This Is Why the Hormuz Crisis Is Different From Other Oil Crises This Is Why the Hormuz Crisis Is Different From Other Oil Crises
Israel and the United States have destabilized the Persian Gulf and global oil and natural gas supplies for the foreseeable future.
May 12, 2026 / Juan Cole
Trump’s National Security Strategy Is a Blueprint for White Nationalism Trump’s National Security Strategy Is a Blueprint for White Nationalism
Trump’s foreign policy reasoning mirrors the crackpot logic of a runaway authoritarian.
Mar 19, 2026 / Juan Cole
Trump’s Denunciations of the Iranian Killings Are Pure Hypocrisy Trump’s Denunciations of the Iranian Killings Are Pure Hypocrisy
The arbitrary arrests and killings committed by agents of Trump’s authoritarian-style rule differ only in number, not in kind, from those in Iran.
Feb 5, 2026 / Juan Cole
AI Will Only Intensify Climate Change. The Tech Moguls Don’t Care. AI Will Only Intensify Climate Change. The Tech Moguls Don’t Care.
The AI phenomenon may functionally print money for tech billionaires, at least for the time being, but it comes with a gargantuan environmental cost.
Dec 4, 2025 / Juan Cole
Israel’s Wreaking of Devastation From the Sky Is Vintage Colonialism Israel’s Wreaking of Devastation From the Sky Is Vintage Colonialism
The use of airpower to try to subdue or at least curb Middle Easterners is, in fact, more than a century old.
Oct 16, 2025 / Juan Cole
With Trump, the US Is Getting a Taste of Its Own Medicine With Trump, the US Is Getting a Taste of Its Own Medicine
The pathological US support for dictatorships in the Middle East is blowing back across the Atlantic Ocean.
Jul 31, 2025 / Juan Cole
Why Is Trump Suddenly Sidelining Israel? Why Is Trump Suddenly Sidelining Israel?
If Israel gets in the way of deal-making with the Gulf plutocrats, it could become an annoyance that Trump might feel he can’t afford.
Jun 6, 2025 / Juan Cole
Science Fiction Predicted the Rise of the Tech Bro Oligarchy Science Fiction Predicted the Rise of the Tech Bro Oligarchy
The racist tinge to Elon Musk’s hacking of the government eerily reflects cyberpunk's vision of the future—especially the science fiction coming out of South Africa.
Mar 19, 2025 / Juan Cole
The Fallout of Biden’s Middle East Policy Is Now Trump’s Responsibility The Fallout of Biden’s Middle East Policy Is Now Trump’s Responsibility
In Trump’s hands, the country's diplomatic strategy in the Middle East can only get worse.
Nov 12, 2024 / Juan Cole
American Influence in the Middle East Is Evaporating Before Our Eyes American Influence in the Middle East Is Evaporating Before Our Eyes
Washington’s efforts in the Middle East have been profoundly undermined by its breathtaking hypocrisy.
Sep 30, 2024 / Juan Cole