A Ten Day Rule for Revolutions?

Matthew Hogan | Comments (0)
January 30, 2011 06:21 AM

Ten Days That Shook The World was American Communist John Reed’s account of the street politics of ten days in 1917 when the relatively liberal regime of the newly Tsar-poor Russia, led by Alexander Kerensky, was overthrown by the Bolshevik Leninist nightmare. (Not all revolutions are good.) But could there...[More]

Late notes on Tunisia

Shaheen | Comments (0)
January 29, 2011 03:22 PM

One of the interesting signs of maturity in this revolution was the self-organizing of neighbourhood watches to protect against the ex-Republican Guards turned looting psychopathic militias....[More]

We're Back: Whole New MENA Universe Open Thread

Matthew Hogan | Comments (22)
January 29, 2011 06:23 AM

Our members have been distracted, and we went a bit supine, but we have been in the loop for latest developments, which we at Aqoul were not surprised at, though the timing, like such things, could never be precise. Anyway, as our esteemed members chime in with entries, do have...[More]

Error 404 -- Far East of Suez

Matthew Hogan | Comments (0)
January 29, 2011 06:22 AM

Concern about fallout from Egypt's public uprising spreads far....[More]

August Resurfacing Post

The Lounsbury | Comments (0)
August 18, 2010 12:06 PM

Sorry all, have been on vac with family and without proper internet connectivity. Back in time for Ramadan....[More]

Turkey & the old empire (Turkey and MENA)

The Lounsbury | Comments (0)
July 29, 2010 04:22 AM

Slyly referring in the title to some of the crazed political commentary coming out of hard right Israel circles, but I genuinely find this interesting. The Turkish business engagement with MENA has been building since before our AKP fellow, a natural development.As Turkey Inches Eastward, Syrians Feel the Love -...[More]

Small Cap & Dubai Getting its Groove Back

The Lounsbury | Comments (0)
July 22, 2010 02:12 PM

One thing Dubai continues to do well is move fast - of course moving fast in the real estate bubble got them in major trouble, but if the efforts are not at cross purposes with their various markets, this has some interesting potential.FT.com / FT Trading Room - Dubai prepares...[More]

BACK!!! (and links to my other comments)

The Lounsbury - January 31, 2011 04:59 PM | Comments (1)
Filed Under: Foreign Policy & MENA

I've been missing this but for technical reasons haven't been able to blog. Now I can. I have been making comment at Giraffe Boards; notably on Tunisia and on Egypt.


Rached Ghannouchi Returns to Tunisia (with rant on Anti-Islamist Panic)

Matthew Hogan - January 30, 2011 06:06 PM | Comments (1)
Filed Under: EU Foreign Policy , Foreign Policy & MENA , Gender Issues , Islam & Politics , Islam General , Islamism , MENA Fringe , MENA Region General , North Africa , Political Development , Religious Minorities , Society & Culture , Terrorism , US Foreign Policy

Exiled Ennahda party leader Rached Ghannouchi was received by enthusiastic crowd when his plane landed. Given that he is somewhat of an Islamist, apparenlty his presence doesn't count as a step towards True Democracy, in the proposals of Robert Satloff, who wants the US to sponsor a new wave of Arab democratic government which would, apparently, not allow any non-secular or at least Islamist party to participate. In other words, the same thing all over again, a Ben Ali, only with multiple parties. Rant below, on anti-Islamist Panic.

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Books & Media

Mark Twain's "The Innocents Abroad"

Matthew Hogan | Comments (0)

Coincidentally, I re-picked up this 1867 humorous classic travelogue of Mark Twain's for a (re-)glance not too long after Mr. Netanyahu had threatened to (re-)use it for sundry and sordid Middle East polemics. The Israeli Prime Minister had planned to...[More]

The Birth of Modern Yemen

dubaiwalla | Comments (7)

You know a country must have issues when its problems stick out in a region as troubled as the Middle East. Brian Whitaker's latest book examines the tumultuous course of events in Yemen during the early 1990s....[More]



Journals

Stereotypical but.... blog software for Blackberry?

The Lounsbury - July 29, 2010 09:28 AM | Comments (2)
Filed Under: Blog Notes - Admin

I find I have blogging time in airports on me blackberry, and while Scribefire works brilliantly from a laptop, it would be nice to have something to work with Moveable Type from Blackberry....[More]

Just so you know

eerie - September 9, 2009 11:03 PM | Comments (1)
Filed Under: Site News

I'm working on the new site whenever I have a moment. Slow going, apologies....[More]

Book Review: The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II

Matthew Hogan - July 17, 2010 09:23 PM | Comments (0)
Filed Under: Egghead Stuff , Random Personal , World War 2

Good book, with serious caveats. It was probably a bit overpraised when it was first released over a decade ago. But no one had done it before, or as well, at least in English....[More]