Blogging the democratic revolution
The elections aren’t for a while, but. . . ARMENIAN OPPOSITION LEADER DOES FOREIGN POLICY U-TURN National Accord Party (AMK) Chairman Artashes Geghamian told a party conference in Yerevan on 19 February that the United States “must be the main pillar of democratization and strengthening” of Armenia, RFE/RL’s Armenian Service reported. By contrast, during the 2003 presidential election campaign, Geghamian had argued for closer relations with Russia and Armenia’s accession to the Russia-Belarus Union. Geghamian finished in third place in the first round with some 17 percent of the vote. Geghamian also announced on 19 February that the AMK will…
Across the Bay has a couple pictures of the protests in Lebanon. No smoke or mirrors — that’s a lot of people.
After a military coup toppled the government last month, it seems as if the U.S. has pulled through on threats to withdraw all aid from Togo. Oxblog has the story.
Let the laughing at Putin ensue: Belgium ???????? President Bush scolded Russia for backsliding on democracy Monday and dined on lobster risotto and filet of beef with French President Jacques Chirac (search ). Three days before seeing Vladimir Putin (search) in Slovakia, Bush admonished the Russian leader to “renew a commitment to democracy and the rule of law.” Putin has raised alarms in the West by consolidating power, rolling back democratic reforms and curbing press and political freedoms. Bush said the United States and all European countries “should place democratic reform at the heart of their dialogue with Russia.” The…
Arthur Chrenkoff lands a sweet interview with Michael Ledeen, holder of the Freedom Chair at the American Enterprise Institute. If you were a member of that “war cabinet” what three things you would suggest the United States should do that is not currently doing? We should be funding more (mostly private) radio and television broadcasting to Syria, Saudi Arabia and Iran. The people in those countries know that they are being lied to by their governments, but they don’t know the truth, especially about their own country. If you read some of the blogs from Iran, for example (and there…
David McDuff — I got it right this time — posts part 3 of his series Dragons and Democracy. The new Utopianism, if such it can be called, consists mainly of a rejection of reason: while the socialists at least had arguments and a program, the new anticapitalists ???????seem to have sunk to a lower mental level.??????? There are roots and precedents and roots for this malaise. Conquest points to the emotionalism of postwar French intellectual life, when ???????much of the emotional drive had not come so much from a devotion to the proclaimed social transformation as from a hatred…
I already posted my favorite quotes from Bush’s speech, but there is still plenty of speculation and analysis from the blogosphere that is worth reading. Here’s the full transcript of the speech. And here is a lot of the preliminary commentary wrapped up by Chester. Because it was so long ago, you may not remember when I predicted Bush’s “war on tyranny” inauguration speech, but I think Bill’s analysis of the speech given to Europe is good because he predicted it with great foresight on the pragmatism of idealism. Neo Coneli has reads into what Bush’s plan for Israel. More…
This is why I hate waking up late. The Lebanese are continuing their rather impressive protests to end the occupation by Syria. And it looks as if the French are working with America on this. BRUSSELS, Feb 21 (AFP) – US President George W. Bush and his French counterpart Jacques Chirac on Monday called for the immediate withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon. “The United States and France join with the European Union and the international community in condemning the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, and in their support for a free, independent, and democratic Lebanon,” they…
The BBC has an article by the same name, dealing with the imprisonment and torture accorded to those who oppose the mullahs. Iran is becoming an increasingly dangerous place to keep an online diary. Web logs have become a popular forum for dissent. And the Iranian government has responded by arresting dozens of bloggers. Some of those detained are reportedly being held in solitary confinement and tortured. Bloggers Arash Sigarchi and Mojtaba Saminejad are both currently in prison in Iran. Mr Sigarchi has been in detention since 17 January while Mr Saminejad was first detained in November. “Freedom of expression…
Zed has a rather large post on the politics and news coming out of Burma, you know, the military dictatorship nobody ever talks about.
