We should think of the Middle East and Islam as being in a process of transition, with the West helping it along: the Middle East toward rule-based and religiously tolerant societies, and Islam toward its rightful place as a faith of progress and humanity, argues Tony Blair.
The Conversation
The Real Enemy: Saudi Arabia’s Wahhabism, Mother to al-Qaeda, ISIS and the Taliban
If you want to know who inspired the Taliban, al-Qaeda and ISIS, look further than America’s “friend” and ally, Saudi Arabia, which has been financing the spread of Wahhabism’s lethal adulteration of Islam for years.
“We Might Be One Terrorist Act Away From a Trump Presidency”
A spectacular murder spree by Islamists could spook Americans enough to vote for the greatest fear-monger. Anything is possible, but Ian Buruma doesn’t believe American voters would be that stupid.
America’s Responsibility for Enabling ISIS, And How to End Blowback Terrorism
More wars – especially CIA-backed, Western-led wars – will solve nothing. By contrast, a surge of investment in education and sustainable development is the real key to building a more stable future for the Middle East and the world, argues Jeffrey Sachs.
We Are At War
No one wants to repeat the errors of the US under President George W. Bush; but to use those errors as an alibi to avoid confronting the world as it is would merely be an error of a different sort.
The United States Has Been Dithering on Climate Change Since LBJ. Enough.
despite 50 years of growing scientific consensus, the warming of the earth continues unabated. Well-funded lobby groups have sowed doubt among the public and successfully downplayed the urgency of the threat.
Inequality in the Age of Uber
For fairness as well as for efficiency reasons, rights and benefits should be attached to individuals, not to companies or employment status, and should be fully portable across sectors and jobs.
Vaccine Skepticism and Militant Islamism
Politics and irrational fears rooted in anti-government sentiment dictate the response to polio vaccination programs in several countries dominated by Islamic insurgencies.
A Third Palestinian Intifada Is Inevitable. Intransigence and Extremism Make It So.
Israel’s occupation policy has undermined the state’s political and ethical foundations, while turning Prime Minister Netanyahu into a hostage of forces even more extreme than he is.
Pope Francis’s Challenge to America
Pope Francis is challenging conservative Americans–and presidential candidates–to rethink their belligerence to Cuba, Palestinians and action on global warming, writes Chris Patten.