Bibliography

This is a list of books I have relied on over the years, as of the summer 2010, for my research on international relations and foreign policy and my work on developing wisdom-based approaches to U.S. – Middle East relations. Apologies for not breaking these classifications into smaller ones, but the titles should make their subjects clear. Books on Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan are in “The Middle East.” Books about al Qaeda are in “War or Terrorism.” In due course I hope to find time to list other sources that have been essential, from formal reports, journal articles, interviews, and so on.

Democracy in Afghanistan?

In January, 2004, President Bush said, “A democratic Afghanistan will serve the interests of all the Afghan people,” and their “new constitution marks an historic step forward,” one that will help the nation “build a free and prosperous future.” Since then Americans have come to understand that democracy building in Muslim lands may give rise not to Western-style liberal democracies but to Islamic democracies.

First published in Sojourners Online, 3-29-06.

Wisdom Words

This page may not appeal to every visitor, so feel free to give it a miss. Others will enjoy it and may want to comment on it.

I have included it on the site as a crib sheet of kernel ideas for those who might be interested in the meanings of numerous key words in the Hebrew Bible that describe classes of high-level government officials and individuals who were responsible for domestic politics and international relations in the old-world Middle East.

The definitions come from an array of authorities that I have found useful in my work on wisdom-based international relations and foreign policy.

Changing Tough Hearts & Minds

Is rational dialogue with a terrorist possible? More significantly, can the mind of a person committed to terrorism be changed? There are some surprising conclusions coming from the field.

Benazir Bhutto

Two months before she braved returning to her homeland and was murdered there, I had the opportunity to hear Benazir Bhutto address a group at the Council on Foreign Relations. Twice a former Prime Minister of Pakistan, she struck me not so much as a politician but as a leader with a clear, bold message. No one listening could misunderstand her vision for a democratic Pakistan or her keen grasp both of the military dictatorship and of the religious extremists who stood in the way of implementing democracy.

Obama & McCain

The results of the November 4, 2008 U.S. presidential election will affect a globalised planet like never before. This article looks past the candidates sound-bites to imagine how each one, and his phalanx of advisors, might engage the wider world. The conclusions may surprise you.

A slightly shorter version of this article was first published in Third Way, September 2008.

New Political Religions (Review)

The Pneumopathology of Modern Terrorism

New Political Religions, or An Analysis of Modern Terrorism, Barry Cooper (University of Missouri Press, 2004; 242 pp)

Of the many good books that have been released in recent years on the so-called war on terrorism, I’ve discovered helpful analyses ranging from technique to strategy to ideology to religion. Cooper’s insightful book on the pneumopathology of modern terrorism helped me to see even more clearly.

Memo to the President

MEMORANDUM TO: President Barack Obama
DATE: July 7, 2009
SUBJECT: Your Middle East policy: refuse to be drawn