Peter Isackson
Peter Isackson is an author, media producer and chief visionary officer of Fair Observer Training Academy. Educated at UCLA and Oxford University, he settled in France and has worked in electronic publishing — pioneering new methods, tools and content for learning in a connected world. For more than 30 years, he has dedicated himself to innovative publishing, coaching, training of trainers and developing collaborative methods in the field of learning. He has authored, produced and published numerous innovative multimedia and e-learning products and partnered with major organizations such as the BBC, Heinemann and Macmillan. He has published books and articles in a variety of journals on culture, learning, language and politics. He is the chief strategy officer at Fair Observer and the creator of the regular feature, The Daily Devil's Dictionary.
In an article published by Al Jazeera, Donald Earl Collins, a history professor who has worked as a reader of students' exam copies for the US College Board, describes one of the ways the US educational system transforms the teaching of history into a form of Eurocentric, neoliberal and implicitly white supremacist propaganda. The specific … Continue reading "The US Educational System's War on History"
Let's Compare Iran's Threat to a Few Others
On June 21, Fair Observer contributor Raman Ghavami expressed his concern with what he sees as Europe's "desire to appease Iran." At the same time, he complimented the Trump administration for its zeal that has led it to "call out Tehran on its destructive behavior." Ghavami should learn to be more careful when using the … Continue reading "The US Educational System's War on History"
A parent in Tennessee discovers that her daughter's introduction to the Civil War includes asking to think like a slaveholder. Everyone knows that the most prominent founders of United States — George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison — were slaveowners. Americans also know that slavery was definitively abolished in 1865. America claims to be about … Continue reading "The US Educational System's War on History"
The UN Offers Mohammed bin Salman a New Distraction
Contrary to his hopes and expectations that the world might eventually forget if not forgive, Mohammed bin Salman still appears to have a journalist's blood on his hands, according to the UN's special rapporteur. The sleepwalking Lady Macbeth pertinently observed in a text that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) might be wise to … Continue reading "The US Educational System's War on History"
Can We Trust Pompeo's Unmistakable Certainty on Iran?
Mike Pompeo has "no doubt" that Iran is guilty of attacking the tankers in the Gulf of Oman, while the rest of the world is left wondering. Seeking to understand where US policy on events in the Persian Gulf are likely to lead, Fox News journalist Chis Wallace asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo this … Continue reading "The US Educational System's War on History"
The Democrats Focus on Electability
As Joe Biden takes over the role played by Hillary Clinton four years ago, the Democrats and the media, encouraged by polls that show him handily beating Trump, join the remake. But Trump hasn't lost yet. The US presidential election is nearly a year and a half away, which of course means the campaign has … Continue reading "The US Educational System's War on History"
Tories Ready to Stand Up for Trump and Bolton
Accusing Jeremy Corbyn of betraying the wise policies of Trump's US and Mohammed bin Salman's Saudi Arabia, Tory headliners redefine the UK's sense of moral purpose. As the Iran crisis begins resembling Iraq in 2003 — which not surprisingly resembled Vietnam in 1965 — the UK is toying with its eventual, if not inevitable "duty" … Continue reading "The US Educational System's War on History"
Mike Pompeo's Plans to Interfere with British Elections
When push comes to shove, allies of the US may see their own democratic processes pushed over the side of the cliff. Before being appointed US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo occupied the position of director of the CIA. Such public figures tend to be doubly guarded and prudent, even in their private conversations after … Continue reading "The US Educational System's War on History"
Are Humans and Machines at War?
With robots and artificial intelligence destined to take over the economy, does anyone have an idea of how a truce might end the war between man and machine? Wired features an article with the title, "Inside the Amazon Warehouse Where Humans and Machines Become One." The author, Matt Simon, reveals in careful detail how Amazon's … Continue reading "The US Educational System's War on History"
Is Warren Buffett the Last True Believer in Constant Progress?
The media will never tire of Warren Buffett's oracular pronouncements, nor will it dare to put them in perspective or critique them. Who better than the Oracle of Omaha, the Pope of Wall Street, Warren Buffett, can we count on to guide the faithful in the dogmas they need to believe about the economy? The … Continue reading "The US Educational System's War on History"