
Hands off Bassem Youssef and Jon Stewart. If you can't take a step back, see the humor in situations, and think deeply and critically about issues than you are no better than Fir`awn or Hosni Mubarak.
-From a Muslim in the U.S. who supported the Tahrir demonstrations was overjoyed to see Mubarak leave office.
Sheikh Muhammad al-Arifi - one the panelists visible on the Middle East Online article link provided by Dr. Cole - recently gave a khutbah (sermon) on the historical and Islamic importance of Syria on June 14, 2013:
link to youtube.com
Response to #2:
Not true. Sheikh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi is a prominent Sufi sheikh that came out against the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
link to joshualandis.com
Former secretary general of Hezbollah, Subhi Tofeili, states that Hezbollah intervention in Syria is ill-advised and endangers shi`ah in Lebanon and Syria:
link to youtube.com
Well written Professor Cole. I appreciate your research and sincerity.
I have a different view than those scholars who thought that Jesus (Peace be upon him) was a zealot or DoubtingThomas' idea that he threatened to tear down and rebuild the 2nd Temple of Solomon (PBUH). First a little background. The 1st Temple of Solomon was destroyed by the Babylonians as mentioned in the Bible:
"15 The LORD, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. 16 But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the LORD was aroused against his people and there was no remedy. 17 He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians,... 19 They set fire to God’s temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem;" - http://www.biblegateway.com, NIV, 2 Chronicles 36
The Jews later returned to Jerusalem, gained strength, and rebuilt the Temple:
link to gojerusalem.com
Then corruption once against entered the hearts of the believers and Jesus (PBUH) admonished the Israelites that sincerity came before outward displays of piety. He then prophesied:
"Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”" - http://www.biblegateway.com, NIV, Matthew 24:1-4
This came to pass in 70CE when the Roman emperor Titus laid waste to Jerusalem right after several internecine struggles among various Jewish factions including the zealots:
link to gojerusalem.com Destroyed-the-Temple
Both events occurred on the 9th of Av (Tisha B'Av).
These sad events and the lessons to be gleaned from them are summarized beautifully in the Qur'an:
"And We conveyed to the Children of Israel in the Scripture that, "You will surely cause corruption on the earth twice, and you will surely reach [a degree of] great haughtiness. So when the [time of] promise came for the first of them, We sent against you servants of Ours - those of great military might, and they probed [even] into the homes, and it was a promise fulfilled. Then We gave back to you a return victory over them. And We reinforced you with wealth and sons and made you more numerous in manpower. [And said], "If you do good, you do good for yourselves; and if you do evil, [you do it] to yourselves." Then when the final promise came, [We sent your enemies] to sadden your faces and to enter the temple in Jerusalem, as they entered it the first time, and to destroy what they had taken over with [total] destruction. [Then Allah said], "It is expected, [if you repent], that your Lord will have mercy upon you. But if you return [to sin], We will return [to punishment]. And We have made Hell, for the disbelievers, a prison-bed."" - http://www.quran.com, Sahih International Translation, 17:4-8
The integrity and soul of corporate American news media began to die with the retirement of great anchors such as Peter Jennings:
link to youtube.com
Thankfully, that void is being filled by alternative media, many of which are featured on Informed Comment.
Although our generation is the most self-centered & self-indulgent this country has seen, yet there are still great Americans among us. I have hope.
Message to the Muslim Brotherhood:
Watch "The Jon Stewart" show and "The Colbert Report" and you will realize the value of comedic satire.
Fear Allah, educate yourselves, and learn to prioritize what is important in Islam.
What is greater in the sight of Allah? Making fun of Morsi (little bit bad) or killing Muslims and spreading corruption (fitnah and fasaad) in the earth, like Assad (very bad)?
Tailor your response to the gravity of the situation. Think before you act.
