No, not really. But it would make about as much sense as this. (via)
Author: DWD
writer, blogger, lover, fighter
modern weekly standard: a punditry book for idiots
When I was in high school, one year while I was at some camp or another I was introduced to my roommate's copy of P.J. O'Rourke's Modern Manners: An Etiquette Book for Rude People. I'm sure if I read it again today, much (seriously, much) older, familiar with P.J. O'Rourke's oeuvre and with a better … Continue reading modern weekly standard: a punditry book for idiots
Islamic History, Part 7: Alternative theories of the early Islamic community
Islamic History Series When you combine a major world-changing historical event with a near-total dearth of reliable primary sources, you inevitably get a lot of revisionist attempts to reconstruct the "real" history. For the origins of Islam and the nature of its earliest community, we have arguably the most world-changing event of the past 1500 … Continue reading Islamic History, Part 7: Alternative theories of the early Islamic community
sully’s on a roll…
Today's shorter Andrew Sullivan: "If non-racists refuse to take racist junk pseudo-science seriously, pretty soon the racist junk pseudo-science business will be totally run by racists. P.S. I am not a racist, some of my best friends, yadda yadda."
remember: there is a club…
and you're not in it. Shorter Andrew Sullivan: "Sure, Jon Karl became a reporter via a program designed to plant conservative ideologues into the mainstream media, but there's no way he's a right-wing mole because Please. This FAIR report that clearly outlines Karl's ongoing pattern of right-wing hackery is obviously an attempt to pile on … Continue reading remember: there is a club…
Islamic History, Part 6: The problem with early sources
Islamic History Series We've reached a point in our overview of Islamic history where we need to stop talking about history and talk historiography, or the study of how history gets studied. Because the material regarding the life of Muhammad is so slim and presents so many challenges to the historian, I feel like I … Continue reading Islamic History, Part 6: The problem with early sources
how are things going in our great experiments in middle east intervention?
Iraq: At least 34 people have been killed in series of bomb attacks across Iraq, several of which targeted mainly Shia districts of Baghdad, officials say. Eleven blasts in the space of an hour in the capital left 23 people dead and more than 100 others injured. Bomb attacks also killed at least 10 people … Continue reading how are things going in our great experiments in middle east intervention?
caligula: emperor of #swag
If your perspective of history is limited to the American experience, then I guess you'd be the kind of person who finds Ronald Reagan to be the king of #YOLO, or Richard Nixon to be #fierce. But for those of us who have a slightly broader scope, there's no question that Roman Emperor Caligula (d. … Continue reading caligula: emperor of #swag
iran so far away
Oliver Willis observes that, now that it serves Republican purposes to make the Benghazi/IRS/AP/whatever scandals ("scandals"?) sound really bad, suddenly they've decided that Richard Nixon is History's Greatest Monster, or at least he was until Obama came along: Because up until recently, the right had Nixon as the good guy. The original sin of the … Continue reading iran so far away
Islamic History, Part 5: Muhammad in Medina, war with Mecca, and Muhammad’s death (622-632)
Islamic History Series Having established Muhammad's initial ministry in Mecca and his eventual flight from that city, just ahead of a plot to assassinate him, we now pick up the story with Muhammad having arrived in the oasis city of Yathrib, although it wasn't "Yathrib" much longer. The city soon became known as "The City … Continue reading Islamic History, Part 5: Muhammad in Medina, war with Mecca, and Muhammad’s death (622-632)
The Foreign Exchanges Companion 