Latin America and the Middle East: two hotspots, one near, one far. Their usual coverage in the media is as running sores of strife and woe. These two magazines take a different tack, attempting to describe the regions with depth and sympathy. The North American Congress on Latin America (Ÿ see review of NACLA Report on the Americas) and the Middle East Research and Information Project are nonprofit research groups whose forte is political and economic analysis. NACLA’s reports tend to be journalistic looks at the effect of U.S. foreign policy south of the border, while MERIP’s have a somewhat stiffer academic stamp. Both have moved beyond the “Third Worldism” of the 60s New Left to a more considered approach where the complexities of real world politics are given their due. I recommend both for unexpected insights.
