Signs that the Tunisia story is by no means over emerged this weekend. Protests continued in Tunis and elsewhere against the interim prime minister, Mohamed Ghannouchi and the president, Fouad Mebazaa, on grounds that they were part of the ruling Rally for Constitutional Democracy. The crowds wanted nothing to do with close associates of deposed […]
Olbermann Departs, as Media Consolidate Further
People are blaming the abrupt departure of Keith Olbermann from MSNBC on that company’s merger with Comcast and Olbermann’s loss of the protection and patronage of Jeff Zucker, the former head of NBC programming. MSNBC says that the issue has nothing to do with Comcast. It seems Olbermann is too extreme for US television. But […]
Iranian-American Comedians on Daily Show
Jon Stewart of the Daily Show interviews two Iranian-American satirists, Saman Arbabi and his colleague Kambiz Husseini about their television show, Parazit. The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c www.thedailyshow.com Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog</a> The Daily Show on Facebook
Iraq’s Civil War Grinds on, with 62 Dead, 200 Wounded in Karbala Blasts
Bombings took the lives of 62 Shiite pilgrims, mostly in the holy city of Karbala, but also in Diyala province. Sunni Arab guerrillas are still attempting to destabilize the Shiite-dominated government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki by provoking Shiite-Sunni feuds and spreading a feeling of instability that interferes with investment and reconstruction. On Tuesday, a […]
Beck: You’re Going to Have to Shoot them in The Head
On June 10, 2010, Glenn Beck painted a picture of the Democratic Party as deeply divided into a front group (President Obama, Nancy Pelosi) and a set of radical backers, whom the front group had used and to whom they had made promises. Among the alleged radical backers was Bill Ayers, the former Weatherman whom […]
Tunisia’s Uprising: A Real Shot at Democracy – Cole at the Economist
A podcast interview with me about Tunisia and its wider significance in the Middle East is up at the Economist web site.
Map: Industry by Province in Tunisia
Courtesy Centre Technique du Textile
Tunisian Ministers Resign En Masse from old Ruling Party
Stung by continued protests against the Rally for Constitutional Democracy (RCD) of deposed president Zine el-Abedine Ben Ali, the members of that party in the interim cabinet all resigned from it on Thursday morning. The president and prime minister had earlier left the party. The government also announced the freeing of all political prisoners. Some […]
Ala. Governor Apologizes to Muslims, Hindus, Jews
Gov. Robert Bentley, the new governor of Alabama, created a firestorm of controversy on Monday when he said that if you are not a Christian he does not consider you his brother or his sister. He added, “… so anybody here today who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their saviour, I’m telling you, you’re […]