Review of Allen James Fromherz, The Center of the World: A Global History of the Persian Gulf from the Stone Age to the Present (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2024). Munich, Germany (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) –– Historically known as the Persian Gulf, the body of water stretching from Iraq on the northwest to […]
Archives for January 2025
As Los Angeles combusts, 2024 is declared Earth’s Hottest on Record
By Andrew King, The University of Melbourne and David Karoly, The University of Melbourne (The Conversation) – The year 2024 was the world’s warmest on record globally, and the first calendar year in which global temperatures exceeded 1.5°C above its pre-industrial levels. The official declaration was made on Friday by the Copernicus Climate Change Service, […]
End Warness, Not Wokeness: Ten Thoughts on Curbing the Worst Excesses of U.S. Militarism
( Tomdispatch.com ) – As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take America back (again!) to greatness, there’s been much talk of Elon Musk’s new DOGE, or Department of Government Efficiency, and whether it will dare tackle Pentagon spending in useful ways. Could it curb rampant fraud, waste, and abuse within military contracting? Will the Pentagon finally pass […]
Yes, Human-Caused Climate Change Contributed to the Burning of Los Angeles
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Los Angeles wildfires destroyed over 1,000 buildings, forced thousands from their homes, and left at least five dead as of this writing. The Pacific Palisades fires destroyed many historic structures, including the home of legendary comedian and actor Will Rogers (d. 1935). Reading some of his quotes, I conclude […]
European Union funding for Israeli AI, Tech, raises Fresh Concerns about Complicity in Genocide
By Melike Pala | – ( Middle East Monitor ) – Israel’s use of artificial intelligence (AI) funded by European Union research programmes to target civilians is attracting a lot of criticism. Since the Israeli attacks on Gaza began on 7 October, 2023, the EU has provided over €238 million ($246m) to Israeli institutions for […]
Syria: Challenges facing Ahmad al-Shara as he Strives for Legitimacy both Inside and Outside the Country
(The Conversation) – Rahaf Aldoughli, Lancaster University The fall of the Assad regime after more than 50 years and the rise of the militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has brought Syria to a critical turning point. Decades of Ba’athist rule entrenched deep ideological and emotional divides within Syrian society. Aside from the massive job […]
Ireland to Int’l Court of Justice: Gaza War is no Excuse for Israel Genociding Palestinian Civilians
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Ireland has filed a declaration with the International Court of Justice of its intention to intervene in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel for its tactics in the war on Gaza. So reports Kerry O’Shea at IrishCentral. The Statute of the International Court of Justice, Article 63, provides for the […]
Gaza and Lebanon Atrocities: The international legal System has Collapsed, and Journalism is Collapsing with it
By Kristin Skare Orgeret, Oslo Metropolitan University (The Conversation) – The past year has been the deadliest for journalists since the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) began tracking fatalities in 1992. Since 7 October 2023, at least 146 journalists have been killed in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel, and Lebanon, though the actual numbers are […]
Finding Hope in the Negative Spaces of the Trump Era
( Tomdispatch.com ) – The expression “punch-drunk,” Google informs me, means “stupefied by or as if by a series of heavy blows to the head.” Google’s Oxford Language entry then offers a not-terribly-illuminating example of the term’s use: “I feel a little punch-drunk today.” Right now, a better one might be something like: “After November […]
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