December 2011
Immigrants and refugees: Is There Room at the Inn?
At Christmas, we hear once again about refugees---this time the family of Joseph, Mary, and the soon-to-be born Baby Jesus. It is a touching story—and timelessly evocative of so many millions of people who have had to flee for their lives from persecution.
The 20th century has been a time of the largest dislocation of people in history. World Wars I and II uprooted millions, all seeking sanctuary in the West. However, there was no rush of refugees to the Middle East or more...
US Law is Wrestling with Complexities of Antiterrorism
n Boston, a trial is underway. Prosecutors say that Tarek Mahanna, a 29-year-old US-born Egyptian, is a terrorist. His attorneys claim he was merely exercising First Amendment rights. The outcome of the trial will have important legal implications.
Under American law, the police cannot arrest someone for what he thinks or says, but only after a crime has been committed. This, unfortunately, is why so many battered women who depend on a restraining order to keep a batterer at bay more...
Under American law, the police cannot arrest someone for what he thinks or says, but only after a crime has been committed. This, unfortunately, is why so many battered women who depend on a restraining order to keep a batterer at bay more...
TV Humor and Soaps Are Potent Tools For Democracy.
One of the most devastating tools against tyranny is humor. Dictators cannot stand being laughed at; they work hard at being feared. On a bitter cold New Year’s Eve of 1989, the long-time dictator of Romania, Nicolae Ceausescu, summoned his people to the square below his palace to deliver a speech. The crowd shuffled and seethed with anger over their short rations, lack of fuel, and daily insults while Ceausescu and his nasty wife lived in an obscenely lavish palace. As he continued to more...
Laina At the Movies, November 2011
Laina At the Movies
By Laina Farhat-Holzman
November 2011
Tower Heist
Revenge stories have a long history—actually a universal history. In Western civilization, the most revenge obsessed were 16th century Spain and Italy, with top prizes for continuity going to Sicily. We see obsession with revenge today mostly in tribal societies (Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq—or any place with both tribalism and Islam). Although cultures with law and order (We more...
By Laina Farhat-Holzman
November 2011
Tower Heist
Revenge stories have a long history—actually a universal history. In Western civilization, the most revenge obsessed were 16th century Spain and Italy, with top prizes for continuity going to Sicily. We see obsession with revenge today mostly in tribal societies (Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq—or any place with both tribalism and Islam). Although cultures with law and order (We more...