I believe there was also a funneling effect that occurred prior to the crash of 2008. Large sums of money were fed into the stock market bubble that then magically "vanished" (i.e., were transferred). You can see the 2 major dips here.
link to stockcharts.com
I recall going to dinner parties where my Dad's friends (baby-boomer generation) would talk incessantly about stocks. Even classmates made statements like, "If you put your money in the stock market, it will double every 8 months." So some people became addicted day-traders. A pot of gold lay at the end of the road of a lifetime of hard work! Now entire life savings could be leveraged to make tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of dollars easily. Many small timers from the middle class became "experts" in a game they had never invented or played before. After the crash of 2008, those dinner party conversations came to a crashing halt.
What happened? The "Meltdown" documentary available on YouTube sheds a small candle on what happened. But the story is much larger than that. Most of us (including myself) will never know the real transactions, agreements, & games played behind the scenes. But, the following will suffice:
1. As can be seen in the wealth distribution video above, you and I hold a very very small portion of the total wealth.
2. The American saying, "You can't get something for nothing." is an immutable law and has a parallel in the 1st Law of Thermodynamics, AKA The Law of Conservation of Energy. Does it makes sense for money to magically double, triple, without actual work being done?
3. Let's say 10 people play a securities game. 2 people have a $1 each (the poor), 7 people have $100 each (middle class), and 1 person has $100,000 dollars (the 1%). The 2 poor people cannot afford to enter the game and decide to leave. The 1 rich guy is in league above. He doesn't run in the same social circles as others and certainly never has dinner with them. The 7 middle class people eagerly jump into and consider themselves "experts" after a few rounds because they see their money multiply. They happily discuss the game with each other and trade stock market tips. The rich guy plays the game but his assets and transactions are unknown to the others. He watches the market with cold calculating eyes as he releases market information via his PR staff and quietly makes large transactions. He grins in self-satisfaction as the 7 middle class players unknowingly follow his subtle cues, buying and selling in sync with his release of information and market nudges. The 7 middle class people never think of quitting. Why quit when you're getting ahead? Finally, the market plunge occurs, which was perfectly timed and known by the rich guy beforehand. By the time the 7 middle class people realize what is going on, it's too late, they've lost their life savings.
Consider the scenario above from the perspective of supply and demand. The rich man's $100,000 dwarfs the $700 owned by the 7 other players. The intelligence of the middle class 7 is irrelevant. Besides, who gives them the information on which they base their decisions? More importantly, the rich man can buy in large quantities and drive up the price OR sell in large quantities and drive down the price just as easily.
The lessons we should all take away are:
You can't get something for nothing.
Invest long term. Get rich quick schemes are doomed to failure.
Suroosh Alvi, co-founder of Vice returns to Baghdad after the American withdrawal for a 2nd time. Filled with great street level videography:
link to youtube.com
The history of the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem gets very little coverage in the American educational system. Some fascinating historical facts:
1. The 2nd Caliph Umar conquered Jerusalem in 638 C.E. and preserved the Christian heritage of the city. He was horrified to see the Temple Mount used as a landfill and had the site restored.
2. The Byzantine Christians had outlawed Judaism prevented Jews from visiting the city. Umar allowed the Jews to return.
link to gojerusalem.com
link to gojerusalem.com
Shaykh Hamza Yusuf Hanson covers some of the issues of Islamic inheritance in this short clip:
link to youtube.com
This Amnesty International Report corroborates Pvt. Bradley Manning's testimony. It details forced confessions extracted by the Iraqi security services under the government of Nouri al-Maliki:
link to youtube.com
Here's the working link:
link to youtube.com
The Syrian state must be desperate for recruits because they've taken a page from al-Qaeda's playbook by airing the same songs on state TV. Al Arabiya reports:
link to youtube.com
Cenk of TYT summarizes some of the findings of the forthcoming BBC/Guardian documentary on Iraq:
link to youtube.com
There is an interesting subtle connection between this story and the case of Pvt. Bradley Manning. Glenn Greenwald, of The Guardian, is interviewed on DemocracyNow and when discussing the consistency of Pvt. Manning's testimony, states that some of the people detained and poorly treated by the authorities in Iraq were NOT terrorists, but rather political opponents of Nouri al-Maliki. The question begins at 5:00 and the answer is at 6:00:
link to youtube.com
Vice recently did a great documentary on Iranian cinema from inside Iran:
link to youtube.com
A great textbook for learning Urdu grammar is:
Urdu: An Essential Grammar by Ruth Laila Schmidt
link to amazon.com
For those interested in hearing proper Urdu (akin in to the literary form), the BBC Urdu Service is a good place to start:
link to bbc.co.uk
Al Jazeera English did a story on Shi'ah militias in Iraq several years ago:
link to youtube.com
"Monsters are everywhere."??? This NRA lobbyist has watched too many zombie flicks. It's ironic how Right-wing conspiracy theorists preach that Obama (one of the most impotent presidents this country has ever seen, btw) is attempting a socialist takeover. Therefore, citizens need to be armed to defend themselves.
