Syriza Holds On, But the Left is Weakened in Greece

By Asad Ismi The Greek tragedy of national economic collapse appeared to be turning into farce with the re-election of Syriza at the end of September. The leftist party had been first elected only seven months earlier on the promise to end the austerity measures forced on Greece by the troika of the European Union […]

Grexit Option Looms with Bailout Expiry

By Asad Ismi In a stunning victory on January 25, the leftist Syriza party won Greece’s national elections by a wide margin, earning just short of a majority of seats in parliament. Syriza campaigned on a promise to end the austerity measures (privatization, wage constraints, public service layoffs, etc.) that were a condition on 240 […]

Chocolate and Imperialism: Ivory Coast’s Political Crisis Exposes Western Colonialism

By Asad Ismi The West African country of Ivory Coast, the world’s leading exporter of cocoa, has been politically paralyzed since a November 2010 election ended in both main contenders declaring themselves winners. Incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo (backed by the Ivorian army) and his rival Alassane Ouattara, a former minister, both claim to have won […]