With the current upheaval in Egypt, a quick look at the history of government there might help in considering what changes, if any, might be expected. Fatimid Caliphate In the late 10th Century, the Fatimids conquered Egypt, transferring their capital
by Sam Weiss9 Feb 2011, 11:05 AM PST0
Apartheid. If there is an 800 lb. gorilla looming over the legacy of colonialism, apartheid is a prime candidate for it. That it qualifies as morally evil is debatable only by invoking cultural relativism, which out of ideological prejudice hypocritically
by Sam Weiss31 Jan 2011, 4:02 PM PST0
Most countries that resulted from the Colonial Era are not like the United States or Canada. The native populations were not replaced, and many had to resort to varying levels of civil unrest to achieve independence. As I said in
by Sam Weiss29 Jan 2011, 2:01 PM PST0
One severely misunderstood element in nation building is the effects of Colonialism. Typically people just look at post-colonial countries as targets for nation building, spinning how they got to such a state for political purposes, and ignoring that one element
by Sam Weiss28 Jan 2011, 4:50 PM PST0
I now turn to the other side of the coin, the efforts of the Soviet Union to create a power bloc in Eastern Europe, with a small aside into the Soviet Union itself. The Iron Curtain – Post-World War II
by Sam Weiss27 Jan 2011, 4:14 PM PST0
We regularly hear the term “nation building” these days, but there is a woeful lack of discussion of the history of the practice. Given how rarely it has happened that is understandable, but there are valuable lessons to be learned
by Sam Weiss26 Jan 2011, 4:34 PM PST0
Peter Schweizer’s recent article provoked a recurring thought I’ve had. Most analysts are always eager to talk of how historical forces are against large nations, offering endless scenarios about which factors are causing the decline of the United States, but
by Sam Weiss10 Jan 2011, 11:10 AM PST0