articles on the Middle East worth reading

[evanovitch]

On December 17, Mohamed Bouazizi, a 26-year-old street vendor in Tunisia, set himself ablaze on the steps of a local government building. Touching off a combustible mixture of economic despair, social frustration, and political yearning throughout the region, the flames consumed not only Bouazizi—who died on January 4—but, in the weeks and months afterward, the regimes of Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak—and likely others to come.

Why did this happen? Why now? What does it mean, and what comes next? <span style="font-weight: bold">Foreign Affairs</span> have been following &quot;the new Arab revolt&quot; along with everyone else. So for the May/June 2011 issue, we asked several Middle East experts—some who are also locals—for their insight into the incredible events unfolding before our eyes. The result is a seven-article package that provides not only detail and analysis but true intellectual context.


<span style="font-weight: bold">Understanding the Revolutions of 2011 by Jack A. Goldstone</span>
Revolutions rarely succeed—except for revolutions against corrupt and highly personal &quot;sultanistic&quot; regimes. This explains why governments in Tunisia and Egypt quickly fell but others are proving more resilient.

<span style="font-weight: bold">Demystifying the Arab Spring by Lisa Anderson </span>Anderson, the president of the American University in Cairo, explains how the vastly different cultures and histories of Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya led the uprisings there to follow such radically different paths.

<span style="font-weight: bold">The Heirs of Nasser by Michael Scott Doran </span>Today's rebellions mirror the Nasser-fueled uprisings of the 1950s, writes Doran—but this time it's Iran that is trying to capitalize on the chaos and drive a wedge against the West.

<span style="font-weight: bold">The Rise of the Islamists by Shadi Hamid </span>Contrary to popular belief, many of today's mainstream Islamist groups are surprisingly pragmatic—and ready to compromise on both ideology and foreign policy.

The issue also includes articles by an Egyptian academic on the dangers ahead for that country's revolution, the connection between the financial crisis and the Arab uprisings, and how these largely secular protests will help or hurt jihadists. And make sure to check out <span style="font-weight: bold">Kanan Mikiya's article, &quot;What Is Totalitarian Art?,&quot; a fascinating exploration of cultural kitsch from Stalin to Saddam</span>.



<span style="font-weight: bold">even if u dont want to subscribe to FOREIGN AFFAIRS periodical , pick up this issue </span>

[johnnycakes]

Re: articles on the Middle East worth reading

Save your money.

Foreign Affairs is put out by the Council on Foreign Relations
It's pro-government all the way.

Madeleine Albright is on the Board.of the CFR.

You all remember Madeleine Albright dontcha? Sure you do. She was Bill Clinton's Secretary of State. It was under her watch that U.S. imposed sanctions against Iraq were responsible for the deaths of some 500,000 (HALF A MILLION) Iraqi children.

When asked about what she had done, killed HALF A MILLION children in Iraq she said &quot;(exact quote) It was worth it.&quot;

Do you really want anything to do with an organization in which this sort of person has not only membership but high standing?

Don't give them your money or support.
They're murderous, immoral thugs.


Go read their free stuff at the CFR website. I really liked their intro in which they claim that they get opinion from &quot;across the spectrum&quot; .
They really said that.

Of course their spectrum is from faaaaaaar right to liberal.
No lefties need apply.

[evanovitch]

Re: articles on the Middle East worth reading

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: johnnycakes</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Save your money.

Foreign Affairs is put out by the Council on Foreign Relations
It's pro-government all the way.

Madeleine Albright is on the Board.of the CFR.

You all remember Madeleine Albright dontcha? Sure you do. She was Bill Clinton's Secretary of State. It was under her watch that U.S. imposed sanctions against Iraq were responsible for the deaths of some 500,000 (HALF A MILLION) Iraqi children.

When asked about what she had done, killed HALF A MILLION children in Iraq she said &quot;(exact quote) It was worth it.&quot;

Do you really want anything to do with an organization in which this sort of person has not only membership but high standing?

Don't give them your money or support.
They're murderous, immoral thugs.


Go read their free stuff at the CFR website. I really liked their intro in which they claim that they get opinion from &quot;across the spectrum&quot; .
They really said that.

Of course their spectrum is from faaaaaaar right to liberal.
No lefties need apply.


</div></div>

studied pol science fi a lark at couple years bak n just love to keep up wid readings....i can appreciate a well laid out paper even if mi no agree wid dem politics...juss love to read differing views i guess

[johnnycakes]

Re: articles on the Middle East worth reading

Evanovitch,
It was a very intellectual set of people who also justified the Vietnam and other imperial wars. They were intellectual and they were highly immoral.

That same applies to (my guess ) ALL the people associated with a pro-establishment organization like the CFR or Foreign Affairs magazine .

You cannot both support or justify the historically horrendous U.S. imperial foreign policy and be a moral person.

To actually work in formulating the latest and future atrocities of the United States is no less immoral than anyone who did the same work for Hitler or Stalin and I am not exaggerating in the slightest.

Were everyone knowledgeable on U.S foreign policy, I would strongly advise reading Foreign affairs to see their take on world issues and compare what they have to say with a website or source like ZNET which has proven highly factual over the years.

It can be no secret that pro-government sources on foreign affairs HAVE to lie because of invented reasons for wars and invasions so unless you are politically savvy as regards U.S imperial foreign policy, you risk being deceived and swallowing and believing things that are not true.

From the exchanges I have had with many people in these fora I can tell you that most don't have the detailed knowledge of U.S foreign policy in the 20th century to be able to tell fact from fiction in stories and reports from this publication and this organization.

They are that good at manipulating the public and we, in general, are that uninformed, disinformed .

I do not include myself in that royal &quot;we&quot;