NRA solution: A massively increased police presence spread out to every school. Who's advocating for a police state here?
Now for some more practical concerns:
1. How many police officers do we currently have?
2. How many schools do we have?
3. How much would it cost to put an armed guard in every school? What would they do during 99% of the time when no shooting takes place?
4. How much would it cost to have an honest discussion about messages that music groups such as KMFDM put in their lyrics?
5. How much would it cost to reinstate the assault weapons ban?
Agreed.
The NRA should now be called the NAWA (National Assault Weapons Association), because they've graduated from hunting rifles.
Dear Professor Cole,
I completely agree with your sentiments on the idiocy of large magazines married to rapid-fire mechanisms in firearms.
But there is another aspect to this story the media perpetually ignores. Why was this individual so mentally and spiritually bankrupt in the first place? How is extreme individualism and materialism connected to this crime? What messages did he consume and internalize? Did he follow the satanic maxim, "Do as thou wilt" espoused by the music industry?
-Azeez
Dear Professor Cole,
I used to be a supporter of the two state solution, but looking at the green-highlighted areas of the map I wonder, 'Could such a zig-zag territory ever make a viable state?' Gaza could provide a seaport, but the rest of the land is deeply pierced and surrounded by Israeli territory. Further I'm seeing at least 4 non-contiguous zones.
Are there any other countries in the world that have non-contiguous territories? I suppose Hawaii & Alaska are separated from the mainland U.S. by an ocean. But I can't help but remember the failed West & East Pakistan experiment finally breaking up into Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Concerning point #9, Professor Cole, there's an excellent documentary by Journeyman Pictures on illegal Israeli settlers /squatters:
link to youtube.com
Animated history of the financial crisis presented by
The Guardian:
link to youtube.com
It's time to reenact the repealed provisions of the Glass-Steagall Act.
If U.S. Ambassadors to other countries defected condemning Washington D.C., I think you'd consider it to be significant.
If you follow these modern anti-Muslim strands of thought, you'll find that some of them lead back to Steve Emerson.
"They had tended to vote Republican in the 1990s, but George W. Bush’s wars in the Middle East and his alliance with the worst elements in the evangelical community and the right wing of the Israel lobby drove them into the arms of the Democrats."
I can completely identify with that comment. In high school I was a staunch Republican due to their stance on social issues. When the neocons (Karl Rove, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Gonzalez) took over the party, I dumped the Republicans. I'll consider returning when the party regains its sanity. It It looks like it's beginning to happen with people like Ron Paul.
So sad. It's almost like three 9/11's happening every year.
Gun violence is a huge problem in Brooklyn, NY (especially in Brownsville). Kids as young as 14 y/o are joining gangs and getting guns. A new robbery trend involves taking people's iPhones/Android phones to finance these activities. Go to http://www.spotcrime.com and signup for crime alerts in Brooklyn and you'll get the daily digest of shooting and armed robbery.
Privatization of US hospitals is another related trend. It's sad to see institutions such as St. Mary's hospital of Waterbury, CT which has been a nonprofit Catholic institution for a century, now merging with Waterbury Hospital and going for-profit. I think the founding nuns must be turning over in their graves now.
Wouldn't India's Muslims disaprove of Iran's support for Assad in Syria, and perhaps by extension be less likely to support Iran?