Author Archives: Tony

Madrid: Not a Real Football Team

Posted on July 25, 2005 by Tony

It could be considered a little pathetic for ostensible superclub Real Madrid to be humiliated 3-0 by no-hopers Tokyo Verdy (losers even in the not exactly world-class Japanese league), but that would be missing the point. As Real coach Vanderlei … Continue reading →

Posted in Glancing Headers | 11 Comments

Sharon’s Gaza Initiative

Posted on July 22, 2005 by Tony

Sharon’s planned “disengagement” from Gaza is not connected to any peace process, not even President Bush’s “roadmap” which Sharon has made clear may or may not eventually go into effect – but only after the Palestinian Authority dismantles the militias … Continue reading →

Posted in Featured Analysis, Situation Report | 8 Comments

Free Mandela (From the Prison of Fantasy)!

Posted on July 20, 2005 by Tony

Monday was Nelson Mandela’s 87th birthday, and on these shores, I sometimes feel he’s in need of rescuing, trapped in some pretty bizarre narratives that have nothing to do with his own story or politics. Full disclosure: I freely admit … Continue reading →

Posted in The Whole World's Africa | 158 Comments

London and After: What al-Qaeda Fears

Posted on July 14, 2005 by Tony

Five Thoughts on the London bombing 1. God, I love the Brits! Prescient? ‘My Son the Fanatic’ Their collective response to the London bombings is infinitely courageous, infinitely dignified, unflappable, sober, inherently collective, and educated and worldly in their assessment … Continue reading →

Posted in Situation Report | 4 Comments

Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn You!

Posted on July 14, 2005 by Tony

Digging through my archives of “Tony Karon Weblog” emailings, I came across this gem sent out on December 14, 2002. Re-reading it reminds me of how clear it was, even then, that the Weapons of Mass Destruction case for invading … Continue reading →

Posted in From Tony's Archive | 5 Comments

Where do France’s Jews Belong?

Posted on July 1, 2005 by Tony

A version of this story appeared on TIME.com published 7.21.2004 Ariel Sharon’s belief that the Jews of France belong in Israel and ought to get there as soon as possible lest they fall victim to anti-Semitism gone wild has opened … Continue reading →

Posted in A Wondering Jew | 3 Comments

McDonald’s Simply Wants to Blend in

Posted on July 1, 2005 by Tony

This story was first published on TIME.com in January, 2002 Extract: Like the Romans before it, the empire of the Golden Arches has finally succumbed to the indomitable spirit of Asterix the Gaul. As of Wednesday, Ronald McDonald has been … Continue reading →

Posted in Annals of Globalization | 4 Comments

Of Fries and Getting Fried: The Allure of Death Row Menus

Posted on July 1, 2005 by Tony

This article appeared on TIME.com in August of 2000. Note, the Texas Death Row Final Meal request page has since been taken down by the State’s Department of Correctional Services Extract: Just two weeks, ago, for example, murderer Juan Soria … Continue reading →

Posted in Cuisine | 3 Comments

Colonel Sanders Keeps His Head

Posted on June 27, 2005 by Tony

Published in the sadly departed Japanese food culture magazine Eat in May 2001 This time around, the Colonel kept his head. Local police in China’s Hunan province had been braced for the worst during the Hainan spy-plane standoff earlier this … Continue reading →

Posted in Annals of Globalization, Cuisine | 12 Comments

Lipstick Jihad!

Posted on June 27, 2005 by Tony

Five reasons why you should buy my friend Azadeh’s book 1) Because she’s supersmart, writes with delightful wit and levity, and has an acute eye for the telling detail and irony that best convey a broad observation – her recent … Continue reading →

Posted in Shameless Cronyism | 8 Comments