"None dare call it treason." I think one of the effects of changes in the world economy and political alignments is that sectors of the US elites as well multinationals are no longer 'patriotic' in the sense that this word was understood 50-60 years ago. 'Patriorism' is an attitude to display to the general public but is not connected to how business is conducted and with whom. While the facts re Trump campaign and Russia still remain unclear, I would welcome hearing the word 'treason' thrown out once in a while just to get a discussion going. (p.s. I am not a conservative)
I usually agree with you on most things but I have a really serious problem with this sentence: " And I know that NATO made a huge error in being aggressive toward the supine Russian Federation and seeking to expand right up to its doorstep, contrary to what the US promised Premier Mikhael Gorbachev." The countries of Eastern Europe have the right of self-determination just like all other countries, peoples, etc. They lived under Soviet domination since WWII. They had and have the right to choose which alliance to join and for NATO to reject them would have been unconscionable, not to say detrimental to Western Europe which certainly wanted allies to the east. To take Poland as an example, I believe just about 95% of Poles wanted to join the EU and NATO after the end of communism. And you think the EU and NATO should have turned their back on Poland in deference to Russia? Why this special treatment for this imperialist world power (less power than before, but still a power). Sometimes specialists on one part of the world are remarkably blind when they look elsewhere. The same rules that apply to Palestinians, Iraqis, Egyptians, etc. apply to countries and peoples elsewhere in the world.
Oh I love this comment!!!! Though I am a mere sometime-reader of Scandinavian history, I know that you captured the salient features regarding how they would have viewed Trump. And how delightful to have someone write about Scandinavia on these pages! I might add that hospitality and reciprocity were key factors in many older cultures around the world, including here in the Peruvian Andes where I live.
Can't quarrel with most of the article though, for a long time, there were virtually no Afro-Cubans in the top ranks of the government of the country. Cuba was also infamous for its persecution of gays, something that has recently changed though only Cuban gays can say how much. But one real test of a system like that of Cuba is if it can deliver economically in the long term and Cuba has been struggling since it lost its subsidies from the Soviet Union. Finally, as a leftist, I most definitely do not believe in dictatorships for life nor hereditary ones.
Something is going on here and I don't know what it is. After listening to the hearings of Trump's foreign policy picks, I have the impression that they were chosen by the Republican foreign policy establishment. And so I ask myself how someone like Trump (who is very under-educated) chose these people? One possibility could be that those two close advisors -- Jared and Ivonka -- who seem vastly more intelligent than D. Trump, were helpful in these choices, on the basis of recommendations of powerful foreign policy people. This is pure speculation on my part but my point is that unlike the dictators mentioned in this article and replies to it, Trump is not currently surrounded by people who will do everything he wants (does he know what he wants?) or 'off with their heads'. And right now foreign policy seems to be the area where others are taking a leading role. Is Trump to be a 'managed' president in some policy areas and who will be managing him?
After reading the comments on this article, I would recommend the book "The Sociopath Next Door" by Martha Stout. This book clarifies some of the points in Prof. Cole's article, which I personally agree with completely.
Hmmm. I have been protesting US foreign policy for decades and US interference in foreign elections (which thankfully has diminished to some degree, though perhaps not entirely). I protested because I think that elections everywhere should be free of foreign influence (and other types of illegal interference). That means that I do not welcome Russian interference in the US elections. Russia has already attempted the same in its neighboring countries. I am a bit at a loss as to why you don't see this as a problem.
It is all too horrible. But neither Palestinians nor those of us who work peacefully around the world for Palestinian liberty will stop our work, ever, not until Palestinians are all free. And they will be free.
How much the Russians may or may not have had to do with hacking the Democrats (and Republicans for that matter), they are playing games to expand their influence in various European countries including Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Estonia, Hungary, Ukraine, and so forth, using hacking as one of their tools. Priority is going to those countries formerly under their control. There is every reason to believe that hacking foreign governments and politicians is perfectly acceptable to Putin (as it sometimes is for US espionage agencies and presidents). As someone commented in the Washington Post recently, today's Russia likes to be an agent of chaos......
