In Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO)’s frequent condemnation of the conservative elite and neoliberal technocrats echoed in his daily morning conferences during his six years as president. He mobilized voters mainly by appealing to popul...
“Willkommen in Wust! Willkommen in Saxony-Anhalt!” These were the first words I heard following 18 hours of travel as my host parents, Sigrun and Matthias, welcomed me with open arms. Wust, a town of just over 800 residents in old East German...
In July 2022, thousands of Sri Lankans stormed the presidential palace in Colombo. They swam in the president’s pool, sat in his chair, and used his personal gym. These actions were not borne out of rage at just one leader. It signaled the end of t...
In his recent column on the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands dispute between China and Japan, Carter Johnson raises several interesting points. I agree with most of them, and after reading the article I found myself thinking on a historical analogy of the conf...
In his recent column on the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands dispute between China and Japan, Carter Johnson raises several interesting points. I agree with most of them, and after reading the article I found myself thinking on a historical analogy of the conf...
For the next few weeks, I am planning to be writing on the Egyptian Constitution. Today, I begin with the starting words of the Preamble. The Egyptian Preamble starts the same way as the American one: We the People. In the United States, there is ove...
For the next few weeks, I am planning to be writing on the Egyptian Constitution. Today, I begin with the starting words of the Preamble. The Egyptian Preamble starts the same way as the American one: We the People. In the United States, there is ove...
Several weeks ago, I wrote of the resurgence of Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe. I focused on the process by which he plans and hopes to reinvigorate a flagging Japanese economy, and only hinted at the role his nationalist ambitions might play in ...
Several weeks ago, I wrote of the resurgence of Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe. I focused on the process by which he plans and hopes to reinvigorate a flagging Japanese economy, and only hinted at the role his nationalist ambitions might play in ...
It seems absurd to claim that any country in a region as unstable as the Middle East/North Africa could be stagnant – but if any of them fit the bill, it would be Lebanon. Despite its seemingly volatile political situation (exemplified by const...
It seems absurd to claim that any country in a region as unstable as the Middle East/North Africa could be stagnant – but if any of them fit the bill, it would be Lebanon. Despite its seemingly volatile political situation (exemplified by const...
In Myanmar, change seems to be the new norm. Now officially known as the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the Southeast Asian nation with a population of 60 million is shaking off the dust from a protracted period of isolation and opening up to the ...
In Myanmar, change seems to be the new norm. Now officially known as the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the Southeast Asian nation with a population of 60 million is shaking off the dust from a protracted period of isolation and opening up to the ...
Last week I missed an important reason why Spain is in a state of absolute disarray. This of course is the growing strength of independence movements, both in the Basque Country (Euskadi) and Catalonia –which may have crossed the Rubicon in its dec...
Last week I missed an important reason why Spain is in a state of absolute disarray. This of course is the growing strength of independence movements, both in the Basque Country (Euskadi) and Catalonia –which may have crossed the Rubicon in its dec...
It was a little over five years ago that Shinzo Abe, Japan’s 90th Prime Minister, unceremoniously resigned his post amidst government scandal. He had been at the helm of Japan’s government only a year, and, at the time of his resignation, enjoyed...
It was a little over five years ago that Shinzo Abe, Japan’s 90th Prime Minister, unceremoniously resigned his post amidst government scandal. He had been at the helm of Japan’s government only a year, and, at the time of his resignation, enjoyed...
There are cultural moments when I switch into impartial observer, not the usual crazy-eyed denizen, of the blogosphere left. Say, perhaps, when the Commentariat explodes with excitement curiosity regarding whether a Pope might imminently be thrown ...
There are cultural moments when I switch into impartial observer, not the usual crazy-eyed denizen, of the blogosphere left. Say, perhaps, when the Commentariat explodes with excitement curiosity regarding whether a Pope might imminently be thrown ...
In reading the New York Times yesterday, it struck me that following the news about Syria is becoming almost unbearably frustrating. More and more are dying, and there still doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. Instead, we are treated to an endl...
In reading the New York Times yesterday, it struck me that following the news about Syria is becoming almost unbearably frustrating. More and more are dying, and there still doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. Instead, we are treated to an endl...
There is a famous Spanish saying, éramos muchos y parió la abuela –we were too many, and then grandma had a baby. In military jargon this is summarized as a clusterfuck: a situation in which everything, everywhere, falls apart at the same time. A...
There is a famous Spanish saying, éramos muchos y parió la abuela –we were too many, and then grandma had a baby. In military jargon this is summarized as a clusterfuck: a situation in which everything, everywhere, falls apart at the same time. A...
As a columnist who writes exclusively on MENA (Middle East/North Africa), I’m just going to state the obvious: I don’t usually end up analyzing sunshine and rainbows. At the end of the day, much of what desperately deserves the attention ...
As a columnist who writes exclusively on MENA (Middle East/North Africa), I’m just going to state the obvious: I don’t usually end up analyzing sunshine and rainbows. At the end of the day, much of what desperately deserves the attention ...
Earlier this week, President Obama officially recognized the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, the mishmash of rebel groups that have come together to unite against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. After months of no...
Earlier this week, President Obama officially recognized the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, the mishmash of rebel groups that have come together to unite against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. After months of no...