Euronews: Tunisia can still be a catalyst for global democratic reform

By Ambassador (ret.) Gordon Gray. The Middle East’s conflicts have long had chilling reverberating effects on international security and stability. The protection of Tunisia’s democracy would stand as a beacon of hope Tunisia, where I had the privilege to serve as the US ambassador during its revolution and the initial stages of its democratic transition,

Responsible Statecraft: Good times for the military-industrial complex

By William Hartung. But is it truly the arsenal of democracy? The New York Times headline said it all: “Middle East War Adds to Surge in International Arms Sales.” The conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, and beyond may be causing immense and unconscionable human suffering, but they are also boosting the bottom lines of the world’s

Asharq Al-Awsat: Immigration; Europe’s New Wedge Issue

By Amir Taheri. This could lead to the dissolution of the European Union!” The ” this” in Josipi Borel’s jeremiad is the issue of immigration which the man in charge of the union’s foreign policy identifies as an existential threat. Immigration is one of those wedge issues designed to split the electorate into conflictual constituencies

The Jordan Times: American politics: A dysfunctional mess

By James J. Zogby. American politics are a dysfunctional mess, though the US never tires of chiding other countries for their lack of democratic institutions or failure to protect democratic values. Both were on display this past week as President Joseph Biden, speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, prodded other nations to join the

Dawn: Breakaway states

By Dr Niaz Murtaza. MOST states today are either historical ones or were made by colonisers. Only a few broke away from larger states after World War II. Excluding non-UN member breakaway regions like Somaliland, this includes Singapore, Timor-Leste, Bangla­desh, Pakistan and Lebanon in Asia; Eritrea and South Sudan in Africa; six ex-Yugoslav states; Slovakia

Dissident Voice: The Lifeblood of Democracy

By Andy Lee Roth. Two cornerstones of democracy—freedom of expression and freedom of information—are under concerted attack, in the United States and around the world. In the US, for example, reactionary elected officials seek to ban books in schools, often in the name of protecting children; and government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security,

Dissident Voice: Israel Was Never a Democracy: So why is the West Lamenting End of “Liberal” Israel?

By Ramzy Baroud. Even before the new Israeli government was officially sworn in on December 29, angry reactions began emerging, not only among Palestinians and other Middle Eastern governments, but also among Israel’s historic allies in the West. As early as November 2, top US officials conveyed to Axios that the Joe Biden Administration is

Rai al-Youm: The New York Times vs Netanyahu

By Abdel Bari Atwan. Israel hasn’t suddenly become racist, fascist, and supremacist — it’s always been that way When The New York Times recently ran an editorial attacking Benjamin Netanyahu and his incoming hard-right government for jeopardising “the ideal of democracy in a Jewish state”, it wasn’t only out of concern for the survival of that state.

The Atlantic: What the Middle East Foretold About American Politics

By Shadi Hamid. I never expected to look back on the George W. Bush era as a time of relative innocence for the United States. My country changed much more quickly than I could have imagined. In the early days after 9/11, I was still in college. The nation, in a show of bipartisan unity,