Notions

In the ancient city of Rome, Britain ’s foreign secretary mustered much lacking courage from the political elite and bluntly accused the Al Saud clan as acting as a puppeteer in proxy wars in the region. Whether it is through the proxy war in Syria or the direct war again Yemeni Houthis in the South, Saudi Arabia’s regional politics were criticised in the open, in an unprecedented and historical moment. Obviously, the angered and embarrassed Prime Minster was relieved to know that the government’s spokesperson clarified that these comments do not reflect the official position of the UK government, but rather the foreign secretary’s personal views. This statement in itself accounts for a separate critical article, considering that these statements were made during an official event, not over a family dinner. The spokesperson went on to clarify that ‘Saudi Arabia was a vital partner for the UK, particularly on counter-terrorism and, when you look at what is happening in the re

Cohen, Ma rch, and Olsen (1974) conferred that in organised anarchies, decisions are interpreted as the result of interrelations between a stream of problems, a stream of solutions, a stream, of participants, and a stream of choices. The garbage can model, a term coined by these authors, suggests that actors taking these decisions have no stable goals, where decisions are made without comparing goals with solutions, and are not a product of negotiation between groups of interest. The garbage can model allows the development of several reflections without closely relating intentions to actions or causes to effects (Warglien, Mascuh, 1996: 57-58). Clearly, some of the rhetorical speeches of newly elected President Donald Trump point to his tendency to resort to the garbage can model in his proposed foreign policy.   This is particularly relevant to the nuclear deal that was struck between the United Nations Security Council and Iran ( the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was c

I was walking back home two days ago and decided to take the longer road, which had a nice park in the middle. I thought it would be a good occasion to relax and enjoy the tranquillity of a Spanish suburb.   A group of old ladies were sitting on a bench, side by side, probably enjoying a typical evening with neighbours, whilst observing the pedestrians. A minute later, I spotted two veiled women walking the opposite direction ; in spite of the veil, the women’s attire was perfectly normal to Spanish standards. They were wearing jumpsuits, and were most probably exercising – if strolling down a street is considered as such.   When these two ladies approached the bench on which the old ladies were sitting, a tiny – yet boisterous - dog started barking its heart out. The dog hurdled off its master’s lap, and circulated the two veiled women, making it impossible for them to carry on walking without stepping over the dog (which I secretly hoped they would). In the dog's defence, the

An article published in the Economist on 30 June had this opening line “Ask some Germans how people should react to terrorism and most would probably agree with the historian Herfried Münkler that the best attitude is heroische Gelassenheit: heroic calmness. Let other countries declare wars on terrorism and near-permanent states of emergency, they say; Germany’s dark history has taught it not to over-react”. Yes, Germany had a dark history, and a share of misery, poverty, and war, coupled with an arduous and constant effort to redeem itself for mistakes created by long gone political brutes, cladded in ideological uniforms of scientific rationalism. Nonetheless, Germans realised that history must serve a purpose, and that purpose is to learn how to shape, control, and direct actions in an effective, efficient, and intelligent manner in order to achieve the desired objectives. When the entire world expected a fuming Angela Merkel to step up on a pedestal and read, in passi

On Friday, the first British Airways airplane landed in Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran, following years of estrangement between Heathrow and Imam Khomeini. The move represents an act of goodwill and indication of the renewal of relations between the UK and Iran. The Airlines indicated that they will work on increasing the number of flights to six a week: doubting that Iran will serve as a mere alternative for English tourists to an upset Spain (following the divorce from the EU), the increase in flights is a reconfirmation that water is under the bridge...or clouds under the aircraft? Press TV (Iranian official news portal) was quick to announce the news, citing that “the flagship British carrier has described the Iranian capital as “an important destination” for the airline”, and that “British Airways announced in June that it had postponed the long-awaited resumption of its flights to Iran due to “some technical issues.” The article concludes with “Air France a

Elections in Jordan are due on September 20 th  - anyone driving down a Jordanian street will notice the dozens of posters hanging on electrical poles, which blaze with flaring slogans and ambitious, one-line promises that would bring peace, equality, democracy, prosperity, and justice to the country and its citizens. Candidates are grouping in national lists and are harmonising their programmes and electoral promises. Under the new Election Law, promulgated in 2016, which introduced a proportional system based on open-lists, candidates are no longer subject to the limitations imposed on them by the former system of “single un-transferable vote”, imposed since 1992. The new Election Law has been praised as a step towards political development and party involvement. The scope of this article is not meant to analyse the law – which in no way empowers parties – but to discuss what the new elected parliament can do when elected in September. Back to the slogans. Irrespective o

A short story written a while back that depicts immigrants’ suffering. A heartfelt gratitude, appreciation and admiration to selfless souls in Spain and elsewhere in Europe who countered migration policies with humanitarian sensibility. Claudia Moya, you are meant here in particular. The Roman Citadel held on but had to fall, and she had nowhere to hide at all. Over the cracked Greek stairs she was forced to crawl, until she reached the Phoenician quay on all four. She anchored her hopes to the boat and to the handler to whom she was in thrall, carrying within the child she wishes would never be born. Marooned in the deep blue sea she prayed for a god to save her soul, but her screams were much too stout for her weakened jowl.   Watching the faces fade under the water while the waves roared, she clenched her nails into the rubber boat that was all torn. The sun at last shone and warmed her soaked bones, and fate did smile when she reached the old land of the Moors. Wit

Ellen DeGeneres made TV history in 1997 when her character on her sitcom “Ellen” revealed she was gay. The disclosure of her sexual preference drew many oohs and aaahs, and despite being hailed as courageous and transparent by some, her show did suffer, and so did her reputation as a comedian. Instead of being recognised as an artist with an incredible sense of humour and admirable creativity, Ellen was known as the “gay, short haired comedian”. In fact, the “Ellen” show lost some audience, and was even banned in some conservative countries (it was no longer aired on Jordan TV for instance).  Nearly twenty years later, people still refer to her as such. What was considered as controversial back in the nineties has now become common, if not predictable, news. It is no longer a shocker. What is considered as such is the decision of western citizens to embrace Islam as a religion. Reading the English version of  El Pais  newspaper last night, the first article that was po

                     'It is easier to fight for one's principles than to live up to them.' Alfred Adler Inspiration, I recently learned, can be sought from people. Submerged in life’s demands and race with time, I failed to be inspired to re-take up my blog and share my notions, which have sometimes resonated with a few former followers (who probably and rightfully deserted the blog). However, and following a thought-provoking conversation with a work colleague who shared valuable and genuine insights on life experiences, I was prompted to ponder deeper into one particular observation and link it to present day political developments. The discerning comment raised by that colleague (to whom I am grateful) during a lustrous lunch conversation was one related to the ease of shifting the minds and hearts of a nation that learned to believe, in all its passions, that ideology dictates every aspect of one’s life. He recalled from his childhood that the iniquitous ca