It is amazing to me that so many people cannot tell the difference between politics as usual and a megalomaniac who cannot take criticism, ignores advice, cannot concentrate on the intricacies of domestic and foreign policy (and knows nothing about the latter), does not depend on his party, and has legitimized bigotry, racism and white supremacy (i.e. people with such views feel more empowered to act on them). I know where some of the cynicism expressed above is coming from but I also see it as coming from people who have not suffered political instability, political violence, economic disarray, run away inflation, etc.. If you had, you might have some understanding of just how dangerous Trump could be for all of you and those you care about (not to say the rest of the world). It is so easy to say 'let it burn' when you cannot (or would rather not) actually visualize your own house burning. I admit I have absolutely no idea what Trump will do but that in itself expresses part of the danger. And, oh yes, and does anyone remember the Supreme Court?
Very odd idea that the rest of the world doesn't care. The rest of the world cares very much and is appalled by Trump. Here in Latin America everybody realizes that Trump is not only a racist (i.e., all Latin Americans are inferior, but also that he is unbelievably ignorant). In Europe, Trump's apparent views on NATO are terrifying and ever more so the closer you get to Russia's border. I can't comment on Asia but certainly China has been developing contingency plans for aggressive attacks of various sorts from Trump, especially on trade. The Canadians are very fearful because they can't escape US influence since they are next door. Africans no doubt have heard of Trump's racism. Here and there, there are no doubt dictators and authoritarian leaders and their followers who feel they could get along nicely with Trump and we do know that the Russian people love him.
I said the same thing when I taught a Developing Nations course when I was studying for my doctorate (SUNY Buffalo) and all I got was a few raised eyebrows. Sadly I fear that times may have changed and more and more people in the US refuse to believe anything they don't want to believe. And no expert opinion matters. Nor does scientific evidence.
I would just like to tell all of you out there that I have heard real political debates - in Canada! I have lost all hope that there will ever be real debates in the US because everything is images, momentum, impressions, nothing is substance.....
I am happy to grow old in multi-cultural Peru, where indigenous people in high Andes and the Amazonian lowlands can wear traditional clothes if they wish to (or not). And I come from a country - the US - founded by people who fled Europe seeking freedom to practice their religion. Being 'secular' is a belief system as any other and I am sorry you cannot see that. Because if you can't, you are not truly free and cannot grant the people around you true freedom and respect.
The comments this time are as interesting as the article! I found that in the US and Canada wearing of the hijab was very often a personal choice. I was told the same by the Indonesian women I talked to. They told me it was a decision between them and God. In the US, Amish women must cover their hair and there are no protests on their behalf. In general, I agree with Audrey: 'Get over it already'! Do you really not have more serious problems to fix in your own societies?
I wanted the Assads gone for decades. Now my only wish is for all the people of Syria that they might find peace above all, that they might resume a semblance of a normal life with education for their children and healthcare for all. That the 4.8m refugees live decent lives and find a real home at home or somewhere else if it must be. And my heart aches very, very deeply because I cannot see any way that this can happen anytime soon. And in the midst of all this, I have to vote for Hillary the Hawk to save the world from Donald the Profoundly Dangerous.
I agree. All evil does not originate in the US or the global north. It is true that both the right and the left in the US systematically minimize the agency of actors in the global south. Still, Prof. Cole is less guilty of this than many others.
I generally agree with you on just about everything. Ditto here except for the idea that being against abortion equals being religious. I think it is also a philosophical and a scientific issue. You bring science in yourself when you refer to the babies of rapists. With so many discoveries regarding DNA, there is more reason to believe that tendencies for certain kinds of behaviors are inherited. Personally, I am against banning abortion but very much think it is a last choice and that we must have a philosophical and scientific discussion as to when human life begins. Still, in the polarized world of the US, such a discussion may never take place, which is very, very sad.
If Iran (or anyone else) dropped a nuclear bomb on Israel, how many Palestinians would they kill? I am not an expert on nuclear warfare, but I think that they would kill a great many whether in the first strike or through radiation. Therefore, Iran (and anybody else who cares about Palestinians) would not drop a nuclear bomb on Israel. Please tell me if I am wrong.
© 2025 All Rights Reserved
Very interesting. Thanks for making it available to your readers, Juan.
It is a great pity (and dangerous) that this budget for nuclear weapons is receiving no public debate.
Thanks!
