Foreign affairs gem
Site worth reading …
Munir Umrani tirelessly tracks the most important stories in foreign policy and diplomatic relations
The Diplomatic Times Review does something very well most bloggers cannot manage, myself included — that is bring a wide scope of critical world stories to light every day. Munir has an uncanny ability to find the twists and turns in foreign affairs that helps a reader see the true picture of the world much more clearly than reading the news without him.
Not only that, the site deserves great kudos for design and readability.
I’ll just mention two items from Deep Blade Journal that would be enhanced with a parallel read of Diplomatic Times Review. First, check out this item on a Christian Science Monitor column ‘Take up the Western Man’s Burden’. Explains nicely the picture of Bush giving Iraq orders, that I blogged about yesterday.
Also, see Munir’s comprehensive references to British press accounts of Tony Blair’s Goldsmith memo fiasco. Go here and read backwards through the posts. Very nice work! Thank you Munir.
May 1st, 2005 at 18:37
A phenomenal site! I’m still reading the Guardian article reviewed there. The writer of the article cites comprehensive paragraphs from the Goldsmith memo and provides an excellent analysis to each one. Interestingly, I read a more concilliatory article at the Times website where the writer provides very short, decontextualised half-sentences from the same memo. The two article ought to be read back-to-back in order to see who omits the most from the original memo. An interesting exercise in discourse construction.
It seems to me that when Blair pundits and indeed Blair himself, no longer have a leg to stand on they begin sernmons about how free or “better-off” Iraqis are now and how we simply must “listen to what IRaqis say themselves” etc. This successfully appeals to a general internalised pathos about who we are and how good a we are and our leaders: extremely Orwellian. Don’t think, just feel good!!! Our great leader has spoken.
May 2nd, 2005 at 18:54
Thanks for your kind comments about The Diplomatic Times Review. With me, keeping up with international affairs is a labor of love thanks to my late father, who insisted that his children join him every night to listen to the news.
He also insisted that we read newspapers and often brought home magazines with foreign affairs themes for us to read. I’ve been doing it ever since. I think his interest came from military service during World War II and Korea.
Secondly, I’m a fan of Deep Blade Journal. When I found it months ago, I felt that I had finally found the the publication that would help me understand global oil and energy policy. I have not been disappointed.
May 2nd, 2005 at 20:57
You are most welcome: thank you so much for all your efforts! I wish I had the time to do as much.
My grandfather was actually in the Korean War. The horros he experienced and even conducted were to haunt him the rest of his days. He was at the lower rung, a Tommy if you will.
By the way, I downloaded a British documentary programme called Panorama which was about Tony Blair’s role in driving us to war; very revealing if not a little biased.
I too really enjoy DeepBlade’s analyses on oil politics; it’s really fascinating.
I recommend you get into Paul Krugman; the man’s giant when it comes to globalisation issues. He’s like the Chomsky of the globalisation debate.
cheers for now and feel free to mail me anytime, I’m honoired that you responded.
May 3rd, 2005 at 07:25
I join Wallsy in thanking Munir. Now I’d like to recommend a Kos Diary by Jerome a Paris that has included a critique of the recent oil survey from The Economist. It’s worth clicking for the photo alone.
May 3rd, 2005 at 13:58
Lord, I’m starting spell in both my native British and American - wacky!!!