The huge contrast between Chancellor Merkel's approach and the approach of Obama and Cameron to the Syrian refugee crisis

08/20/2015

The German chancellor will be remembered in history for the way she handled the Syrian refugee crisis in 2015, and for the courage to say, "if Europe fails on the question of refugees, its close connection with universal civil rights will be destroyed." Reports in the Guardian newspaper say Germany is likely to accept about 1 million refugees in 2015. Chancellor Merkel says about 800,000 refugees will be admitted in 2015. Contrast this with the UK reports the Guardian which has 166 refugees admitted to the UK, and reports in the WSJ that about 1500 refugees have been admitted to the U.S.. Merkel has taken on the challenge in a spirited way as Europe faces anti-immigrant sentiment and rallied German society in a way that is remarkable. The withdrawal of the Obama administration from the Middle East led to the collapse of the fragile situation in Libya, Iraq and Syria, and the unravelling of these countries, leading to the current refugee crisis with about half of the Syrian population dislocated and large parts of the population of Libya, Iraq, and Kurdish regions dislocated.

Linked Articles

U.S. Pressed to Take More Syrian Refugees

Wall Street Journal 09/05/2015

Felicia Schwartz, Felicia, Schwartz

Washington Post 08/20/2015

Rick Noack, Rick, Noack

Two party systems and Malaysia's UMNO Party- (2) the future economic prospects of Malaysia under Razak, India under Modi, Indonesia under Widodo

12/08/2014

Najib Razak follows his father Tun Abdul Razak, Mahathir before him, all the way back to Tunku Abdul Rahman, all of the UMNO party, in an uninterrupted control of the United Malay Naional Organization Party which has ruled Malaysia for almost 6 decades. Malaysia has followed the example of Lee Kuan Yew in Singapore by keeping the opposition parties weak to maintain control. Both the UMNO and the party of Lee in Singapore face questions about the merits of suppressing the development of two party systems, at a time when government is changing hands to opposition parties in most of the region and improving economic prospects in each country with a change of government- Abe in Japan, Widodo in Indonesia, Modi and Sharif in India and Pakistan, Aquino in the Philippines, Wickremesinghe in Sri Lanka. A economic drift with no clear direction under Singh and Bhutto in India and Pakistan was reversed with the election of Modi and Sharif, the economic drift and deflation under the Kan and Noda governments was reversed in Japan with the election of Abe, and the economic drift in Indonesia is being reversed by the Widodo government. This shows how critical two party systems are to functioning democracies as middle classes develop and voters look for competing views of the future to choose from.

Linked Articles

Fund Controversy Threatens Malaysia’s Leader

Wall Street Journal 06/19/2015

Tom Wright, Tom, Wright

Wall Street Journal 12/08/2014

Patrick Mcdowell, Patrick, Mcdowell, Ben Otto, Ben, Otto, Matt Murray, Matt, Murray

The Iraq-Syria conflict and the experience in Vietnam - readers reflect in the NYT in Oct. 2014

10/07/2014

Linked Articles

Is the Syria Conflict Like Vietnam?

New York Times 10/09/2014

Letters To The Editor, Letters, To, The, Editor

New York Times 10/07/2014

Fredrik Logevall, Fredrik, Logevall, Gordon M. Goldstein, Gordon, M., Goldstein

Profiles in courage, women renewing large organizations- Christine Lagarde at the IMF and Ginni Rometty at IBM

08/25/2014

Lagarde says in an intervew in the Washington Post, that she believes women come into leadership at large organizations when the job is tough, requiring everything you can give.

Linked Articles

Christine Lagarde: ‘Don’t let the bastards get you’ - The Washington Post

Washington Post 08/25/2014

Jillian Cunningham, Jillian, Cunningham, Christine Lagarde, Christine, Lagarde

Wall Street Journal 04/21/2015

Monica Langley, Monica, Langley

The contrasting views of Gen. Jones and Khedery in August 2014 on Iraq's tangled tortuous politics and sectarianism, showing the difficulty of the Iraq mission

08/15/2014

Linked Articles

How to Save Iraq and Honor American Sacrifice

Wall Street Journal 08/15/2014

James L. Jones, James, L., Jones

New York Times 08/15/2014

Ali Khedery, Ali, Khedery

Khedery and Talabani on getting it right in Iraq- finally- after the Saddam and Maliki years

08/15/2014

Linked Articles

Saving Iraq in the Post-Maliki Era

Wall Street Journal 12/09/2014

Qubad Talabani, Qubad, Talabani

New York Times 08/15/2014

Ali Khedery, Ali, Khedery

The other side of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) Sunni extremist militia- a large money raising organization offering high salaries in a region with frustrated unemployed youth

06/11/2014

NYT indepth accounts of the ISIS and its money raising organization.

