The Muhammad cartoons controversy in comparative perspective

When the culture editor of the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, Flemming Rose, commissioned the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, which were printed on 30 September 2005, he did not imagine in his ‘wildest dreams’, as he wrote later, that the publication would eventually lead to the worst foreign policy crisis in Denmark since the Second World War (Rose 2006: 17). The images were presented in the paper within a frame of concern for free speech, misguided respect for religious feelings, a rising tendency towards self-censorship – and accompanied with the later infamous expression about secular democracy involving citizens being able to stand ‘scorn, mockery and contempt’. The full quote runs like this:

Crossing Divides

This article has two aims. First, it seeks to raise awareness about three competing frameworks that are currently dominating the debate about consumption and globalization: 18th-century global exchanges; Americanization; and consumerism. These have tended to operate in virtual isolation and ignorance from each other. Second, through a critical discussion of recent research, the article sets out to complicate conventional chronologies of tradition/modernity/late modernity that continue to underpin much research on consumer cultures. Instead of a linear progression from diversity to standardization, from gift-exchange to commodity-exchange, and from public engagement to privatized materialism, the article points to the dynamic interaction between these forms across time. An appreciation of these longer, deeper, and more variegated histories means that it is problematic to equate consumer culture with the `age of affluence' after the Second World War. In turn, it calls on critics of consumerism to adopt a more realistic and historically sensitive approach that engages with the longer evolution of consumer culture and avoids idealized images of a recent pre-consumerist past.

Signs of Conflict: Political Posters of Lebanon's Civil War (1975—1990) Planet Discovery Exhibition Hall, Beirut, 12—21 April

Malthus at mid-century: neo-Malthusianism as bio-political governance in the post-WWII United States

Editors' note

Media and the myth of radicalization

Raised Creatine Kinase as an Indicator of Inadequate Muscle Debridement in Ballistic Injuries

A male civilian in his forties presented with multiple thoraco-abdominal gunshot wounds (GSW). After resuscitation and surgical repair of intra-abdominal injuries and debridement of wounds, he improved initially and was extubated successfully. However, his creatine kinase (CK) continued to rise post-operatively and this, together with the development of pyrexia on the fifth post-operative day, led to re-exploration of his wounds. At operation he was found to have large areas of dead muscle within the abdominal and chest walls which required extensive resection. In our view the continued rise in CK was a sensitive marker for ongoing muscle death and is useful in this kind of war surgery.

Adolescents under rocket fire: when are coping resources significant in reducing emotional distress?

Stress reactions and coping resources of adolescents in chronic and acute situations evoked by missile fire were examined. Data were gathered during August 2006 (Second Lebanon War) on a sample of 303 Israeli adolescents living in Northern Israel (acute state) and 114 youths from Sderot and the Negev, an area which has been exposed to frequent rocket attacks in the last seven years (chronic state). State anxiety and psychological distress were measured as stress reactions. Sense of coherence, family sense of coherence, sense of community and level of exposure were investigated as potential explanatory factors in reducing emotional distress. The overall magnitude of variance explanation was found to be different at each state: a relatively high amount explained variance of stress reactions was found in the chronic stress situation, but not in the acute state. These data support the value of developing a model that differentiates stress situations with the aim of understanding patterns of significant resources in moderating stress reactions in each state.

Preah Vihear Reloaded – the Thai-Cambodian Border Dispute

This article investigates the recent Thai-Cambodian border clash over the Preah Vihear temple. The temple was registered as a World Heritage Site in July 2008. Cambodia made its application in 2007, causing nationalist resentments in Thailand. The paper highlights underlying and proximate causes of the military escalation in October 2008 and argues that both sides are likely to dig in their heels as the temple is an important symbol of national identity, territorial integrity, and sovereignty. As such, any concession would involve high political costs that neither side can afford given their current domestic political situation, especially Thailand. Further, both sides are using the conflict for their own benefit in that it creates social cohesion, strengthens national identity, and generates a sense of community. After decades of civil war, this is particularly important in Cambodia.

A Genomics Study of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in U.S. Air Force Personnel

The military community is at high risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D), especially as it relates to military beneficiaries, although preventive measures can be implemented to reduce disease onset. This study evaluates the prevalence of risk-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms in patients diagnosed with T2D within active duty, retired military, and military-dependent populations on Lackland Air Force Base compared to nondiabetic controls. Results will be used as a basis of comparison to analyze risk-conferring genotypes in the young, healthy active duty population to generate the prevalence of T2D risk-associated factors in our current and future war fighters. Identifying genetic markers of T2D prior to abnormal glucose control and insulin resistance may ultimately adjust future risk through early detection, healthy lifestyle modifications, and disease management programs.