Category Archives: Politics

Further to my previous post, Fouad Ajami writes a dirge for the Palestinians in the New York Times.  "The Palestinian ruin was a long time in coming. No other national movement has had the indulgence granted the Palestinians over the last … Continue reading →

This commentary by Michael Oren in the Wall Street Journal summed up my thoughts pretty neatly.  Following the military takeover of the Gaza Strip by Hamas, there seems to be a headlong rush on the part of the US, Israel and … Continue reading →

You have to admire the courage of Lt. Col Paul Yingling, deputy commander of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment.  His article, A failure in generalship, published in the Armed Forces Journal, is an insider’s critique of the competence and character of … Continue reading →

In The Power of Green, a feature article in the April 15, 2007 edition of the Sunday New York Times Magazine, Thomas Friedman writes that the United States can and should lead the world to a greener future.  He argues that … Continue reading →

Russell Shorto’s Keeping the Faith in the Sunday New York Times magazine of April 8, 2007 (TimesSelect subscription required) is another in a recent spate of articles about Pope Benedict XVI.  This most likely coincides with the 2nd anniversary of … Continue reading →

The April 2, 2007 issue of The New Yorker has an article titled The Pope and Islam by Jane Kramer.  It’s an analysis of the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and Islam under Pope Benedict XVI.  Kramer’s thesis, as … Continue reading →

In a recent article published in The New Republic, and posted at The Edge, Harvard psychology professor Steven Pinker argues in A History of Violence that violence has been declining over the long term development of human society.  Today, Pinker says, violence … Continue reading →

In his February 2, 2007 New York Times column, The Oil-Addicted Ayatollahs (registration required), Tom Friedman argues that oil addiction can be just as bad for the selling nation as it is for the buying nation.  He traces the influence of … Continue reading →

In the January 8, 2007 edition of The New Yorker, Milan Kundera writes a lengthy and somewhat wandering article titled Die Weltliteratur.  Towards the end of the article, he quotes Polish noveliset and dramatist Witold Gombrowicz on tha acceleration of … Continue reading →

George Packer’s article, Knowing the Enemy, published in the December 18th, 2006 issue of the New Yorker is a fascinating account of recent work by an Australian lieutenant colonel named David Kilcullen for the US State Department.  Kilcullen’s career has … Continue reading →