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Juan Cole

Democracy
Montesquieu in Najd:  Saudi Arabia, World's Last Absolute Monarchy, Challenged by New Democratic Political Party

Montesquieu in Najd: Saudi Arabia, World’s Last Absolute Monarchy, Challenged by New Democratic Political Party

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – A group of expatriate Saudi intellectuals announced this week the formation of the National Assembly Party, which they intend as an opposition party working for a rule of law and separation of powers in the kingdom. The group’s manifesto is printed here, declaring that they want to see democracy implemented […]

Donald Trump
Russia tells Trump to Jump in Lake, commits 80,000 Personnel to War drill alongside Iran, China

Russia tells Trump to Jump in Lake, commits 80,000 Personnel to War drill alongside Iran, China

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – This week, Russia is deploying 80,000 personnel, including 12,000 troops, alongside 1,000 troops from friendly countries in its region, in its Caucasus 2020 (Kavkaz 2020) military drills. Its partners include Iran, China, Belarus, Armenia, Pakistan, and Myanmar. The choice of Iran was deliberate. The Trump administration has threatened the most […]

American Jews
After praising Nordic "genes," Trump slams Jewish Americans and Muslim Americans

After praising Nordic “genes,” Trump slams Jewish Americans and Muslim Americans

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Trump can’t keep himself from sounding like a Nazi. Campaigning in Minnesota, he told the almost all-white crowd, most of Scandinavian descent, “You have good genes.” Human beings are a very young species, perhaps 300,000 years old, and have not had time to differentiate much. There is no significant genetic […]

China
France's Macron declares Europe's independence of Trump, stands by Iran Nuclear Deal

France’s Macron declares Europe’s independence of Trump, stands by Iran Nuclear Deal

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – French President Emmanuel Macron declared independence of the United States and of China for Europe at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, in the starkest “third way” bid for a French president since Charles De Gaulle withdrew from the military wing of NATO in 1965 and established France’s own nuclear […]

Corruption
Every Day is Memorial Day: The Trump Virus has killed as Many Americans as Died in Combat in the 4 Years of the Civil War

Every Day is Memorial Day: The Trump Virus has killed as Many Americans as Died in Combat in the 4 Years of the Civil War

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Trump has helped kill 200,000 Americans. The US has 4% of the world’s population but about 21% of its deaths. Global deaths are nearing the grim milestone of 1 million. For the world’s sole superpower, the scientifically most advanced country in the world, to have met the test of the […]

Donald Trump
No, Iran is not near having a Nuke:  Trump source tries Iraq Big Lie Playbook on Reuters, The Independent

No, Iran is not near having a Nuke: Trump source tries Iraq Big Lie Playbook on Reuters, The Independent

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Trump administration is running the same scam on the public that George W. Bush & Co. ran on Iraq in 2002. Some creepy Trump swamp creature emerged to whisper anonymously in the ear of Reuters, which should be ashamed of acting as its stenographer: “The unnamed official told Reuters […]

Featured
Affirming Jim Crow, Israeli Parliament votes down Bill guaranteeing Equality for Palestinian-Israelis, 21% of Population

Affirming Jim Crow, Israeli Parliament votes down Bill guaranteeing Equality for Palestinian-Israelis, 21% of Population

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The London pan-Arab daily al-Quds al-Arabi (Arab Jerusalem) reports that the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, voted down a proposed basic law introduced by Yousef Jabareen on behalf of the Joint List. It aimed at altering the constitutional basis of the Israeli state, requiring democratic principles, cultural pluralism and complete equality […]

Donald Trump
If McConnell Packs the Court on behalf of Minority Rule, Dems must Expand and Reform it

If McConnell Packs the Court on behalf of Minority Rule, Dems must Expand and Reform it

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell was asked what he would do if there was a vacancy on the Supreme Court in 2020. He smirked like a mischievous turtle, and said unhesitatingly, “We’ll fill it.” By “we” he meant not the American people but the unrepresentative Republicans in the Senate. Russell […]

African-Americans
Trump doesn't Understand History any more than he Understands Epidemics

Trump doesn’t Understand History any more than he Understands Epidemics

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Trump has a long history of proclaiming that he understands things better than the people who are experts in those things. When Dr. Robert Redfield, the head of the Centers for Disease Control, testified to Congress that mask-wearing is even more effective against Covid-19 than a vaccine is likely to […]

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