Transcript of the Middle East-related portions of the Republican debate in Arizona hosted by John King of CNN: “QUESTION: Hi, my name is Ken Taylor (ph) from Wickenberg, Arizona and my question to all the candidates is, how do you plan on dealing with the growing nuclear threat in Iran? KING: It’s a pressing question […]
Omar Khayyam (39)
If a stranger proves faithful, I adopt him into the family. But if a relative sins, I take a dim view of him. If poison proves helpful, it is actually an antidote, and if an antidote attacks me, it is really a toxic sting. Translated by Juan Cole from Whinfield 39
How the FCC can take the Money out of Politics- Cole at Truthdig
My column is out at truthdig “How the FCC can take the Money out of Politics” Excerpt: “Big money has always been a problem in American politics, but now humongous money threatens to capsize the ship of state. Billionaires are very, very good at getting rich, mostly through stealth monopolies, relatively sure things (e.g., casinos) […]
71% of Americans think Iran already has the Bomb (Also we used to have pet triceratops)
A CNN/ Gallup poll shows that nearly three quarters of Americans believe that Iran already has a nuclear weapon. (About 80% believe that it either has one or will get one in short order). This belief is completely irrational. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has repeatedly said that the US believes that Iran has not […]
Save Homs with Humanitarian Airdrops by Drones
The Baath regime in Syria killed another 60 persons on Tuesday. About 30 were killed by troops in restive Idlib province. The Syrian military also continued to pound Homs on Tuesday, using heavy artillery against the civilian district of Baba Amr and and killing another 30 there. The assault also set the stage for a […]
Tomgram: Rebecca Solnit, Why the Media Loves the Violence of Protesters and Not of Banks
When you fall in love, it’s all about what you have in common, and you can hardly imagine that there are differences, let alone that you will quarrel over them, or weep about them, or be torn apart by them — or if all goes well, struggle, …
Omar Khayyam (36)
I can’t reveal the mystery to either saint or sinner; I can’t state at length what I’ve said curtly; I achieve an altered state that I can’t explain; I have a secret that I cannot share. Translated by Juan Cole from Whinfield 36.
Israeli PM Netanyahu attacks Gen. Dempsey as Servant of Iran
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak have launched a vicious attack on US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey, an American war hero, saying his recent statements “served Iran.” They objected to his statement on Sunday, on Fareed Zakaria’s GPS , that “I don’t think a wise […]
Santorum’s Clarifier: Rick Condemned Obama’s Radical Islamic Theology
Santorum surrogate’s slip of the tongue Santorum sent his spokesperson Alice Stewart out to explain that when he condemned President Obama’s “theology” for “not being based on the Bible,” what he actually meant to do was to condemn Obama for being an environmentalist. This explanation is, of course, not plausible. Then Stewart put her foot […]
© 2025 All Rights Reserved