The MERIP Podcast The MERIP Podcast Episode Nine: The MERIP Roundtable, "On The Regional War" Featuring Maziyar Ghiabi, Shana Marshall and Kevin Schwartz James Ryan • 1 min read
MER Article A Not-So-Modest Proposal to Nationalize the Defense Industry Shifting the course of catastrophic American policy in the Middle East requires bolder steps than changes in doctrine and grand strategy. A substantially less militarized foreign policy necessitates altering the structural political economies that have justified, nurtured and rewarded the carnage. Ending taxpayers’ support for defense industry profits would threaten Pete Moore • 6 min read
MER Article The Defense Industry’s Role in Militarizing US Foreign Policy As the welfare state shrinks, one of the last sure bets for big government spending is the maintenance of the warfare state. As the global coronavirus pandemic has made incredibly clear, the US government is disinclined to pump federal resources into health programs, social insurance or food security infrastructure. But Shana Marshall • 18 min read
MER Article From the Editor (Summer 2016) [su_heading align="left"]The new American-Israeli military aid package, in short, is another grim reminder that US stewardship of the Israeli-Palestinian file has functioned not only to frustrate peace but also to consolidate the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and deepen its structural violence.[/su_heading] At Chris Toensing • 3 min read
Current Analysis Letter to Bernie Dear Sen. Sanders, Congratulations on your strong showing in Iowa and your victory in New Hampshire. It’s exciting to see Democratic primary voters—especially younger ones—choosing your program of social democracy over the unfettered liberal capitalism to which they’ve always been told there’s no The Editors • 4 min read
Current Analysis Footing the Bill While Israel Thumbs Its Nose It’s tax season again. How about a little accounting? Every year, Washington sends $3.1 billion of taxpayers’ hard-earned money to Israel. It’s only fair to ask what Americans are getting in return. That seems especially appropriate now. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is busy badmouthi Chris Toensing • 2 min read
Current Analysis Solidaridad con Gaza, La Segunda Parte Latin American solidarity movements with Palestine are starting to win important political battles. Cecilia Baeza • 3 min read
Current Analysis Onward, Christian Soldiers For the past 18 months the Israeli government has gradually raised the stakes in its campaign to pressure Palestinian Christians to serve in the Israeli military. In April, Israel upped the ante once again, announcing it would henceforth be issuing enlistment notices to Christians who have graduated Jonathan Cook • 17 min read
MER Article From the Editors (Spring 2014) “Will China dominate the twenty-first century?” So asks the title of a short book by Jonathan Fenby, a British journalist who was editor of Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post during the period when that bustling entrepôt was being transferred from British control to the sovereignty of the People’s The Editors • 9 min read
Current Analysis "Progress" in Afghanistan, Then and Now I recently came across a document in the archives, a reminder that the march of “progress” in Afghanistan sometimes seems more reminiscent of a never-ending marching band reliably circling a parade ground [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLJ8ILIE780]. The martial metaphor here isn’t accidental: As el Darryl Li • 4 min read
Current Analysis Romancing the Throne President Barack Obama plans an overnight stay in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on March 28-29 for a rendezvous with King ‘Abdallah. The enduring but always strange bedfellows [http://merip.org/mer/mer220/decline-not-fall-us-hegemony-middle-east] have been quarreling of late over Saudi Arabia’s bellig Sheila Carapico • 4 min read
MER Article Jordan's Military-Industrial Complex and the Middle East's New Model Army Raise the subject of Arab military-industrial production and the country that springs to mind is Egypt. A historian might recall Iraq’s early arms industry; a Gulf analyst might think of the weapons development projects being financed by the United Arab Emirates. Few would think of Jordan. But accor Shana Marshall • 12 min read