"None dare call it treason." I think one of the effects of changes in the world economy and political alignments is that sectors of the US elites as well multinationals are no longer 'patriotic' in the sense that this word was understood 50-60 years ago. 'Patriorism' is an attitude to display to the general public but is not connected to how business is conducted and with whom. While the facts re Trump campaign and Russia still remain unclear, I would welcome hearing the word 'treason' thrown out once in a while just to get a discussion going. (p.s. I am not a conservative)
I usually agree with you on most things but I have a really serious problem with this sentence: " And I know that NATO made a huge error in being aggressive toward the supine Russian Federation and seeking to expand right up to its doorstep, contrary to what the US promised Premier Mikhael Gorbachev." The countries of Eastern Europe have the right of self-determination just like all other countries, peoples, etc. They lived under Soviet domination since WWII. They had and have the right to choose which alliance to join and for NATO to reject them would have been unconscionable, not to say detrimental to Western Europe which certainly wanted allies to the east. To take Poland as an example, I believe just about 95% of Poles wanted to join the EU and NATO after the end of communism. And you think the EU and NATO should have turned their back on Poland in deference to Russia? Why this special treatment for this imperialist world power (less power than before, but still a power). Sometimes specialists on one part of the world are remarkably blind when they look elsewhere. The same rules that apply to Palestinians, Iraqis, Egyptians, etc. apply to countries and peoples elsewhere in the world.
Very enlightening article. Thanks.
Oh I love this comment!!!! Though I am a mere sometime-reader of Scandinavian history, I know that you captured the salient features regarding how they would have viewed Trump. And how delightful to have someone write about Scandinavia on these pages! I might add that hospitality and reciprocity were key factors in many older cultures around the world, including here in the Peruvian Andes where I live.
Can't quarrel with most of the article though, for a long time, there were virtually no Afro-Cubans in the top ranks of the government of the country. Cuba was also infamous for its persecution of gays, something that has recently changed though only Cuban gays can say how much. But one real test of a system like that of Cuba is if it can deliver economically in the long term and Cuba has been struggling since it lost its subsidies from the Soviet Union. Finally, as a leftist, I most definitely do not believe in dictatorships for life nor hereditary ones.
Something is going on here and I don't know what it is. After listening to the hearings of Trump's foreign policy picks, I have the impression that they were chosen by the Republican foreign policy establishment. And so I ask myself how someone like Trump (who is very under-educated) chose these people? One possibility could be that those two close advisors -- Jared and Ivonka -- who seem vastly more intelligent than D. Trump, were helpful in these choices, on the basis of recommendations of powerful foreign policy people. This is pure speculation on my part but my point is that unlike the dictators mentioned in this article and replies to it, Trump is not currently surrounded by people who will do everything he wants (does he know what he wants?) or 'off with their heads'. And right now foreign policy seems to be the area where others are taking a leading role. Is Trump to be a 'managed' president in some policy areas and who will be managing him?
After reading the comments on this article, I would recommend the book "The Sociopath Next Door" by Martha Stout. This book clarifies some of the points in Prof. Cole's article, which I personally agree with completely.
Hmmm. I have been protesting US foreign policy for decades and US interference in foreign elections (which thankfully has diminished to some degree, though perhaps not entirely). I protested because I think that elections everywhere should be free of foreign influence (and other types of illegal interference). That means that I do not welcome Russian interference in the US elections. Russia has already attempted the same in its neighboring countries. I am a bit at a loss as to why you don't see this as a problem.
It is all too horrible. But neither Palestinians nor those of us who work peacefully around the world for Palestinian liberty will stop our work, ever, not until Palestinians are all free. And they will be free.
How much the Russians may or may not have had to do with hacking the Democrats (and Republicans for that matter), they are playing games to expand their influence in various European countries including Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Estonia, Hungary, Ukraine, and so forth, using hacking as one of their tools. Priority is going to those countries formerly under their control. There is every reason to believe that hacking foreign governments and politicians is perfectly acceptable to Putin (as it sometimes is for US espionage agencies and presidents). As someone commented in the Washington Post recently, today's Russia likes to be an agent of chaos......
See: link to nafsa.org International Students bring in $30.5 billion and support about 370,000 jobs in the U.S.
Amen!
