Dispatch From Tehran: A Note on Post-Protest Depression

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This is a Tehran dispatch from an anonymous student in Iran who has been blogging for The Washington Note and other sites and publications, including the New York Times, as “Shane M.” The dispatch that follows appeared in Salonand at Juan Cole’s Informed Comment. A clip from Tehran Dispatch: Basijis Hang Around, Do Nothing. ….

Dmitry Medvedev on President Obama’s Visit to Russia Next Week

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Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s discussion of President Obama’s upcoming visit to Russia strikes a cooperative, friendly tone. But toward the end he quotes John F. Kennedy, who said during the Cuba Missile Crisis that “If we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity.

Arabic Interview on Obama’s Middle East Options

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I have the privilege of chatting with many political, economic and foreign policy journalists from around the world. I generally like almost all of them and appreciate their interest, but some stand out above the others on occasion — and Hoda Husseini of Asharq Al-Awsat was one of these.

America’s Effective Unemployment Rate at 18.7%?

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Each month, I receive from Leo Hindery an update on “America’s effective unemployment rate” which includes not only the official unemployment figures but other data points showing off-the-books unemployed or underemployed people. The numbers are staggering and are aggregates of official data.