Lior Sternfeld writes in a guest editorial for Informed Comment Israel’s center-right Kadima Party has just elected an Iranian-Israeli, Shaul Mofaz, as its leader, in an attempt to position itself to defeat the hard right Likud Party’s Binyamin Netanyahu in the next elections. Mofaz is promising to take up the plight of Israel’s middle class, […]
Life of Omar Khayyam pt 5 (Documentary)
Fifth and final part of “The Genius of Omar Khayyam” — the continuing appeal of his poetry and philosophy, and the question of how much of Fitzgerald’s Rubaiyat translation is Fitzgerald and how much Khayyam:
Rafsanjani: Iran does not Want Nukes, Should improve relations with US, Saudi
Former Iranian president Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, gave an interview in a security studies journal recently, and I thought it might be important to share some key passages here. They were translated from the Fars News Agency by the USG Open Source Center. Rafsanjani is head of the Expediency Council, which resolves conflicts between the […]
Arab spring brings steep rise in US attacks in Yemen (Woods & Slater)
Christ Woods and Emma Slater write at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism: Arab spring brings steep rise in US attacks in Yemen by Chris Woods and Emma Slater Covert US strikes against alleged militants in Yemen have risen steeply during the Arab spring, and are currently at the same level as the CIA’s controversial drone […]
Omar Khayyam (85)
A cup full of rose-colored wine is beautiful; the tunes of the lute are lovely. As for the prude who knows nothing of wine, it is beautiful when he is very far away. Translated by Juan Cole from [pdf] Whinfield 85
Life of Omar Khayyam, pt 4 (Documentary)
Part 4 of the “Genius of Omar Khayyam”— how Edward Fitzgerald’s translation became a Western publishing sensation:
Why Romney is Lying about the Causes of high Prices at the Pump
After his wins on Tuesday, Mitt Romney is clearly the Republican standard bearer in the 2012 election, and he is already flailing about attempting to find some mud to throw at President Obama in hopes some of it will stick. He has trotted out a tired talking point attempting to blame Obama for high gasoline […]
Omar Khayyam (86)
The life of this world without wine and bartender is not happy; without the airs of the Iraqi flute, it is not happy; Whenever I look at the world’s condition, its fruits are joy; and the rest is not happy. Translated by Juan Cole from [pdf] Whinfield 86
Data Mining You: Engelhardt
Tom Engelhardt writes at Tomdispatch.com: Data Mining You How the Intelligence Community Is Creating a New American World By Tom Engelhardt I was out of the country only nine days, hardly a blink in time, but time enough, as it happened, for another small, airless room to be added to the American national security labyrinth. […]
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