Argument
Caste Aside
Caste, usually absent from U.S. local politics, has emerged as an issue in New York’s mayoral race, as Hindu temples become key campaigning sites. The contest has highlighted tensions between marginalized Dalit advocates and the influential Hindu right, revealing how South Asian caste hierarchies are influencing candidates’ strategies.
France Has Been Robbed
For years, successive governments have celebrated France’s heritage while quietly starving it, reducing budgets, staff, security and maintenance until the guardians of the country’s treasures could no longer guard much at all.
Saudi Arabia and the Tired ‘Whitewashing’ Trope
Critics blasted comics for performing in Riyadh and fretted about Saudi money in video games. But the “whitewashing” critique flattens Arab societies, ignores local audiences and indulges a Western moral superiority that is no longer tenable.
For Israelis, the Ceasefire Is Only About the Hostages
Israelis are euphoric over the ceasefire in Gaza because it means the hostages will come home. The liberals see this as proof that their mass protests worked and that they still have influence. They have already forgotten the war, and there is no reckoning with its cost to Palestinians.
Nepal’s Youth Uprising Is Part of a South Asian Wave of Rebellion
A wave of youth-led uprisings has swept South Asia, revealing shared frustrations across the region. Uprisings in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and now Nepal reflect a broad pattern of generational disillusionment and demands for greater accountability, more inclusive democracy and a break from the past.
The Stories That Shed Light on Power in Iran
Both the Iranian regime and those who resist it use myths and ideas about divinity to cultivate support. From self-sacrificing martyrs to ancient archers, bloodthirsty tyrants and dangerous davalpas, these tales help to reveal Iran’s political culture and the nature of the Islamic Republic’s authority.
American Support for Israel Is a Political Religion
What makes the relationship between the U.S. and Israel unique, one that can’t be captured by ordinary frameworks? It’s as if the two states were a single entity — “AmericaIsrael” — functioning like an article of faith and producing its own heretics.