(By Juan Cole) When President Obama looked us in the eye and said that the US is not engaged in electronic surveillance for economic reasons, but only for the sake of security and anti-terrorism, he was lying through his teeth. He should be careful. His approval ratings have tanked in some large part because he […]
Archives for January 2014
Circle Cafe serves up global tastes in a homely space
Stepping into Circle Cafe in Al Raha Gardens on a cold winter’s night is a relief. The space is warm and toasty, unlike most restaurants in the UAE, where the thermostat always seems to be stuck at a couple of degrees below zero. The cafe is set at the end of Gardens Plaza and is […]
Will God have a say in Super Bowl outcome?
A new poll finds 48% of Americans think God rewards athletes who have faith with good health and success
Why Pres. Obama wants to Raise Minimum Wage: 49 mn Americans Food Insecure
(Via PRNewswire) The State of Hunger in America: Feeding America Issues Annual Report (via PR Newswire) CHICAGO, Jan. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — In connection with President Barack Obama’s . . . annual State of the Union address, Feeding America has issued its annual “State of Hunger in America,” assessing the prevalence of food insecurity and… […]
Don’t Break up Syria: WW I-Style Imperial Divide & Rule is a Failure
(By Christopher Dekki) Since the beginning of this terrible conflict in Syria, I have been closely listening to people’s reactions to the violence and devastation occurring there. What is astonishing is how quickly Syria transformed from a place of relative obscurity to a topic of constant discussion among so many. Even more astonishing, the solutions […]
US Pivot to Asia Should Deploy Soft Power, not the Marines
(By John Feffer) In a future update of The Devil’s Dictionary, the famed Ambrose Bierce dissection of the linguistic hypocrisies of modern life, a single word will accompany the entry for “Pacific pivot”: retreat. It might seem a strange way to characterize the Obama administration’s energetic attempt to reorient its foreign and military policy toward […]
U.S. Congress secretly approves weapons for ‘moderate’ rebels
Light arms supplied by the United States are flowing to moderate Syrian rebel factions in the south of the country and U.S. funding for months of further deliveries has been approved by Congress, according U.S. and European security officials.
Dovish SOTU: Obama will Veto AIPAC Iran Sanctions, Pledges Afghanistan Wind-Down
(By Juan Cole) President Obama’s State of the Union address addressed some key foreign policy issues–Afghanistan and Iran above all– though it was primarily aimed at domestic issues, and mainly at those where executive orders and policy might make at least a marginal impact. Opinion polls show that US public support for the Afghanistan War, […]
Syria: Trapped Women of besieged Homs decline evacuation, fearing for their Men
(Via Globalpost) Women and children fearing for male relatives refuse to leave Syria’s Homs (via GlobalPost) More than half of the 500 women and children trapped in the Syrian city of Homs refuse to be evacuated, saying they fear leaving male relatives behind, activists said Monday. “Some 200 women and children, those suffering the worst […]
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