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The events of the last weeks are one of those historical moments where the lessons of many decades can be telescoped into a few brief moments and seemingly minor occurrences can take on immense significance.  The entry of millions of Egyptians onto the political stage has graphically illuminated the real processes that underlie the politics […]

President Obama’s basic budget for fiscal 2012 is mostly a done deal supported by the entire political establishment.  The hyped choreography of forthcoming battles between Democrats and Republicans is a very secondary sideshow.  The battles clothe basic agreement in a disguise of fierce oppositions perhaps aimed to mollify each party’s none-too-discerning militants. Both sides agree […]

Critics of the Islamic Republic of Iran held a protest on 25 Bahman 1389 (14 February 2011).  The protest turnout today — far from negligible given the well known severe limits to anti-systemic dissent imposed by the state — apparently failed to meet the expectations of some of its supporters, so one such individual went […]

Egyptians are celebrating the ouster of Hosni Mubarak, as I write.  Inshallah they will celebrate for a long time to come.  But leaderless crowds are not well placed to govern.  The triumph of the Egyptian people leaves the military in control.  Let us hope that Egyptians will find no reason to share the complaint of […]

We are irritated by the invitation extended to Mr. Thilo Sarrazin and Mr. Henryk M. Broder to sit on the panel of the opening event of this year’s “German Symposium” at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) on 14 February 2011, which is entitled ‘Integration Debate: Europe’s Future — “Decline of the […]

  “The epicenter of the struggle for the public university in Latin America is Puerto Rico.” — José Carlos Luque Brazán, professor and researcher of political science and urban planning at the Autonomous University, Mexico City1 The social conflict taking place at the University of Puerto Rico is polarizing this island to such an extent […]

Thousands of workers from several oil and gas companies are on strike, protesting in front of the Ministry of Petroleum, in Nasr City.  The workers have several economic and political demands, including putting an end to abusive management practices such as sacking workers who speak up for their rights, reinstating the sacked workers, raising salaries […]

In 1915 the U.S. Marines invaded Haiti, occupying the country until 1934.  U.S. officials rewrote the Haitian constitution, and when the Haitian national assembly refused to ratify it, they dissolved the assembly.  They then held a “referendum” in which about 5 percent of the electorate voted and approved the new constitution — which conveniently changed […]

  Gaza, 11 February 2011 Ramallah, 11 February 2011 The Gaza video was shot by Ken O’Keefe and the Ramallah videos by Nick Marouf.   var idcomments_acct = ‘c90a61ed51fd7b64001f1361a7a71191’; var idcomments_post_id; var idcomments_post_url; | Print  

Since yesterday, and actually earlier, middle-class activists have been urging Egyptians to suspend the protests and return to work, in the name of patriotism, singing some of the most ridiculous lullabies about “let’s build new Egypt,” “let’s work harder than even before,” etc.  In case you didn’t know, actually Egyptians are among the hardest working […]

On 22 Bahman 1389 (11 February 2011), the 32nd anniversary of the victory of the revolution in Iran, hard-line women heckle Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, the right-hand man of the president of Iran.  The hecklers are heard shouting: “Down with monafeq!  Monafeq, get lost!”  “Mashaei, be ashamed!  Resign from the government!”  “Down with the anti-velayat-e faqih.”  […]

Each time he tweets, I get even more furious with this guy.  Here he wants the strikes to end, though the job isn’t finished yet!! Hossam el-Hamalawy is an Egyptian socialist, journalist, and photographer.  Visit his blog: .  Follow Hossam el-Hamalawy at .  This note was first published in his blog on 12 February 2011 […]

Victory النصر Democracy الديمقراطية Carlos Latuff is a Brazilian cartoonist.  | Print

The US has not supported democratization in Egypt, or really anywhere else in the Middle East, because US policymakers would not like the outcome of democratic processes.  Policies made by governments that are freely elected by the people would not reflect, would not support, let alone enforce, the US polices that are unpopular, whether that’s […]

Carlos Latuff is a Brazilian cartoonist.  | Print

7 February 2011 . . . Today we declare our solidarity.  One of the forms of our solidarity is to defend this revolution, this intifada, this great historic popular movement.  One of the responsibilities of defending this revolution is to reveal its true image as all data indicate. . . .  We contact those on […]

Mubarak is gone.  This is a great day.  Let’s celebrate.  But the battle is not over yet.  We got rid of Mubarak, and now we need to get rid of the Mubarak’s regime. . . . The left half of the banner in the photo depicts “the elements of the regime that rules Egypt.”  Photo […]

The Interior Minister asks Hosni Mubarak to write a “Farewell Letter” to the Egyptian people.  Mubarak replies: “Why?  Where are they going?” On a popular Egyptian radio show, the deposed president of Tunisia Zine El Abidine Ben Ali requests Nancy Ajram’s song “I’m Waiting for You” . . . and dedicates it to Egyptian President […]

Inspired by the actions of young Egyptian women whose voices are weapons! Laila Shereen Sakr is a media artist known as VJ Um Amel.  Her work critically examines cyber ecologies in a post-9/11 world. var idcomments_acct = ‘c90a61ed51fd7b64001f1361a7a71191’; var idcomments_post_id; var idcomments_post_url; | Print

Carlos Latuff is a Brazilian cartoonist.  Cf. ; Mark Landler and Helene Cooper, “Allies Press U.S. to Go Slow on Egypt” (New York Times, 8 February 2011); James Besser, “The Best Lobbyists for Egypt’s U.S. Aid: Israeli Diplomats” (Jewish Week, 9 February 2011). | Print