Linked Articles

Sunni Fighters Gain as They Battle 2 Governments, and Other Rebels

New York Times 06/11/2014

Thanassis Cambanis, Thanassis, Cambanis

New York Times 06/20/2014

Rod Nordland, Rod, Nordland, Alissa J. Rubin, Alissa, J., Rubin

Stanford Hoover Institution's Fouad Ajami on the Middle East policies of U.S. president Obama that led to sectarian conflict and increase in terrorism

10/24/2013

Without a residual U.S. presence in the Middle East acting as a restraining influence on Shiite militias, Sunni groups, other foreign powers, leading to an exacerbation of sectarian conflict by the Malliki government, created the conditions for the rise of terrorism. Only in 2015-2016 were the effects of this seen with the breakup of Syria and Iraq, and the millions of refugees making their way to Turkey, Jordan, and Europe, followed by the increase in terrorism in Europe and the U.S.

Linked Articles

Notable & Quotable: Fouad Ajami on the Sunni-Shiite Fight

Wall Street Journal 01/05/2016

Fouad Ajami, Fouad, Ajami

Wall Street Journal 10/24/2013

Fouad Ajami, Fouad, Ajami

Why China and India see a "win-win spirit" in the Iran nuclear deal of July 2015- access to lower cost oil supplies for an extended period

08/21/2013

With the need to boost growth in India, and slowing growth in China, the prospect of lower cost Iranian oil imports is a bright spot for both countries.

Linked Articles

Oil-Thirsty China a Winner in Iran Deal

Wall Street Journal 07/15/2015

Brian Spegele, Brian, Spegele

Wall Street Journal 08/21/2013

Abheek Bhattacharya, Abheek, Bhattacharya

The advice of General Keane in May 2013, decisions for Syria and Iraq by president Obama ignoring this advice, and the situation in September 2014

05/22/2013

Gen. Keane's advice was to destroy the 50 airstrips used by the Assad regime and its air defense system with cruise missiles and American airpower, the alternative would be to establish a no fly zone such as the one used in Libya. Direct use of American airpower early in the conflict would make it possible to keep American involvement constructive, and effective.

Linked Articles

Jack Keane and Danielle Pletka: How to Stop Assad's Slaughter

Wall Street Journal 05/22/2013

Jack Keane And Danielle Pletka, Jack, Keane, And, Danielle, Pletka

New York Times 09/08/2014

Peter Baker, Peter, Baker

Pakistan Railways and Iraqi Railways- a picture of the Middle East and South Asia in 2014

05/18/2013

Declan Walsh and Tim rango provide aunique insight into the lives of common people in two regions of Asia and the Middle East. A century after the European powers invested in railway lines connecting all parts of the Middle East from Turkey to Iraq and Syria, and connecting all parts of South Asia from the Afghan border to Ceylon, two reporters of the NYT visit the railways in both regions showing the prevailing state of affairs. In Iraq decades of wars and conflict have reduced the railways to a crumbling condition. In South Asia mismanagement, cronyism, corruption has led to disinvestment in Pakistan Railways and inflicted similiar damage to the rail network. Through rail one can see into the life of common people in these regions. What one sees shows that five decades after the colonial powers left this region, the educated elites, the political parties, the military, the religious leaders, have all failed the common people of their homeland.

Linked Articles

A Train Ride Through Time: From Iraq’s Checkered Past Into an Uncertain Future

New York Times 10/18/2014

Tim Arango, Tim, Arango

New York Times 05/18/2013

Declan Walsh, Declan, Walsh

Greece and living up to euro currency responsibilities- efforts under Papadopoulos 2002, Giannitsis 2001, Manos 1998 and Tsipras's commitment in 2015 15

01/28/2013

Can Greece live up to its euro currency responsibilities, is the question raised inside the eurozone, as Greece renews its commitment to reforms to build a modern economy. A look back at politicians who emphasized euro currency responsibilities and the candid remarks by Tsipras in an intervew with Bret Stephens of the WSJ.

Linked Articles

The Politicians Who Warned Greece—but Were Ignored

Wall Street Journal 07/11/2015

Matina Stevis, Matina, Stevis

Wall Street Journal 01/28/2013

Bret Stephens, Bret, Stephens