NM's blog

An exchange A study on why Tunisians were the biggest number to go to Syria and join ISIS. Multiple comprehensive studies, including those by the  National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) ,  The Washington Institute , and  International Alert , reveal that between  6,000 and 7,000 Tunisians  traveled to join ISIS due to a unique intersection of  post-revolution state absence, severe youth marginalisation, structural economic failure, and easy regional logistics .  [1, 2, 3]  While Tunisia was celebrated as the sole democratic success story of the 2011 Arab Spring, this rapid political transition paradoxically created the perfect breeding ground for radical recruitment.  [3, 4]  1. Political Transition and "Security Vacuum" Amnesty for Radicals : Following the 2011 revolution, the transitional government issued a general amnesty, releasing hundreds of hardline Islamist political prisoners and violent jihadists who quickly formed recrui...

It's only terrorism if they do it to us. When we do much worse to them, it's not terrorism. ― Noam Chomsky,  Media Control: The Spectacular Achievements of Propagand a

Excerpts from a long, very engaging and thought provoking interview.  The colonisation of Palestine is an intrinsic “moment” in the history of European imperialism (beginning with the British Empire, followed by the French Empire, and continued to this day by Israel’s close association with the “Western” powers, which provide it with funding, weapons and diplomatic protection). It enacts its extreme forms (settler colonialism, which replaces the indigenous people with settlers, directing their expulsion and then elimination) and extends the imperialist enterprise even beyond its supposed historical endpoint. It uses the consequences of the extermination of the Jews of Europe as an opportunity, a (demographic and intellectual) resource, and an ideological cover. I would propose a critical variation on this scenario which, I hope, does not disregard its general truth. It is certainly true that Zionism, since its founding fathers (Herzl, Weizmann), has been both a typically “European”...

 On the Israeli pager attack on Hezbollah Gary Stodel One of the best anti terror strategies ever employed. The stuff of Hollywood films. Ned Ma Gary Stodel  It is called state terror by scholars of terrorism. There is state violence and non-state violence. Jamus Fundi Ned Ma  it's the best actors who invented today's technology playing and toying with the old technology, and the keepers thinking they are safe. Ned Ma Jamus Fundi  That's not related to my comment. I am speaking about 'terrorism' academically, i.e. sociologically, historically, politically, etc. The key word is scholars who have written about violence and forms of violence. Jim Braiden Ned Ma Terrorism is violence directed at civilians for political purposes. This was not terrorism. Ned Ma Jim Braiden  narrowed the definition and ignored who were killled in the attack. That suits his ideological stance towards a state that has used state terror for decades. “Webster's Collegiate Dictionary: '...