Recommended to me by my Modern Middle East/North Africa Professor Cynthia Metcalf, i have recently been following another blog hoping that it would stimulate some reactions. One of the ones i have been following is that of Juan Cole (Juancole.com), who is President of the Global Americana Institute. He takes a very scholarly view on the events of today, making his opinion known from the very beginning of his posts and having the message reiterated as he continues through his arguments. He accentuates his opinions with evidence, facts, and personal experiences which in my opinion are three characteristics that make for a great contemporary historical theologian.
One of his recent posts has piqued my interest when he was discussing the impact and the developing controversy surrounding pirates off the coast of Africa and the Middle East. There is great foreign investment in the Middle East which is possibly the reason why for America's everlasting presence in the region but i feel that it is important to note that Africa is just as equally volatile as the Middle East. The disorganization of many of the governments has led to martial law being the principle rule of the land, and many enterprising criminals have used this lack of supervision to carve out lucrative niches for themselves. In the Middle East, criminals have been at this for decades, extracting millions in ransoms in exchange for the safe return of loved ones. Mainly this has happened in places like Afghanistan where it is just as poorly regulated. Moreso than rogue governments, the individual actions of view can paint a blearly picture when looking ahead at efforts to curb the violence in the Middle East.
No comments:
Post a Comment