If ever there was a book inspired by hope for a better future. Feldman, a professor at NYU Law School, lays out his vision for a better Middle East one dominated by Islamist democracies that rule for the benefit of the governed. Unfortunately, that is the only positive about the book itself. Feldman writes short essays, but never really lets the reader in on his secrets, as to how he knows that radical Islamism is finished, and that most Muslims no longer support violence against the United States. It appears that we are to just trust him, as Iraqis will have to when he helps write them a constitution, but his disjointed essays (this is not supposed to be a book of essays) do not really justify his hopes. The New York Times reviewed this book in its Sunday Book Review and had another complaint: that Feldman ignores issues that have disruption and conflict in Muslim lands that have nothing to do with religion, but with the various ethnic groups in these regions. It is nice to see that President Bush has sent a liberal thinker to help shape the Iraqi constitution, but the work there will be more complicated than Feldman's series of essays would seem to indicate.
Posted by at July 6, 2003 11:33 AMEase up on this good man; I thought he was the fairest of fair on his C-SPAN interview today. And I read a review of his book. And I am a 72 year old Conservative!Be more like Noah...
Posted by: Billy Wilson at October 19, 2003 12:39 PMSome of what Mr. Feldman says might sound naive and overly optimistic, but a lot of good was built exactly on these qualities.
Mr. Feldman is absolutely right when he argues that the support the U.S. government has given over the years to the most heinous dictatorships in the Arab world suppresses democracy in those countries and ultimately heightens the security risk for the Western world. Moslems should be given a chance to create their own democracies, even if they are intertwined with Islamic law.
Mr. Feldman should be commended for the enormously difficult tasks he is trying to accomplish.
RE: Noah Fledman on C-Span Feb 7, 2004
This is one of the most articulate and interesting guests C-Span has ever brought us.
His views on the Middle East problem are refreshingly positive and he is obviously extremly bright. I hope he will be seen here agains soon.
I was horrified that two callers made disparaging remarks related to their percieved views of this man's "jewish" background.
I think Avi missed the point of Professor Feldman's book: He's not arguing that the progression toward Islamist democracy is inevitable, or alleging that "radical Islamism is finished" (whatever that means)--the point of Feldman's book is to debunk the myth that Islam and democracy are somehow fundamentally incompatible, and to evaluate some of the factors which will alternatively hinder or promote the growth of democracy in the Muslim Middle East.
Aside from repeatedly referring to it as "a series of essays," which is apparently Avi's way of disparaging Feldman's analysis, Avi doesn't provide much insight as to what might be the source of his disagreement with Feldman's argument.
On the other hand, it would seem that President Bush thought Feldman was onto something, since he appointed him as his Constitutional Advisor to Iraq.
Posted by: Damon Hollins at May 13, 2004 12:13 PMI have found the best online store to
order Generic Viagra
Buy Generic Cialis
Buy Generic Lipitor
Yours is a great site.
I have the best store to buy Cialis
Posted by: Buy Cialis at August 29, 2004 05:18 PMCialis information site.
Posted by: Cialis at October 8, 2004 07:43 PMcompany whereby compound to are novel by patented, http://Cialis.thx.to for has the holds and Medications drugs or licensing be the production a rights period years).
may 20 of time of limited that demonstrates pharmaceutical produced compound Such typically sole companies. Cialis (usually it a created
Info on Levaquin online.
Posted by: Levaquin at October 12, 2004 07:45 PMSeasonale online site.
Posted by: Seasonale at October 14, 2004 02:25 PME pluribus Unum
Posted by: Texas holdem at November 16, 2004 09:59 AME pluribus Unum
Posted by: Texas holdem at November 16, 2004 10:04 AM