Left: Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, May 14, 2017. Credit: New Indian Express. - Three recent events, each … [Read more...] about Comparative Thuggery Challenging Interests of US And Its Allies*
Contributor: Norman A. Bailey
The Great Thug and the Little Thug
Regime rallies in Iran are filled with crowds yelling "Death to the Great Satan and Death to the Little Satan". The Great Satan, of course, is the US and the Little Satan is Israel. The attack by Russian military contractors on US forces in Syria … [Read more...] about The Great Thug and the Little Thug
What Russian Revolution?
Left: Bolshevik leaders arrive by train at Brest-Litovsk and are met by German officers, on December 22, 1917. The Treaty that ended Russia's participation in WWI, was signed on March 3, 1918. Last month marked the 100th anniversary of the … [Read more...] about What Russian Revolution?
On Moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem*
After years of one president of the US after another kicking the embassy down the road every six months, President Trump finally made the astonishing discovery that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. This anodyne announcement was met by its … [Read more...] about On Moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem*
Seismic upheavals in the Middle East*
The recent serious earthquake in the border areas between Iran and Iraq felt as far afield as Israel, might serve as a metaphor for the political upheavals taking place currently in the region. You might think that the geo-political situation could … [Read more...] about Seismic upheavals in the Middle East*
Does Europe Have a Death Wish?*
Two recent decisions by European official bodies indicate that the answer to the question posed in the title of this article may be “yes”. The court of the European Union has ruled that no member country has the right to close its borders to illegal … [Read more...] about Does Europe Have a Death Wish?*
US Intervention Lets Qatar Off the Hook*
When Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt broke diplomatic relations with Qatar and imposed various sanctions on that minuscule but incredibly wealthy emirate, they presented the Qatari government with thirteen "non-negotiable" demands.The … [Read more...] about US Intervention Lets Qatar Off the Hook*
What’s Driving The New Populism*
The current wave of populism sweeping the world isn’t necessarily ideological - as witness Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump. "He who can convince people to believe absurdities can convince them to commit atrocities." Voltaire. A new tide of … [Read more...] about What’s Driving The New Populism*
Paris Accord – a distraction*
The international furor over US withdrawal from the environmental agreement is obscuring genuinely significant developments in our region. In several previous columns, I have emphasized important news and developments that have been largely … [Read more...] about Paris Accord – a distraction*
Calling a Spade a Spade*
Left: Uruguayan Luis Almagro, secretary-general of the Organization of American States (OAS). One of the more annoying of the various manifestations of the deterioration of political dialogue in the contemporary western world is the refusal to call … [Read more...] about Calling a Spade a Spade*