And if you just can't get enough, you'll of course want to watch Part II and Part III!
by Peter | 5 Dec 2007 |
And if you just can't get enough, you'll of course want to watch Part II and Part III!
by Dan Nexon | 4 Dec 2007 |
I'm curious what our readers make of the newly declassified part of the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE): "Iran: Nuclear Intentions and Capabilities" [pdf]. In particular, its claim that:We judge with high confidence that in fall 2003, Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program; we also assess with moderate-to-high confidence that Tehran at a minimum is keeping open the option to develop nuclear weapons. We judge with high confidence that...
by Dan Nexon | 2 Dec 2007 |
Via scatterplot, an on-line mathematics journal for rejected papers. Joke? They say not. And the idea, even if Swiftian, makes a great deal of sense. Maybe the time is ripe in Political Science? Given the vagaries of peer review, and the black hole of bottom-tier journals, I think so.
by Dan Nexon | 30 Nov 2007 |
Maia blogged on the curious situation in Russia. Despite Putin's and United Russia's overwhelming popularity, the government seems intent on ensuring an even more crushing victory for the party. Now Luke Harding and Tom Parfitt of The Guardian report on major "fraud, intimidation, and bribery" in the run up to the election.They also offer some possible answers as to why the Russian government seems intent on manipulating an election that United...
by Charli Carpenter | 29 Nov 2007 |
Daniel Howden's piece in The Independent yesterday describes the ongoing furor over the sentencing of a gang-rape victim in Saudi Arabia to 200 lashes for speaking out about the crime. The 19-year old victim was originally sentenced to 90 lashes for being with a non-related male; the sentence was increased because she spoke out to the Saudi media during her appeal.The fact that the Saudi government is now reviewing the case is a testament to...
by Dan Nexon | 29 Nov 2007 |
A quick note on the CNN/YouTube Debate.Although the point is rather obvious, I think it is worth reflecting on how whe exchange between Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney about illegal immigration encapsulates fundamental tensions in this country, and within the Republican party, on the issue.Recall that Romnney attacked Giuliani for running a "sanctuary city." Giuliani rejected the the label but also went on the offensive:It's unfortunate, but Mitt...
by Charli Carpenter | 29 Nov 2007 |
Greetings, all. Though I think Daniel hoped my early posts would concern mass killing (or, perhaps, the conquest of the Alpha Quadrant), I couldn’t help but comment on CNN’s Republican YouTube debate for my inaugural post.Mainly, I wonder how different the debate would have been if the 35 questions aired had been chosen based on YouTube page views and comments, rather than selected by the media elite to fit the issues the candidates were...
by Rodger Payne | 29 Nov 2007 |
Today, I received an email asking me to endorse the Iraqi International Initiative for Refugees. Basically, the sponsors want to convince the UN to mandate that Iraqi oil revenues be shared with the 4.5 million refugees and displaced persons dispersed throughout the Middle East and the world. Many are living in poverty in neighboring states.Here is their argument in a nutshell:The international community, the occupation powers, and the...
by Dan Nexon | 28 Nov 2007 |
I wanted to announce the birth of a new Duck. R. Charli Carpenter, an Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh, is joining our ranks for a poorly defined, and perhaps indefinite, guest stint. Professor Carpenter is a specialist in, among other things, transnational advocacy networks, particularly those involved in war crimes and human rights.She is the author of Innocent Women And Children: Gender, Norms And the Protection of...
by Peter | 27 Nov 2007 |
A US President, needing a signature policy victory, faced with a hostile Congress controlled by the opposing party, nearing the end of his term, seeks ensure his legacy and make a major foreign affairs statement by brokering a peace agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians. He brings them together for a big meeting here in the US, hoping to put together the structure of a deal to bring peace to the region.Sounds familiar. It could be...
by Maia Gemmill | 26 Nov 2007 |
Next Sunday, Russians are expected to go to the polls and overwhelmingly endorse the candidates of the pro-Putin party, Edinaya Rossiya.* What I find surprising is the level to which the government feels it needs to engage in electoral hanky-panky: all signs suggest that Edinaya Rossiya would receive a comfortable majority, even without the blatant manipulation of the system. Kommersant reports that a recent poll shows that it is very likely...
by Rodger Payne | 23 Nov 2007 |
Was the Iraq war designed to break up OPEC?Do OPEC states now have a perverse incentive to favor continued instability in Iraq?I explore these questions today on my blog: "Oil: the third rail of the Iraq debate."Sorry, I probably just should have posted it here.