Britannia Radio

October 21, 2011 SEARCH (0) My Cart Mohamad Bazzi Vectorportal / flickr Unfortunately for him and for Libya, Muammar al-Qaddafi betrayed his own revolution, just as the other Arab strongmen of his generation had. Consider, alongside him, Tunisia's Zine el Abidine Ben Ali and Egypt's Hosni Mubarak. But Qaddafi's death conclusively marks the end of an age once so fiercely controlled by these old-style nationalist leaders. LETTER FROM Tripoli's Afghanistan Connection Michael Semple There are several striking similarities between the Libyan capital today and revolutionary Kabul in 1992. Here are the lessons on how to avoid decades of chaos. SNAPSHOT The First Democratic Test of the Arab Spring Aaron Y. Zelin Islamists in Tunisia are playing politics from the sidelines. How voters react this weekend will speak volumes. PAGE Special Report: Libya Foreign Affairs on the fight for Libya, the struggle of the Arab Spring, and what it means for the rest of the world. VIDEO Muammar al-Qaddafi's 2009 Interivew with CFR President Richard N. Haass Muammar al-Qaddafi on why Libya decided to give up its chemical and biological weapons program, his perspective on terrorism, and how he would respond if Iran develops a nuclear weapon. SNAPSHOT Iran and Saudi Arabia Square Off Mohsen M. Milani Yesterday's announcement of a plot to assassinate the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States is just the latest story in the struggle now unfolding between Iran and Saudi Arabia. ESSAY The Broken Contract George Packer Like an odorless gas, economic inequality pervades every corner of the United States and saps the strength of its democracy. Over the past three decades, Washington has consistently favored the rich -- and the more wealth accumulates in a few hands at the top, the more influence and favor the rich acquire, making it easier for them and their political allies to cast off restraint without paying a social price. SNAPSHOT The Veiled Tyranny of Italy's Silvio Berlusconi Maurizio Viroli To outsiders, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi may appear to be an Italian extravagance. But behind the political and sexual scandals hides a history of moral malaise. SNAPSHOT Why Netanyahu Made the Prisoner Swap Deal with Hamas Daniel Gordis The deal Jerusalem made for Gilad Shalit's freedom represents a return to Israel's core values -- especially its pledge never to leave a soldier behind. As the country's enemies multiply and its social fabric decays, such a principle could rescue the country, too. LETTER FROM The Rise and Fall of Bolivia's Evo Morales Nicholas Fromherz Bolivian President Evo Morales rose to power as a champion of indigenous rights and the environment. Now he has trampled both, undermined his authority, and thrown his future into question. CAPSULE REVIEW Demonic: How the Liberal Mob Is Endangering America Ann Coulter Walter Russell Mead Coulter’s latest book, a fiery and often ad hominem polemic against all things liberal, provides important clues about what the “Fox nation” is thinking and feeling as the political season heats up. View all NEW IN BOOKS Empire of Humanity: A History of Humanitarianism Michael Barnett G. John Ikenberry How Pakistan Negotiates With the United States: Riding the Roller Coaster Teresita C. Schaffer,Howard B. Schaffer L. Carl Brown The Shift: Israel-Palestine From Border Struggle to Ethnic Conflict Menachem Klein L. Carl Brown Table of contents September/October 2011, Volume 5, Number 90 ESSAY Afghanistan's Ethnic Puzzle Thomas Barfield In 2001, fearing ethnic strife, the international community pushed for a strong central government in Kabul. But such fears were based on a false reading of Afghan history and fostered a system of regional and ethnic patronage. To correct matters, the United States should de-emphasize Afghanistan’s ethnic fault lines and push for more devolved and inclusive governance. September 11 in Retrospect Melvyn P. Leffler Palestine Goes to the UN Khaled Elgindy