Agreed. Secularism in France is hugely problematic. I teach at the university level, and I actually use French secularism to explain the fallacy of reification to my students. Basically, French policies concerning religion stemmed from the fear of religious intolerance and the desire to prevent atrocities like the…

FYI, if anyone is throwing around labels, it’s you. You call Clinton a manipulative, undeserving coattail-rider, but take offense when you’re rightly called out as an uninformed sexist? At least embrace your own chauvinism, dude.

Look, you’re welcome to see Hillary as uniquely privileged (she certainly has enjoyed privileges that most in America will never experience), but equating her and Bush is patently absurd. Both capitalized on familial connections, but Hillary, unlike Bush, has needed to fight sexism at every turn. 19 percent of…

False accusations are extremely rare while sexual assault and harassment are both extraordinarily common. You’re derailing the conversation because, for whatever reason, you have vastly more sympathy for potential assailants than for the victims of assault. It is precisely this attitude which prevents victims from…

I’m sorry, but nothing about “wearing that shit is wrong” screams “live and let live.” You’re willing to admit that you know nothing about the hijab, but you’re still insistent that it’s “stupid.” At least recognize that your personal standards for what constitutes freedom and equality are deeply entangled with your…

What evidence do we have that her children were well cared for? She deliberately violated a no-contact order, apparently choosing a highly questionable romantic relationship over caring for her young children. Nothing about this woman screams “functional mother.”

This is a pretty repulsive position to take. Telling women that they cannot wear the hijab (or abaya or niquab) is as problematic as telling them that they must. And before you ask, yes, I have lived in Middle East. And this may offend your hand-wringing, white-savior sensibilities, but there are in fact Muslim…

Yes, absolutely. It’s slightly difficult to say what a Trump presidency would mean for the Middle East because he hasn’t articulated a genuine agenda for American foreign policy (beyond making sure that we “win” again). His few statements on foreign policy have been bumbling and contradictory, e.g., he mentioned the…

Sure, I’m happy to help. I tend to recommend either Karl Yambert’s The Contemporary Middle East or William Cleveland and Martin Bunton’s A History of the Modern Middle East because neither text focuses exclusively on Iraq; it’s difficult to truly get a feel for the situation in Iraq without referencing the politics of…

JFC, no, Iraq is a mixed Sunni-Shi’a country (a slight Shi’a majority with approx. 40 percent Sunni minority). Sectarian strife resulting from the Iran-Iraq War was absolutely a real factor.

Okay, but... you didn’t know all of those things because I made one of them up. Would you like help identifying which one?

No, you needn’t have written an essay, but your comments are the definition of black and white thinking. You can play armchair political strategist all you like, but anyone who has actually put effort into learning about Arabic culture or, you know, actually listening to the voices of Middle Eastern peoples is well…

Let’s get one goddamn thing straight: You don’t care in the least about the people of Iraq or Libya. You’re welcome to condemn Hillary for voting in favor of the war as well as her decision to intervene in Libya; as matters of policy, sure, you can object to those choices (and to be clear, I absolutely agree that they…

SJP has apparently no understanding of the word “feminist,” and SATC was often a vapid mess spotlighting the unself-aware privilege of upper-class white folks, but it’s also possible to see the show as “empowering,” if only because it placed a spotlight on female sexuality. It arguably helped to normalize the notion…

Out of curiosity, in what sort of situations would you say we act “a little too PC”?

Sanctions prevent Iran from accessing global banking systems. The sanctions also mean we can’t pay using US currency.

I actually don’t think that Johnson is a “kook,” and he’s certainly a sane, personable alternative to Trump if one is committed to fiscal conservatism. My issue with Johnson is that libertarianism is only functional in theory; it only makes sense if we live in a just, egalitarian world. Libertarians believe that…

You’re right in that I was oversimplifying things, but Johnson believes market principles should be applied to education, likely via a voucher system in which there’re zero enforceable standards and little accountability to taxpayers. Voucher systems offer no incentives for special education programs and would allow…

Wait, what? I’m not saying you’re wrong, but I’ve honestly never heard Bernie called a rape apologist and would like to know what you’re referencing.

It’s not concern trolling. My concern is pretty damn real because I’m a member of those vulnerable demographics as well.