Archive - May 16, 2011 - Article

Middle Eastern Makeover

While Iran has longed for the post-American era in the Middle East, this may paradoxically present a more arduous challenge than Tehran originally anticipated. Despite showing significant ideological flexibility in the past, Iran’s ability to adjust to new realities over the long term seems limited. In the short to medium term, however, regional unrest puts Iran’s adversaries – from the U.S. to Israel to Saudi Arabia – on the defensive, and plays to one of Iran’s demonstrated strengths: the ability to exploit instability and divisions>>>

Bin Ladinism Lives

The killing of Bin Laden sparked a wave of conflicting feelings and political and journalistic analysis. Undoubtedly, the death of such murderous creature, especially when he holds the top position within a reactionary and terrorist political-ideological network does not raise anybody’s compassion or sadness but his own supporters. Surely, the world is a safer and more humane place without the likes of Bin Laden, Khamenei, and all the leaders of the Islamic regime of Iran, the leaders of political Islamic movement and the leaders of state terrorism>>>

پنج دهه نهضت آزادی

اعضای نهضت آزادی سهمی قابل توجه در بر ساختن ايدئولوژی اسلامگرايی در ايران داشته‌اند، از طرح اسلامی کردن اقتصاد توسط محمود طالقانی تا اسلامی کردن تکامل توسط يدالله سحابی، و از اسلامی کردن علوم انسانی توسط علی شريعتی (از اعضای نهضت در خارج کشور) تا اسلامی کردن کار، ترموديناميک، پراگماتيسم، تعليم و تربيت، و باد و باران توسط مهدی بازرگان. بازرگان خود از سرآمدان ذکر نياز به توليد ايدئولوژی با استفاده از متن دين است (بعثت و ايدئولوژی)>>>

Happily Never After

When fairytales inform us that 'they all lived happily ever after', they never specify how happily - or for how long that 'ever after' lasted. If it really was for ever after, then it still must be happening now. Somewhere, in some hidden corner of our world, must be loads of ageing but blissful princes, princesses, frogs, dragons, kings and witches. Eternity is a tricky concept. We just don't have time to sit around long enough to figure out what it means. But 'happiness' is a much easier idea to understand>>>

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