Author Archives: The Virginian

Razan al-Najjar (F B Ali)

Posted on June 3, 2018 by The Virginian

Razan al-Najjar died on Friday, June 1st. She was a 21-year old Palestinian nurse and paramedic. And a mother. She was killed while running (along with other paramedics) towards the Gaza border fence with Israel. They were running to treat … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Affairs, Israel, Middle East, Obituary, Palestine | Comments Off on Razan al-Najjar (F B Ali)

Tillerson’s Trip & the new Great Game (FB Ali)

Posted on November 7, 2017 by The Virginian

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson hasn’t travelled the world anywhere as much as his predecessor, Hilary Clinton; she covered almost a million miles! That is why his recent trip to South Asia excited some attention. It also brought into focus … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, China, Middle East, Pakistan, Politics, Russia | 78 Comments

Does history repeat itself? (FB Ali)

Posted on April 21, 2017 by The Virginian

Does History repeat itself? Many thinkers, from ancient times to modern, from Polybius to Hegel and Santayana, have thought so. Karl Marx, alluding to Hegel’s formulation, sarcastically added the well-known bit about “the first time as tragedy, the second time … Continue reading →

Posted in As The Borg Turns, Borg Wars, History, Iran, Libya | 52 Comments

One Belt, One Road (FB Ali)

Posted on July 2, 2016 by The Virginian

The Chinese project of "One Belt, One Road" (OBOR) has drawn remarkably little attention and comment in the West, especially in the USA. This is surprising, considering its tremendous scope, its implications for a large part of the world (with … Continue reading →

Posted in China, Current Affairs, Pakistan, Russia | 109 Comments