This year’s US presidential election is likely to unleash the most polarizing discourse we’ve seen in decades. We’re likely to hear both sides use extreme labels like fascist, socialist and racist. We’ve already seen a clear schism between the parties and an equally deep-seated hostility...
August 2009: I press the doorbell. The dimness of the inner light and oriental fragrances give me a pleasant surprise. African jewelry hangs from the walls and Persian carpets pave the ground. I close my eyes. With the frantic speed of remembrance, music transports me to the alleys of Istanbul,...
In 2016, Antoine van Agtmael and Fred Bakker published “The Smartest Places on Earth.” Van Agtmael, a personal friend and a donor to Fair Observer, asked me to review the book. Unfortunately, day-to-day writing, editorial and administrative tasks in a crazy year ensured that this fell off the...
Does US culture’s problem of defining words explain the current state of political confusion? The Daily Devil's Dictionary reports. Perhaps the two most problematic words in the English language in the US are “amendment” and “right.” The Washington Post reports on what is being called...
