Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – I confess that I was weeping uncontrollably as I posted the videos and the AFP wire service story on the memorial service in Christchurch, New Zealand for the 50 shot dead in a horrific Islamophobic massacre. I’m a big Polynesia fan and the Maori music is so haunting and beautiful. […]
How Trump Just Gave Alabama to Iraq by Giving Syrian Golan to Israel
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Trump administration’s illegal and unilateral recognition of Israeli annexation of the Syrian Golan Heights is an unfortunate return to the international jungle of the 1930s and 1940s, when Hitler annexed the Sudetenland and Mussolini annexed Nice from France. Trump’s policy is Nazi law, as so many of his policies […]
The Ilhan Omar Effect? 50% of Americans now favor a Palestinian State (Gallup)
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – A Gallup poll has found that for the first time in many years, 50% of Americans favor the establishment of a Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank. I’m not sure what the other 50% think the Palestinians should do. Just stay stateless and without the rights of citizenship? […]
Back to the Sweltering Pliocene: World’s Production of CO2 Spiked again in 2018
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The world– you and I included– actually greatly increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, by 2.87 parts per million, raising the total to just about 410 ppm. So reports the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This was a significant increase, the fourth largest during the past 60 […]
We did Trump to Ourselves and Should Own up to It; Mueller and Putin can’t Save US
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Mueller report, at least as Trump’s AG describes it, was not able to prove that Trump colluded with Russia during the 2016 campaign. It did not prove he did not. Mueller obviously did find evidence of Russia supporting Trump, but that is different. The attraction of the theory embraced […]
Building Bridges: Juan Cole Interview on Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires
Andrew C Condon interviewed me in this podcast on my new book abut peace themes in the Qur’an and the life of the Prophet Muhammad. Andrew is with the Bridge Initiative, aimed at combating Islamophobia, of the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (ACMCU) at Georgetown University Building Bridges Interview with Juan Cole […]
No, Trump did not Defeat ISIL: He Executed Obama’s Plan
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The leader of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazlum Koubani, announced Saturday the end of the phony “caliphate” of the so-called Islamic State group, as the terrorist organization’s last sliver of territory in the Baghouz district east of Deir al-Zor, fell. I have all along objected to calling the defunct organization […]
Leaked Audio Exposes Oil & Gas Execs Laughing With Joy Over Cozy Access to Trump Officials
By Jon Queally, staff writer |- (Commondreams.org) – “It’s really a new world for us and very, very helpful,” said powerful fossil fuel lobby group’s CEO during closed-door meeting A newly-leaked audio recording reveals that oil and gas executives in a private meeting were “giddy” with laughter in the summer of 2017 as they rejoiced […]
How Trump’s Recognition of Israeli Usurpation of Syrian Golan Strengthens Iran, Russia in ME
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Trump’s call for recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights, a part of Syria, is intended to help his and his donors’ ally Binyamin Netanyahu win the Israeli elections. It is another example of his uncanny ability to sabotage his own policies. Not to mention to sabotage any […]
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