Food for thought Dec 21, 05

I am starting a new Food for Thought series posts. These posts will contain articles that I consider thoughtful and provoking. They can make a good reading list for thoughtful nights. I dont want to enforce my reading list on others but the idea is to build a reference list for myself so that when I write something I can get back to my references quickly. However, you can also benefit from my digging around the web. This time I am posting some articles that I found interesting in recent "Foriegn Affairs Journal".

Grading the War on Terrorism: By - Richard A. Falkenrath "There is much to learn from the Bush administration's record. The administration itself, of course, rarely admits doubt or mistakes. The White House briefing room is not a Catholic church: there is precious little to gain from confession. The pressures of American politics and governance dissuade serving officials from speaking candidly, and so the burden of sustaining serious public debate falls to journalists, pundits, and outside experts."

A Natural History of Peace:Robert M. Sapolsky "Humans like to think that they are unique, but the study of other primates has called into question the exceptionalism of our species. So what does primatology have to say about war and peace? Contrary to what was believed just a few decades ago, humans are not "killer apes" destined for violent conflict, but can make their own history."

The Turkish Military's March Toward Europe: By Ersel Aydinli, Nihat Ali Özcan, and Dogan Akyaz "Without the Turkish military's support, Ankara cannot comply with the reforms necessary for Turkey to join the EU. So far, the top brass have cooperated, even when reforms have curbed their power, because they have looked at EU membership as both the culmination of the country's modernization and a way to battle nagging domestic problems. But how much
further will they go?"

Understanding Madrasahs? By Alexander Evans "Since 9/11, Muslim schools have been denounced as breeding grounds for terrorism. But instead of seeing madrasahs as a threat,
Western policymakers should recognize that they present an opportunity for engagement and reform."

Women, Islam, and the New Iraq: By Isobel Coleman "Although questions of implementation remain, the new Iraqi constitution makes Islam the law of the land. This need not mean trouble for Iraq's women, however. Sharia is open to a wide range of interpretations, some quite egalitarian. If Washington still hopes for a liberal order in Iraq, it should start working with progressive Muslim scholars to advance women's rights through religious channels."

If you are interested in MSNBC's food for thought go here.