Occidental College Political Scientist Hussein Banai

Take My Word For It: Poutine Is Delicious

Political scientist Hussein Banai is an assistant professor of diplomacy and world affairs at Occidental College and the co-author of Becoming Enemies: U.S.-Iran Relations and the Iran-Iraq War, 1979-1988. He was born in Iran and raised in Tehran and Toronto, Canada. Before participating in a panel on the possibilities of a warmer relationship between the U.S. and Iran, he reflected on some strange inspirations—Charles Dickens’ depiction of the English working class and former Canadian political leader Michael Ignatieff’s massive defeat—in the Zócalo green room.

November 26, 2013

That’s My Water. No, Mine!

The California Delta Is a Contentious Topic, At Least For Those Who Know About It. Do Current Plans For Its Future Make Sense?

by Sarah Rothbard | November 13, 2013

The California Delta is connected to everything in the state, Lois Kazakoff, the deputy editorial page editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, told a crowd at the Fort Mason Center …

Will We Ever Get Sane About Water?

We Have the Means To Keep Ourselves Peaceably Hydrated. The Will, For Now, Is Another Story.

by T.A. Frank, Becca MacLaren, and Sarah Rothbard | October 14, 2013

Water has always been a contentious issue in local communities. But now we’re on the cusp of a global water crisis. What can be done around California and the world—by …

Are We Really Out of Water?

Doomsday Predictions About Scarcity Haven't Panned Out, But Water May Be Different

October 10, 2013

Across the globe, countries and communities are asking, with fear: Do we have enough water? But fear, in many places, has not transformed into action, and the forces that have …

Occidental Cultural Critic James Ford

Drinking Orange Juice, Watching Scarface, Grading Papers

July 15, 2013

Cultural critic James Ford is an assistant professor of English and comparative literature at Occidental College. Before participating in a panel on popular music’s power to effect cultural change, he …

Subverting America Since 1620

Popular Music Has Always Struck a Nerve. What’s It Doing Now?

by Sarah Rothbard | May 30, 2013

Since the 1600s, music has been a battleground in American culture. The Puritans made dancing illegal and destroyed a rival colony that encouraged people to play, listen, and dance to …

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