World Politics News   Articles for World Politics Course

It is hard to describe the amount of airtime and newsprint that has been allocated to the Iranian nuclear deal.  It is also very difficult to sort through the cascade of half-truths and deliberate omissions of fact that pervade much of the so-called discussion.  Over the next few days, I will likely work through some of these issues.  One of the persistent themes in the critique of the agreement is that the Arab world is united in its opposition to Iran, often conveyed in a manner that suggests that the Arab world and Israel are in agreement on Iran’s status in the Middle East.  There is an element of truth in the assertion, particularly if one substitutes Arab “elites” with the Arab “world.”  Public opinion polls, however, suggest that most Arabs think less about Iran than the pundits imagine.  And there is significantly less hostility towards Iran than is suggested.

Since the end of World War II, Japan’s constitution has not allowed Japan to maintain a military and to defend itself only if facing a direct attack.  Today, the lower house of the Japanese Parliament approved legislation that would change that rule, allowing the Japanese military to be deployed overseas and to aid another country if that country is attacked.  The measure is part of Prime Minister Abe’s desire to return Japan to the status of a “normal” country and to counter what Abe considers to be the Chinese threat to Japan.  The opposition parties protested vigorously, but the measure is considered likely to become law.  Whether the law is constitutional is a matter the Japanese courts will have to decide.

Many Greeks are protesting what is considered to be a done deal: the approval of the Greek parliament of the troika’s bailout deal.   Prime Minister Tsipras’s Syriza Party abandoned him in the vote, but the opposition parties voted to approve the deal.   The protests outside the Parliament Building turned violent, but even Tsipras has decided he has to implement the bailout deal.