I was not at all interested in reading Judy Nicastros New York Times op-ed. Not at first, anyway.A piece in any newspaper titled My Abortion, at 23 Weeks stands a pretty good chance of ruining my day. But in the Times? Breezy titles like this are usually confined to the posh pages of the Travel section (My Kashmir Adventure, at 23 Weeks). Make no mistake: The Times knows what its doing… . Continue Reading»
One often hears about how the Muslim world needs to undergo the Enlightenment and engage modernity, learning the virtues of supposedly modern tolerance. Its an understandable but naïve sentiment. Democracy and the modern nation state are hell on minorities… . Continue Reading»
Angela Merkel, next to the inimitable Margaret Thatcher, is the most consequential elected female leader in European history. Born in Hamburg in 1954, Merkel grew up in East Germany where her father was a Lutheran pastor. Before turning to politics, Merkel was a physicist with a Ph.D. from the University of Leipzig… . Continue Reading»