It is amazing to me that so many people cannot tell the difference between politics as usual and a megalomaniac who cannot take criticism, ignores advice, cannot concentrate on the intricacies of domestic and foreign policy (and knows nothing about the latter), does not depend on his party, and has legitimized bigotry, racism and white supremacy (i.e. people with such views feel more empowered to act on them). I know where some of the cynicism expressed above is coming from but I also see it as coming from people who have not suffered political instability, political violence, economic disarray, run away inflation, etc.. If you had, you might have some understanding of just how dangerous Trump could be for all of you and those you care about (not to say the rest of the world). It is so easy to say 'let it burn' when you cannot (or would rather not) actually visualize your own house burning. I admit I have absolutely no idea what Trump will do but that in itself expresses part of the danger. And, oh yes, and does anyone remember the Supreme Court?
Very odd idea that the rest of the world doesn't care. The rest of the world cares very much and is appalled by Trump. Here in Latin America everybody realizes that Trump is not only a racist (i.e., all Latin Americans are inferior, but also that he is unbelievably ignorant). In Europe, Trump's apparent views on NATO are terrifying and ever more so the closer you get to Russia's border. I can't comment on Asia but certainly China has been developing contingency plans for aggressive attacks of various sorts from Trump, especially on trade. The Canadians are very fearful because they can't escape US influence since they are next door. Africans no doubt have heard of Trump's racism. Here and there, there are no doubt dictators and authoritarian leaders and their followers who feel they could get along nicely with Trump and we do know that the Russian people love him.
I said the same thing when I taught a Developing Nations course when I was studying for my doctorate (SUNY Buffalo) and all I got was a few raised eyebrows. Sadly I fear that times may have changed and more and more people in the US refuse to believe anything they don't want to believe. And no expert opinion matters. Nor does scientific evidence.
I would just like to tell all of you out there that I have heard real political debates - in Canada! I have lost all hope that there will ever be real debates in the US because everything is images, momentum, impressions, nothing is substance.....
I am happy to grow old in multi-cultural Peru, where indigenous people in high Andes and the Amazonian lowlands can wear traditional clothes if they wish to (or not). And I come from a country - the US - founded by people who fled Europe seeking freedom to practice their religion. Being 'secular' is a belief system as any other and I am sorry you cannot see that. Because if you can't, you are not truly free and cannot grant the people around you true freedom and respect.
Yes!
The comments this time are as interesting as the article! I found that in the US and Canada wearing of the hijab was very often a personal choice. I was told the same by the Indonesian women I talked to. They told me it was a decision between them and God. In the US, Amish women must cover their hair and there are no protests on their behalf. In general, I agree with Audrey: 'Get over it already'! Do you really not have more serious problems to fix in your own societies?
I wanted the Assads gone for decades. Now my only wish is for all the people of Syria that they might find peace above all, that they might resume a semblance of a normal life with education for their children and healthcare for all. That the 4.8m refugees live decent lives and find a real home at home or somewhere else if it must be. And my heart aches very, very deeply because I cannot see any way that this can happen anytime soon. And in the midst of all this, I have to vote for Hillary the Hawk to save the world from Donald the Profoundly Dangerous.
I agree. All evil does not originate in the US or the global north. It is true that both the right and the left in the US systematically minimize the agency of actors in the global south. Still, Prof. Cole is less guilty of this than many others.
I generally agree with you on just about everything. Ditto here except for the idea that being against abortion equals being religious. I think it is also a philosophical and a scientific issue. You bring science in yourself when you refer to the babies of rapists. With so many discoveries regarding DNA, there is more reason to believe that tendencies for certain kinds of behaviors are inherited. Personally, I am against banning abortion but very much think it is a last choice and that we must have a philosophical and scientific discussion as to when human life begins. Still, in the polarized world of the US, such a discussion may never take place, which is very, very sad.
Thank you so much for providing this extraordinary documentation of the beliefs and customs of this ancient religious group.
If Iran (or anyone else) dropped a nuclear bomb on Israel, how many Palestinians would they kill? I am not an expert on nuclear warfare, but I think that they would kill a great many whether in the first strike or through radiation. Therefore, Iran (and anybody else who cares about Palestinians) would not drop a nuclear bomb on Israel. Please tell me if I am wrong.