Not invited to the party

I’m not sure what Condoleezza Rice’s adolescence was like, but she might have gotten a reminder of it.  It seems that Rice’s latest trip to the Middle East was so disappointing that the Lebanese government has asked her not to visit again after a brutal Israeli air strike.  This rejection of Rice is a clear [...]

The nerve of the U.S.

Even though the U.S. still refuses to call for an immediate ceasefire to the fighting in Lebanon, our government continues to deny giving Israel the right to continue bombing.  It’s not that I actually expected President Bush to come out and say he has given Israel “the green light,” but it has to take a [...]

The Plan for the Lebanon War

I always enjoy reading Juan Cole’s Informed Comment.  His blog is one of the best on Middle Eastern affairs, and I usually agree with his analysis.  Today he has an excellent post that looks at Israel’s long-term planning for the current war (the Israeli generals even had PowerPoint presentations!) and the reasons why the Bush [...]

No End in Sight

Today’s headline from the New York Times is not good news: “U.S. Speeds Up Bomb Delivery for the Israelis.” The first sentence tells you everything you need to know: “The Bush administration is rushing a delivery of precision-guided bombs to Israel, which requested the expedited shipment last week after beginning its air campaign against [...]

It's not about oil at all

I don’t even know where to begin with the war in Lebanon.  Every day the news makes me more upset and frustrated.  I don’t understand how our government can just let hundreds of Lebanese die and thousands more become displaced from their homes.  All the violence could stop if Bush simply told the Israelis to [...]

Understanding African football

African football, global inequality and 2010

One of the most disheartening commentaries I often heard during world cup matches was about the inability of African teams to discipline themselves and play tactically.  The commentators would then say how African teams simply relied on either their speed or physical strength or both.  Although few of commentators [...]

Turkey Thoughts

I’ve been in Turkey for twelve days now, and there’s been a lot going on that I’ve wanted to post about.  Given that this trip is also my honeymoon, I’ve decided against blogging too much.  But what has struck me most about this trip to Turkey is my ability to see how different Turkey is [...]