I would like to note here that only one Republican on the House Energy & Commerce Committee voted for the Waxman-Markey bill. Mary Bono Mack from California deserves, in my opinion, a pat on the back. Here is an article from the “Press-Enterprise” about her vote and the political pressures on her. The article notes: […]
Here’s fellow FPA blogger on Global Film Sean Patrick Murphy’s analysis of the 2004 documentary film Control Room: Control Room (2004) By Sean Patrick Murphy Monday, April 27 12:10 pm EST Just the fact that Al-Jazeera angers westerners as well as Arabs is one indication it’s on the right track. “Control Room” follows the Arab news […]
Netanyahu basically said in his speech, Here is our position; now come to us. He has adopted the Arab strategy: stake out a hard line and let others begin concessions. Netanyahu has stood up to Barack Obama, maybe not the last foreign leader to do so. […]
The ambiguity of the term human rights has taken on interpretations that do not often coincide with the rule of law. But it is precisely this conflict of interests that sets human rights apart from the conventional understanding of the rule of law. The strength of human rights lies in the rhetorical ambiguity of its […]
Dear Esteemed Readers, Please accept my deepest apologies for the delayed and more infrequent postings in the last month or two. I assure you that the posting will soon becoming more frequent and I am working to ensure that there are no less than 3 posts a week, but hope to soon bring you 5-7 […]
The leaders of Brazil, Russia, India and China will meet this Tuesday in Yekaterinburg, Russia for the first official BRIC summit. The emerging markets are looking for greater global clout. During the gathering, the BRIC leaders are set to discuss the economic downturn, possible reforms for international financial institutions and long-term options for a new […]
Who’s afraid of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor’s fondness of “mucho platos de arroz, gandoles y pernir—rice, beans and pork”? The Grand Old Party, apparently. I think that if there are questions about the influence of patitas de cerdo con garbanzo on her judicial philosophy during the confirmation hearings, it will be immensely entertaining for […]
Iran is ruled by a small group of clerics, desperate to stay in power. They have opened enough avenues of expression to channel social pressures. This give-and-take can become a game of chicken that the authoritarians in the end ultimately lose. […]
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was criticized by some members of the human rights community when she said that pressing China on human rights “can’t interfere with the global economic crisis, the global climate change crisis and the security crisis.” Clinton made her comments in February before arriving in China to foster warmer ties […]
“Each of us must come to care about everyone else’s children. We must recognize that the welfare of our children is intimately linked to the welfare of all other people’s children. After all, when one of our children needs life-saving surgery, someone else’s child will perform it. If one of our children is harmed by […]
After China and the US, which together contribute 40% of the world’s burden of anthropogenic greenhouse gases, you come to Indonesia and Brazil. Why? In a word, deforestation. Japan, because of its industrial emissions, comes in 8th overall. So when there’s news on the intentions of these major economies on reducing their GHG, we should […]
Christopher Hitchens, on Slate.com, has written a piece on Guantanamo Bay and the current Presidential policies that has made me re-consider my understanding of tolerance (at least for a time). After much consideration, though, I have to say that this Hitchens article is not very compelling. He basically argues that the Guantanamo Bay Prison Camps […]
This post can also be seen in FPA’s Latin America Blog. BBC World and BBC Persian services have done a remarkable job in the last two weeks highlighting the Muslim world after President Obama’s speech in Cairo, elections in Lebanon and today’s election in Iran, as well as international links to changing events in the […]
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has an ambitious 100-day plan. Jason Overdorf and Sudip Mazumdar detail Singh’s bold domestic agenda in the current issue of Newsweek International. The “surprisingly decisive victory” for the Congress Party and Singh in last month’s election has raised expectations for India to realize its potential. While the leaders still face […]
Today is World Day Against Child Labor, and this year we have reached historical importance of the day as in 2009 we are also celebrate the 10th anniversary of the adoption of ILO Convention No. 182, which addresses the need for action to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. Today marks the 2009 World […]