By Otto Spijkers

Today was – and still is – Live Earth day. So what do we personally help to make happen by listening to the Live Earth concerts, on television, internet or live in New York, London, Johannesburg, Rio de Janeiro, Shanghai, Tokyo (on the photo you can see Ayaka perform there), Sydney, and Hamburg? According to the website, Live Earth "will bring together more than 100 music artists and 2 billion people to trigger a global movement to solve the climate crisis." That is the aim: trigger a global movement to solve the climate crisis. The aim is a bit vague, and there does not seem to be a political process linked to Live Earth (as was the case with Live8, see below). The message is addressed directly to us, the 2 billion viewers: if we live more environment-friendly, then our governments may follow. Continue reading →

By Richard Norman

Tony Blair has assumed the role of Mideast Envoy for the Quartet (the US, EU, Russia, and UN), and opinions on his appointment are split down predictable lines: with Arab nations, Hamas, and Iran disapproving (Blair as envoy "is like appointing the Emperor Nero to be the chief fireman of Rome," according to Rami Khouri); and, Israel, on the other hand thrilled. Everyone, however, agrees that it is an incredibly difficult job. It is especially difficult when all involved are locked in the straitjacket that is the two state solution. Continue reading →

By Otto Spijkers

Will Guantanamo be closed soon? The detention camp at the US Naval Base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, has been open for more than five years, and the debate has been ongoing for five years. Many documentaries have been made, and many articles have been written about it, by University professors, policymakers, and LLM students…. it seems all arguments have been exchanged, and now enough is enough. Continue reading →

By Otto Spijkers

Tegenlicht, one of my favorite programs on Dutch television, has put some of its documentaries on YouTube. English subtitles and voice-over have been added to a few of the documentaries, which makes them accessible to a significantly larger audience. Continue reading →

By Richard Norman

Within six days, Israel had tripled the territory under its control. It had humiliated its most intimidating neighbours. It had gained control over a number of the most important Jewish holy sites. Not only had Israelis survived a threat which only a few weeks earlier had precipitated the consecration of public parks and stadia as potential mass burying grounds, but they had decimated their enemies. Continue reading →

By Richard Norman

At 7.45 am on 5 June 1967, Israel launched Operation Focus, a preemptive attack on the Egyptian air force, the majority of which sat unsuspecting on defenceless airfields. Methodically rehearsed over the course of several years, the strike (and its second and third waves) was spectacularly successful. By noon of that day, much of the Syrian and Jordanian air force also lay in ruins, a total of more than 450 airplanes. These five hours set the scene for the remaining one hundred and twenty-eight hours of war. Continue reading →

By Richard Norman

This month marks the fortieth anniversary of the Six Day War, the Arab-Israeli engagement of 1967 (the third major conflict following those in 1948 and 1956). I thought I would provide an outline of it, then follow-up with some continuing controversies and a discussion of what many observers believe to be its special significance. (For more background, I recommend this new BBC documentary.) By most accounts this was one of the most important wars of the twentieth century. Continue reading →

By Otto Spijkers

The current Government of the Netherlands spent the first hundred days talking to ‘the people’ . All ministers arranged various meetings in various parts of the country to listen to the people and to gather helpful tips in making their public policy. Continue reading →

By Richard Norman

These last few weeks there’s been a lot of gossip about New York mayor Michael Bloomberg putting together a potential third party run at the White House. Bloomberg is a socially progressive, fiscally conservative Republican, but much less at home in the Republican party than the similarly self-identifying Rudy Giuliani. Bloomberg is also a billionaire several times over, and not afraid to spend his own money during campaigns. While some criticized the eighty-four million dollars he spent in his 2005 mayoral re-election campaign (more than ten times his challenger), others argued it freed him from the grip of lobbyists and fundraisers. At any rate, he is a very popular politician in New York, the toughest media market in the country (as the Hillary Clinton camp is fond of calling it). Continue reading →

By Otto Spijkers

Why did Bokito, a gorilla held captive in Blijdorp Zoo in Rotterdam, escape from his outdoor cage and attack a woman? That is the question that occupies the minds of most Dutch people (and some Australians) these days. Continue reading →