Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Israel’s leaders have finally formed a government, after three elections that left the country in a political quagmire. The new government is a catastrophe in the following ways: 1. It will encourage Likud leader Binyamin Netanyahu to continue to dismantle Israeli democracy. He will seek to have the corruption charges […]
Omar Khayyam Day (5/18) in Lockdown: “My Diamond is your Ecstasy”
The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam: Quatrain of the Day For the earliest collection of verse attributed to Omar Khayyam see my just-published The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam: A New Translation from the Persian (NB: the poem above isn’t in this collection– there are lots of such anthologies, and Whinfield favored the late Indian manuscripts.) Here […]
Male Face Masks have been the Height of Masculinity for Centuries: Why see Coronavirus Masks as Wimpy?
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – A recent study of the way Americans are adapting to the coronavirus found that “Men more than women agree that wearing a face covering is shameful, not cool, a sign of weakness, and a stigma”. The study indicated that American men resist wearing face masks more than do women, partly […]
I guess “Islam” doesn’t Hate us After All: Trump pins hopes for Vaccine on Muslim-American Slaoui
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Trump became president in part by playing on fears, resentments and outright hatred among some segments of the American public, especially of a racial and religious sort. He bashed Mexican-Americans as drug dealers and rapists, and recently blamed Chinese-Americans for the coronavirus. But no group came in for so fierce […]
Dr. Bright to Congress: With 85,000 already Dead, US Gov’t Coronavirus Inaction threatens us with “Darkest Winter in Modern History”
The testimony of Dr. Rick Bright on Thursday was a remarkably low-key affair given the bombshell revelations Ruiz divulged of the paralysis, inaction and frankly stupidity of the Trump administration regarding the looming coronavirus catastrophe back in January and February. We all saw Trump himself say stupid things like that the virus was a hoax […]
Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam: “All those whose Names are Written in Love’s Book”
Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam: Quatrain of the Day All hearts that shine with passion’s radiance, no matter if they pray in mosque or church– all those whose names are written in love’s book have been set free of hell and paradise. trans. Juan Cole, (Whinfield 60) هر دل که در او نور محبت بسرشت گر […]
Top 6 Reasons Trump & Pompeo are Blessing Israel’s new Annexationist Government
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo dropped in on Israel on Wednesday to bestow his blessing on the new annexationist coalition government being formed by indicted prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his new partner, Gen. Benny Gantz of the Blue and White bloc. Pompeo flew 24 hours to spend 6 […]
Palestinian Children’s Health in Gaza under Israeli Blockade During Pandemic (Juan Cole Video Interview)
KinderUSA is a Muslim-American charity specializing in helping disadvantaged children in Palestine and elsewhere. Although some people would have you think of Palestinians in Gaza as all terrorists who deserve the blockade, the majority of them are children, and for an occupying power to place a blockade on children under Occupation is a war crime […]
Pence, who urged Impeachment of Bill Clinton for Lying, Would join Trump in Welcoming Confessed Liar Michael Flynn back to White House
Vice President Mike Pence says he would be happy to have disgraced former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn back in the White House. The statement came after Bill Barr’s Department of Justice said it did not want to prosecute Flynn for lying to the FBI. Note, Barr does not deny that Flynn committed this crime. […]
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