A nation is like a marriage, or so Lenin imagined it to be, with each partner or province having a right to get out if things go horribly wrong. The Soviet constitution of 1918 provided this right to each of the republics. It wasn’t an innovation that many other countries followed. And yet, constitutional provisions… Continue reading The S Word
In the latest news out of Egypt, where people power is confronting regime rigidity, President-for-life Hosni Mubarak is doing what he can to maintain his perch. He has named a new cabinet, deployed more troops in the cities, and blocked al-Jazeera broadcasts. The opposition, meanwhile, hopes to bring a million people into Cairo’s streets to… Continue reading Two Cheers for the Brotherhood
One of Washington‘s favorite guessing games is: “What’s the president really thinking?” Is Barack Obama a former community activist pushing a progressive agenda, a Goldilocks centrist aiming for the perfect bi-partisan porridge, or a reluctant militarist who’s been forced to adopt key portions of the Bush agenda only to discover that he rather likes them?… Continue reading Secret SOTU
The campaign against dictatorship in the Arab world has brought together some strange bedfellows. The Bush administration’s neoconservatives darkly dreamed of democracy promotion in the Middle East before the Iraq and Afghanistan quagmires became the stuff of nightmares. Sharing the same bed, but dreaming different dreams, have been the Muslim Brotherhood and its fellow Islamists… Continue reading Arab Democracy Now
The Pentagon and the National Rifle Association have a lot in common these days. They’re in love with guns. They maintain powerful lobbies. They refuse to acknowledge the dangerous consequences of their policies. And they’re both on the defensive. After yet another gun massacre over the weekend in Tucson, the NRA in particular has a… Continue reading Gun Crazy
Given the title of this week’s World Beat, perhaps you expected an essay on North Korea or another vilified U.S. adversary and violator of all human decency. Actually, I was referring to Jon Kyl. Those who dismiss the value of negotiating with North Korea insist that the country makes unreasonable demands, never has any intention… Continue reading Negotiating with Evil
“The Baby Trade,” World Beat, December 21, 2010 “South Korea: Seeking Reunification by Live Fire?” Focal Points, December 20, 2010 “Lighting the Terrorist Fuse,” World Beat, December 14, 2010 “Transparency Fundamentalists,” World Beat, December 7, 2010 “China: Already on Top?” World Beat, November 23, 2010 It’s a Shame Chalmers Johnson Did Not Live to See the U.S. Air Base… Continue reading 2010 Archives
n this one-man show, a father, a son, and a French chef search for the perfect meal. The adventure begins in a Chinese restaurant and continues to Sweden, North Korea, and Oklahoma. And you thought you were obsessed with food
The New York Times, June 12, 2010 In this age of Amazon recommendations and Kindle downloads, I still rely on the old-fashioned services of a book buyer. My personal book buyer has an uncanny ability to anticipate my tastes. He has introduced me to out-of-print novelists, obscure playwrights and classic philosophy tracts. I’ve enjoyed nearly all of… Continue reading My Backlogged Pages
Krapp’s Last Power Point is an almost-one-man performance about technology gone out of control. George Krapp is a scientist giving a presentation on a new drug with miraculous benefits. His presentation is not exactly a slam dunk, however. The drug has controversial side effects, and the government has refused to grant approval for human trials.… Continue reading Krapp’s Last Power Point