Featured

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – One of the tactics of the so-called “Islamic State group” or ISIL had been to put out calls on the internet and social media for people to engage in random acts of violence. In some instances, these fevered and vague expression of violent grievance infested the nightmares of unstable young […]

Bernie Sanders

In Historic Rebuke to Trump, Senate invokes War Powers to Halt US aid to Saudi War on Yemen

Juan Cole

The US Senate voted 54 to 46 to invoke the 1973 War Powers Act and to end US support for the Saudi-led war on Yemen. The Yemen War has involved extensive war crimes, in which the US is complicit. Tens of thousands of people have been killed since the Saudis launched the war in spring […]

Archaeology

Dear Tucker Carlson: Iraqis Invented Civilization and, like, Literacy when “White Men” were Painting themselves Blue

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Tucker Carlson has been playing David Duke with a northeast accent and bow tie for some years, but in radio interviews with Bubba the Love Sponge from a decade ago released by Media Matters, he gave up the dog whistle for butchering and barbecuing the dog. Mediamatters4america: “Tucker Carlson makes […]

Featured

Even Wonder Woman’s Gal Gadot Slams Netanyahu’s Racism: ‘It is not a matter of … Arabs or Jews”

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Can Wonder Woman take down Israel’s combative, far right wing prime minister over his disturbing racism? Actress Gal Gadot, who played the Amazonian superhero in the blockbuster DC Entertainment film, has weighed in. As her character, Diana, said in the film, “I am the man who can.” Embed from Getty […]

Featured

America’s Long History of Hysteria about Women’s Veils: Jeanine Pirro and Ilhan Omar

Juan Cole

Fox far right wing propagandist Jeanine Pirro came after Ilhan Omar for veiling, saying it is unconstitutional for her to follow the sharia and accusing her, horror of horrors, of dual loyalty. Fox News ‘Strongly Condemns’ Jeanine Pirro’s Remarks on Rep. Ilhan Omar Pirro says that the Qur’an requires women to cover their heads. Many […]

Featured

In Bellwether, Norway Wealth Fund Dumps Oil Exploration Stocks as Bad Investment

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Norway is an extremely ambiguous actor when it comes to hydrocarbons. The Scandinavian country is Europe’s biggest oil producer, and some 20% of its national income derives from oil sales. At the same time, Norway recognizes the dangers of the climate crisis, and has moved to ban coal and promote […]

Colonialism

What does the World look like from Somalia? Explaining why Ilhan Omar Scares the Horses in DC

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | – Few Americans remember that the United States colonized the Philippines and virtually no one but the more historically conscious Filipinos remember how destructive the initial military occupation was, with thousands killed by US troops and hundreds of thousands killed by disease and exposure as a result of the brutality with […]

Corruption

Millionaire “Justice”: 5 Petty Shoplifting Charges sentenced more harshly than Manafort’s Hiding Millions

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Trump’s campaign manager, Paul Manafort, was given 47 months in prison for his crimes on Thursday, in a jaw-dropping ruling that treated him as a good family man without priors. He only didn’t have priors because white collar criminals are so coddled in an American firmly under the thumb of […]

Featured

Irony: as Pelosi backs down on ‘anti-Hate’ Resolution, Israel’s Politics Goes Peak Racist

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – A revolt of the Democratic Party grassroots has forestalled Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s plan to hold a vote on a resolution implicitly slamming Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) for her Tweets complaining about being pressured to pledge allegiance to Israel or else be considered unpatriotic. Although Rep. Omar has been unfairly […]