Tag / middle east

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  • The Death of a Vision

    For much of its history, Turkey has been a nation of two minds. Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in 1922, a new government was formed, thanks almost entirely to the efforts of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. He envisioned a Westernized Turkey, abolishing Islamic courts, granting equality of the sexes, and establishing new penal and…

  • Waking Up From the American Dream

    As we read headline after headline highlighting political gridlock, anemic economic conditions, and violent wars abroad, it’s easy to glean the common theme from the news: America is struggling. Our economy and political system have collapsed, and our international clout has diminished. People are increasingly skeptical of whether the US remains the world’s superpower. The…

  • "Gideon's Spies:" Funny Stories about Mossad

    In terms of sheer creativity these past months have been pretty intense for Mossad. According to some Arab states, the renowned Israeli intelligence agency has been willing to honor its own myth by perpetrating what have to among be the most extravagant plots of the decade, if not the century. By seizing upon the case…

  • Oil Fears

    The mainstream media seems to love the “oil” buzzword; the economic consequences of oil price fluctuations directly affect consumers and in short, sell newspapers. Far from being unjustified, the attention paid to oil prices is deserved and comes from the fact that past oil shocks have driven economies into the ground. Recently, the uprising in…

  • Should Turkey be a part of "Europe?"

    Over half a century ago, the issue of Turkey becoming a part of “Europe” first arose. I use quotation marks because the notion of Europe differs depending in what context it is being discussed. In this particular context, I am referring to “Europe” as a supranational form of identity for individuals living on the geographical…

  • On the Brink

    While there have been plenty of good things happening this week, the stories that have grabbed my attention of late have all led me to suspect that The Glass is Half Empty. While this could certainly be a case of “the only good news is boring news,” I found that the stories that have most…

  • Netanyahu Cancels Nuclear Summit Trip

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced yesterday that he is canceling his planned attendance to an international summit on nuclear weapons, putting further strain on already tense relations between the United States and Israel. However, Dan Meridor, deputy prime minister of atomic energy for Israel, will be taking Netanyahu’s place. The Obama administration has lately…