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What's In A Name?

We’ve had a few queries lately about our choice of site name: some people wonder what we’re doing covering Iran or Afghanistan with a name like "Enduring America", and a few others think that we’re clearly a CIA-funded front (we’re not). I thought I’d take advantage of a quiet day on EA and write a quick post explaining why we chose the name and what it means to us.

For those who didn’t catch the reference, Enduring America takes its inspiration from Operation Enduring Freedom. We were struck by the ambiguity behind this name, with "Freedom" being both enduring and endured. This double meaning is also present in our feelings towards America and US foreign policy: is it enduring or endured? Or both?

Secondly, and vitally for this blog, is there anywhere in the world where America and its foreign policy has no impact? We think not. While we build from analysis of American politics and foreign policy, it’s clear that we cannot limit ourselves to the borders of the United States.

And finally, on a more practical note, we were constrained by what was already out there. As anyone who’s ever launched a website will know, finding an original site name and domain these days is no mean feat. "Enduring America" fit the bill for this too.

We've been running for just over a year now- here's to Enduring America for many more years to come.

Enduring America on the Road: A Dublin Discussion on Blogging and Iran

I'm taking a couple of days off before a Monday night discussion at the Clinton Institute for American Studies, University College Dublin, on blogging, "new media", and the post-election crisis in Iran. Mike Dunn will be ensuring no fistfights break out on the site and will be waiting for your ideas, comments, and stories. And there will be Sunday features on Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon.

I'll be checking in during the weekend and will be back full-time on Monday afternoon.

Installing Updates

We'll be installing a few updates and upgrades over the next hour or two- apologies in advance for any slowness or downtime.

Everything should be back to normal. Please let us know if you notice any issues.