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Category Archives: Topical Issues
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My “Short History of Evolution”, published by AHA last year, included discussion of a singularly important milestone in the long march of our species toward civilization as we know it. That breakthrough occurred about nine or ten thousand years ago … Continue reading
Donald Trump and Husni Za’im
When I think of Donald Trump, I am reminded of Husni Za’im, dictator of Syria back in 1949. He only lasted 100 days but that short period was creative chaos. He was flamboyant, erratic, and shot from the hip. In all the confusion, technocrats managed to push through some pretty progressive legislation. Continue reading
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Reflections on the Syrian Problem; US options with Turkey
The Turks just shot down a Russian warplane over Syria, raising the stakes for all concerned with the crisis in Syria. What should we be doing about it? Impose a no-fly zone? That would be the height of folly. What … Continue reading
The Separation of Church and State: Syria
Some countries need unity before they can become democracies. With them we need to give priority to supporting separation of church and state. Syria is a prime example. Continue reading
Nepal’s new Constitution
It’s been thirty years since I left my post in Nepal, so that now I observe events there almost as if I was on a different planet. As ambassador I came to know royalty and top government officials, and earlier, … Continue reading
Do Atheists Believe in their Non-Belief
We’ll never solve that paradox but we could agree on biological life on our planet as the basis fo a humanist world view. Continue reading
Racism in the US, and Religion in the Middle East
Is there a common denominator between racism in the US and sectarianism in the Middle East? Continue reading
The Wrong Target
Israel take note: the stratetgic goal of IS if Jerusalem, not Damascus Continue reading
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The Tangled Web We Weave
The circumstances surrounding the IS capture of Ramadi are somewhat obscure but it looks like a shocking example of how wrong the interventionist path is that we are following in the Middle East Continue reading
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Do Chimpanzees Have Legal Rights?
Do chimpanzees have human rights? No, according to my argument based on a purely humanist perspective. Continue reading
China’s pivot to Eurasia
China is reaching out to the west and extending its influence through massive aid offers. Russia is on the front lines. Where do our interests lie? Continue reading
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Truth and Consequences, Bibi Unveiled
Netanyahu just finished tearing off his mask, the smiling face that encouraged peace-lovers around the world to hope that somehow Israel would make peace with the Palestinians based on partition and two states. What are we going to do about it? Continue reading
Is There Intelligent Life on Other Planets?
Recent discoveries encourage speculation about possible life on other planets. Continue reading
A Lesson from History
When you study the mess the world is in today, you can draw inferences from history, especially the latter days of the Roman Empire. Continue reading
Militant Islam
The blending of war and religion can be toxic in conflict situations. When religious symbolism is introduced, religion can become an aphrodisiac that operates on whole communities rather than individuals. Continue reading
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One Step at a Time
Evolution is a process that proceeds incrementally, one step at a time. One thing leads to another. This is true for all kinds of evolution. Living things evolve through natural selection, with small changes between generations leading to larger changes … Continue reading
Syria, Secularism, and US Policy
In a groundbreaking article, one of our more respected experts on Middle East affairs has proposed that our policy pivot to outright cooperation with Assad’s regime in Syria, the better to campaign more effectively against our mutual enemy the Islamic … Continue reading
To bomb or not to bomb?
A threat ceases to be a threat when it is carried out. Continue reading
ISIS and the Separation of Church and State
ISIS, the new Islamic state that has taken over much of northern Iraq and northeastern Syria this summer, directly threatens the existing states in the region. The USA also has a substantial stake in how the current drama plays out. … Continue reading
Posted in Topical Issues
Tagged ISIS, Middle East, religion, sectarianism, separation of church and state
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Has Israel passed the point of no return?
Is there still time for Israel to work out a better modus vivendi with the Arabs? Or has it passed the point of no return? Continue reading