Nathan Brown is a political science professor at George Washington University and director of the school’s Institute for Middle East Studies. He gives an overview of the Muslim Brotherhood’s evolution from their found through to today, explains how their renunciation of violent means came to pass decades ago, why al-Qaeda sees them as sell outs, [...]
A helpful guide, with special emphases on how not to be insufferably condescending. Your Thoughts?
I received secondhand this reply to my post on Clinton’s response to the situation in Egypt: 1. I’d like his explicit definition or explication of “long term concerns for stability in the region.” 2. If we really want the United States not to be dictating to foreign countries what they should do then we should [...]
I have already made my case that Secretary Clinton is saying the right things. In the interest of giving equal time to alternative viewpoints, here is a wholly uncharitable and scathing video which “translates” recent remarks to show that she allegedly “really means” the wrong things: Your Thoughts?
As always when I venture out of my areas of specialization, let me preface all following remarks with the obvious reminder—I am by no means a foreign policy expert or a Middle East expert. So take the following on the merits of my arguments and bring forth any facts you think I may need to [...]
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy Maher and Maddow talked about it last night: Your Thoughts?
There is a wealth of stuff out there worth boning up on. This story explains that Giffords is not the only of Palin’s crosshaired candidates to receive vandalism or death threats. Here is a timeline of two and a half years of disturbing, political, gun related statements and behavior coming from the right wing. Bryce [...]
The first video is a phone call, the others are videos: Your Thoughts?
Sheriff Clarence Dupnik speaks out against violent rhetoric and ideologies: Your Thoughts?
How about we make Bill Badger, Patricia Maisch, Joseph Zamudio, and Daniel Hernandez household names? How Hernandez, an intern, saved the congresswoman’s life: “About 10 minutes into the event, we ended up hearing shots, and I’m pretty sure I heard someone say ‘gun,’” Hernandez said. “After that I ran from where I was – about [...]
So, as you have probably heard, there is a new edition of Huckelberry Finn which has replaced all instances of the N-word in the book with the word “slave” to make the book palatable to a number of schools which have avoided using Mark Twain’s classic because of its use of the N-word. Now, here [...]
She calmly and gracefully defended the value of the democratic process amidst a great deal of abuse from the Tea Party: Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy Your Thoughts?
The attempted assassin Jared Lee Loughner’s videos, in short they’re incoherent lunacy focusing mostly on his desire for a new currency. \ Your Thoughts?
Terrifying and infuriating news: Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head by a gunman at a public event in Tucson on Saturday. There are conflicting reports about whether she was killed. The Pima County, Ariz., sheriff’s office told member station KJZZ the 40-year-old Democrat was killed. At least nine other people, including members of [...]
Not just bad science, we’re looking at outright fraud: Evidence published a decade ago, giving birth to the belief of a connection between vaccines and autism, has been deemed outright “fraudulent,” according to an editorial published Wednesday in the British Medical Journal. Dr. Andrew Wakefield, a former British surgeon, published research in 1998 that seemed [...]
Glenn Greenwald offers a mirror for those of us who worry about the elements of theocratic expansionism which are enough a part of the Koran and early Islamic history to be considered potentially dangerous forms of the religion itself on its own terms (and not just of its appropriation by political agents): I’m always amazed [...]
Mojoey relays the disturbing story: 16-year-old James Doyle was shot in the chest by 14-year-old Daniel Nadler on June 27, 2010. Doyle was an Atheist, Nadler a Christian. They were arguing about religion at the time of the murder. Apparently, Christian + hormonal teen + argument about religion + shotgun = murder, but does not [...]
CNN reports: A federal judge ordered Tuesday that the U.S. military stop enforcing the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. Judge Virginia Phillips ordered the military “immediately to suspend and discontinue any investigation, or discharge, separation, or other proceeding, that may have been commenced” under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. Thank Republicans. Your Thoughts?
Marc Hauser, whose work on moral psychology from an evolutionary perspective is well known, is going on leave from Harvard after evidence of scientific misconduct has come to light through an internal investigation: The findings have resulted in the retraction of an influential study that he led. “MH accepts responsibility for the error,’’ says the [...]
Dr. Maddow slaps Mr. O’Reilly back most enjoyably: Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy Your Thoughts?
EuroNews.net writes: A law banning the wearing of a full Islamic veil in public in France has been adopted by the lower house of parliament. The ruling UMP and the New Centre party voted for the ban on the burqa or niqab while the Socialists, Communists and Greens abstained. The law goes to the upper house in [...]
The New York Daily News reports: A CHARISMATIC terror leader linked to the botched Times Square car bomb has placed the Seattle cartoonist who launched “Everybody Draw Muhammed Day” on an execution hit list. Yemeni-American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki – the radical who has also been cited as inspiring the Fort Hood, Tex., massacre and the [...]
A great interview with Ralph Nader: Napolitano’s new book, in which he discusses all these issues, is Lies the Government Told You: Myth, Power, and Deception in American History. Thanks to Aram for the link. Your Thoughts?
Saudiwoman writes: I have to tell you what I was up to last night. My very dear friend Tine has finished her time here in Saudi and is leaving soon. Unfortunately, being cooped up in expat compounds; she has never had a chance to see muttawas in action. These lions of Saudi morality are a [...]