Things Noted Here and There

by Cliopatria

Jeffrey Hart,"Ideology Has Consequences," The American Conservative, 20 November. I often don't agree with Jeffery Hart, but he clearly understands that George W. Bush is not a conservative.

John Keegan and Bartle Bull,"What is a Civil War?" Prospect, December, tests the current situation in Iraq against other instances of what we understand a" civil war" to be. They believe it does not meet the test. Thanks to Arts & Letters Daily for the tips.

Donna R. Gabbacia,"Today's Immigration Policy Debates: Do We Need a Little History?" Migration Information Source, November, puts current debate about immigration in the United States in historical context. Thanks to Nathanael Robinson for the tip.

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David M Fahey - 11/20/2006

And what about Mexico, China, Greece, Rwanda, etc.?

Jonathan Dresner - 11/20/2006

I can't figure out, from their definitions, where separatist struggles come into play. They clearly includes them, as the US Civil War is one of the select five examples.

Their ignorance of Asian history is also substantial, clearly. There are a number of examples that I can think of which qualify as Civil wars, including the conflict leading up to the Meiji Restoration. I would tend to include the Triumvirate wars of the late Roman Republic, but that may fall under the "mere factions fighting for power" exemption.

The orientalism of the conclusion is simply stunning.