It’s the Thought That Counts

Death to all Juice?  No it’s not a rally against poor nutritional choices. 

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Will It Really Matter?

In 1798, Napoleon Bonaparte changed history.  In 1868, Jean-Leon Gerome showed us why.

Bonaparte Before the Sphinx, by Jean-Leon Gerome
Few figures in history are more controversial than Napoleon.  In his scholarly work “Napoleon: For and Against”, Pieter Geyl, a highly regarded academic historian, characterizes the litany of debates concerning this key figure over the past two [...]

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Napoleon and the Birth of Egyptology

Installment four of A First History for Adults, Ancient history. begins October 8th.  In preparation for this exciting course–and, of course, to entice you to register–I’ll be posting a number of pieces related to its themes.
Among the stories concerning the uncovering of the distant past, none is more fascinating than that of Napoleon’s expedition to [...]

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Godspeed Mehbooba Andyar!

One of the things I love about world sporting events such as the Olympic Games, other than the displays of fantastic athleticism, is that they provide an opportunity for people to escape from oppressive regimes by seeking asylum in freer countries. The fact that this won’t be possible in 2008 because the Olympics are being [...]

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International Olympic Committee Should Ban Saudis

Apparently, the International Olympic Committee is considering a ban of Saudi Arabia.
Sounds good. The Olympic motto is “Citius, Altius, Fortius,” which is Latin for “Swifter, Higher, Stronger.” It is an ideal that encompasses all people, including women. An organization that stands for this ideal cannot rightly allow a member state that systematically denies [...]

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No Wonder the Arabs Are So Angry!

As I was preparing my lecture on Israel–listen live tonight, I wanted to try to find an apt comparison to demonstrate just how small Israel is. A quick Google search revealed a great site: IRIS.ORG.IL (IRIS stands for “Information Regarding Israel’s Security”) that has great comparative maps.
Here’s the pick of the litter:
How Big [...]

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The United States and the New Feudalism (Part 1)

In returning to the history of Saudi Arabia in preparation for my recent lecture on the Islamist Entanglement and struggling to define the precise relationship between the United States and its so-called ally, it finally struck me what the two countries have colluded in creating. In essence the United States has adopted a feudal relationship [...]

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Iran: Land of the 20,000 Eyeballs, or “My Barbarians Are Better than Your Barbarians!”

Every culture has a barbaric past. Some are just more stylish than others. [Warning: gory details to come!]
For instance Italy–the land of the Renaissance, homeland of Verdi and Marconi, was once home to the Lombards.
These nasty long-bearded types had a penchant for cruelty. As one story goes, a Lombard ruler, having conquered his [...]

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PHR Middle East Watch – Bogus Elections Signal End for Mubarak?

According to this AFP Google news story, Egypt’s ruling National Democratic Party recently won 92% of the votes in the country’s municipal elections. Of course, the results were never in doubt as the NDP was able to “disqualify” opponents, resulting in a boycott by still others.
Who cares? Well, consider that the British installed [...]

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Jamal ad-Din Al-Afghani, Is That Your Final Answer?

In my historical research on the Islamist Entanglement, I have been examining the intellectual undercurrent that runs through Middle Eastern history during the Western Ascendancy of 1683-1839 and subsequent Western Supremacy over the region. It has been a fascinating project, with far greater rewards that I had suspected. Among the most interesting characters I [...]

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