Is a Kurdish Spring on the Way?

The world has been mesmerized by the revolutionary upsurge across the Arab Spring as longstanding dictatorships fell under popular pressure. But are the Arabs the only people in the Middle East to get a spring? Via Meadia was early to the story of rising tensions between Turkey and Syria, spurred on by a spate of […]

Fareed Zakaria Reinstated

When the news broke that Fareed Zakaria was suspended from his columns at Time and CNN due to accusations of plagiarism, Via Meadia was surprised. Plagiarism is a serious transgression that should not to be taken lightly, but we found it hard to believe that someone with such a gift for writing would feel the need to […]

China’s Asbestos Exposure

Two top-notch Chinese car companies are recalling 23,000 vehicles from Australia due to the presence of asbestos in the engines and exhaust gaskets—this, after explicitly stating that the cars would not contain the cancer-causing chemical.As Michael Dunne reports in the WSJ, this this may be an example of a “quality fade”: Prospective buyers initially receive impressive samples of goods, […]

Keystone Blunder Increases Dependence on Saudi Oil

Although American energy reserves have been rising steadily over the past few years and appear likely to continue to do so, American imports from Saudi Arabia have increased by 20 percent over the past year.In January, under pressure from the environmental lobby, the Obama administration blocked a permit for the planned Keystone oil pipeline (after […]

WRM Brother Chris Mead Spotlighted in WSJ

While WRM is away in India, we’ve been inviting a number of guest bloggers to add their two cents to the Via Meadia converstation. One of these guest bloggers is Chris Mead, WRM’s brother and Senior Vice President of the American Chamber of Commerce Executives. He has been dominating the media while his brother is away. A […]

Libyan Fallout Spreads to Niger

We’ve repeatedly noted that the humanitarian intervention in Libya has had perverse consequences far beyond Libya’s borders—most pronouncedly in Mali. Mali’s unraveling in turn has dire consequences for its neighbors. A map is worth a thousand words:Niger is caught in a pincer between the Islamist Tuareg rebels to its north and west and the savage Boko […]

Mission: Impossible

The AP reports that Algeria’s Lakhdar Brahimi will be replacing Kofi Annan as the UN’s peace envoy to Syria. Brahimi, who helped negotiate the end of Lebanon’s civil war, had been hesitant but finally accepted the post. He was said to be awaiting some kind of signal of support from the Security Council, which has […]

Pussy Riot Goes to Jail

Via Meadia hasn’t been commenting on the trial of the Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot, which was detained after staging an unauthorized concert at Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.On the one hand, we didn’t think the young women were doing the anti-Putin liberals any favors by antagonizing the Russian Orthodox Church, and by extension […]

Euro Breakup in the Cards?

The Economist “speculated” last week about the kinds of contingency plans Angela Merkel might have on her desk for the breakup of the Euro. Obviously, if such plans existed, they ought to be kept secret so as to not panic the markets. Right?The Finnish foreign minister disagrees: “We have to face openly the possibility of a […]

Japan Sends Arrested Chinese Activists Home

Earlier this week, Japan arrested Chinese activists on the disputed Senkaku Islands, adding to rising tensions across the China seas. Today Japan has decided to deport the them, reports Reuters.This incident will fade from public memory with time, but the nationalism that incited it is here to stay. A story in the The Wall Street Journal highlights Japan’s rising […]

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