International Political Will

The West often rails against the rampant corruption that plagues developing countries. From our perspective, it seems that corruption is a major obstacle that prevents many countries from obtaining the progress we have enjoyed. Yet we may be wrongly assuming our own value placed on an honest politician is the ideal for everyone else.
Yesterday, I [...]

First we were granted the usual denials-in-the-face-of-reality by President Bush. No recession here. The economy is strong. Why? Because the ‘decider’ said so.
Then we heard Phil Gramm tell us it was all in our heads. McCain quickly refuted his comments, but his own economic plan (the status quo is good) [...]

The nuclear showdown between Iran and the U.S./Israel is often seen through the lens of the Shi’a emphasis on martyrdom. Yet we cannot move forward in this crisis assuming that it is merely a matter of “Will they?” or “Won’t they?” It may not matter if they push the button - having the button may [...]

The Mumbai head-wobble (a gesture where your chin acts as the pendulum in a grandfather clock, swaying left to right) appears similar to our Western version of “I don’t know” or “maybe.” This can be very confusing until you realize the wobble is actually a “yes” or “I agree.” It is also a greeting [...]

The single-worst suicide bombing in Afghanistan since the U.S. invasion in 2001 killed at least 40 people at the Indian Embassy in Kabul. Another 140+ were injured: most of the victims were civilians waiting in line for visas to leave their country that has been torn apart by a growing insurgency.
Of course, the Bush [...]