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Thoughts on the Quran
One thing that surprised me during the course of my travels in the Muslim world, especially, in the Middle East, is the pushback against the term “moderate Islam.” I suppose it shouldn’t have come as …
March 2018
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Interview with a Russian Dissident
The elections in Russia are over, and to no one’s surprise Vladimir Putin has won another six-year term as president. I recently sat down in Moscow with Valya, a young activist, member of the LGBT …
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2018 Russian Presidential Election: Get to Know the Candidates!
On March 18th, Russia will hold presidential elections with the largest field of candidates since 2000. Seven opposition hopefuls ranging from avowed Stalinists to free-market reformers will go up against Putin in hopes of bringing …
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Understanding Putin’s Lasting Popularity
“I heard all you have to do to vote for Putin is nod in front of the TV.” The comment was made by Andrei as we drove by a large billboard of Vladimir Putin urging …
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Bolivia’s Slow Return to Authoritarianism
Last week, Evo Morales, the President of Bolivia since 2005, announced he would seek a fourth term. In 2016, Morales had narrowly lost a referendum to end term limits. At first, the President said he …