Pakistan vs. the Taliban

[Q Classic]

Don't we already have 4 more years of Bush?

No, Obama's changed everything. The heavens have opened up! Angels have sung!

[Darius871]

Juan Cole > me > you > MOBIUS

I'll accept that.

Accept the hierarchy perhaps, but Cole's no encyclopedic oracle that should be the sole or even primary source for anyone. There are plenty of equally or more educated experts with scholarship less centered on pre-20th-century history, personal experience with communities more in line with the Sunni mainstream, publications more recognized and oft-cited in the academic community after rigorous peer review, and - especially - biases less blatant.

An informed opinion's still an opinion; more likely to be accurate perhaps, but not gospel.

[Drake Tungsten]

Accept the hierarchy perhaps, but Cole's no encyclopedic oracle that should be the sole or even primary source for anyone. There are plenty of equally or more educated experts with scholarship less centered on pre-20th-century history, personal experience with communities more in line with the Sunni mainstream, publications more recognized and oft-cited in the academic community after rigorous peer review, and - especially - biases less blatant.

I agree, but I also know that being ranked ahead of Moby is the best I can hope for from che.

[Ramo]

Accept the hierarchy perhaps, but Cole's no encyclopedic oracle that should be the sole or even primary source for anyone. There are plenty of equally or more educated experts with scholarship less centered on pre-20th-century history, personal experience with communities more in line with the Sunni mainstream, publications more recognized and oft-cited in the academic community after rigorous peer review, and - especially - biases less blatant.

An informed opinion's still an opinion; more likely to be accurate perhaps, but not gospel.

The biggie is that Cole doesn't know Urdu (AFAIK).

He has a lot of interesting things to say about Iraq (particularly in the first couple years when few people were well-informed), but he hasn't been particularly insightful about Pakistan.

[Darius871]

The biggie is that Cole doesn't know Urdu (AFAIK).

He has a lot of interesting things to say about Iraq (particularly in the first couple years when few people were well-informed), but he hasn't been particularly insightful about Pakistan.

Yes, he was always at or near the top of my reading list back then. More recently I only see news aggregation and rehashing of other blogs' talking points without bringing much new to the table, which is why I generally avoid blogs in the first place.

[Lancer]

This is interesting. If a religious group can topple secular governments and impose Holy law then there is hope for the US as well.

[Zkribbler]

They did. It was called the administration of George W. Bush. I didn't work out too well.