This is Egypt, a country I’m not too familiar with in terms of the political situation. So you’ll have to judge for yourselves on the character of the prostesters. CAIRO (Reuters) – Several hundred Egyptians protested in central Cairo on Monday in the largest street demonstration since the launch last year of a campaign against continued rule by the Mubarak family. Liberals, leftists and Islamists chanted: “Enough, shame, have mercy” and “Down, down with (President) Hosni Mubarak (news – web sites)” in a public square outside the gates of Cairo University, as tens of thousands of mostly bemused commuters drove…
Nathan has got the news roundup for all of you. The parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan are on February 27. Luckily, that is a Sunday, which means I will have plenty of time to be posting on it as well. If there’s anything the tin-pot despots there know, it is when to pick a good day for rigged elections! I don’t even think I have to say that Russia is backing the current regime. UPDATE: More on the Rainbow of Revolutions from Aussiegirl. Here’s my favorite quote from the article she posted: Moscow has been careful to appear impartial this time,…
Sure, I could just go to the Kyiv Post or Maidan and wrap up all the news for you guys. But Discoshaman just does it better!
That is the name of the new series of posts that David McDuff is doing. You may remember one of his other series entitled Going Back, where he discussed his impressions of the Soviet Union while living there in the sixties. This current series is his reflections on essays in the book The Dragons of Expectation – Reality and Delusion in the Course of History, which is about many things from the human mindset on ideas to history to democracy. The first post is located here and the next here.
Nathan has a news roundup accompanying why he really likes India as both a trade and strategic political partner for the United States. I have some of my own kind thoughts on India as an emerging democratic regional power.
Another crazy report, just like a lot of the bunk charges that come out of Human Rights Watch. Great name, great mission. Terrible follow through. LONDON, Feb 22 (Reuters) – Nearly two years after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, women there are no better off than under the rule of ousted dictator Saddam Hussein, the human rights group Amnesty International said on Tuesday. In a report entitled “Iraq — Decades of Suffering,” it said that while the systematic repression under Saddam had ended, it had been replaced by increased murders, and sexual abuse — including by U.S. forces. Washington promised…
A sly man by the name of Tony let me know about his blog today, called Across the Bay. This is not a paid advertisement — I could only be so lucky — but this blog is of special note because it is totally about Lebanon. Here is a little bit about the author: Ph.D. candidate in Ancient Near Eastern Studies with focus on Semitic Linguistics, Ancient Levantine history, religion, and ethnicity studies. I think we can take his word for it.
From a Venezuelan blogger, citing dictator Hugo Chavez’s declaration: ???????The US is planning to kill me…??????? “He should be so lucky; his complete failure should be judged with him alive.” (Read the rest here.)
Drudge has posted many fantastic excerpts from President Bush’s speech today in Brussels, which reads fantastically. “The alliance of Europe and North America is the main pillar of our security in a new century. Our robust trade is one of the engines of the world economy. Our example of economic and political freedom gives hope to millions who are weary of poverty and oppression. In all these ways, our strong friendship is essential to peace and prosperity across the globe – and no temporary debate, no passing disagreement of governments, no power on earth will ever divide us.” “Today, America…
For some reason, JerseyGOP has Yulia Tymoshenko has their 80th Babe of the Week. This is not surprising to most of us why she would be up there, but I am posting this because there are pictures.
Do I ever say how much I love news roundups? Yes, quite often. Even though I have many posts on Lebanon already, Arthur Chrenkoff offers a fantastic multi-dimensional roundup of his own!
Whenever Hugo Chavez of Venezuela’s popularity drops, he weighs in with “news” of an American assassination plot against him. He’s feeling some kind of heat today and needs to talk assassinations. Or maybe he’s heard about that upper bunk General Noriega’s reserving for him. Whatever it is, he’s talking like a madman running from the white coats. If you can read Spanish, it’s right here. TRANSLATION: This is Rob. Though I’d practice my Spanish a bit and try to translate this: President Hugo Ch????vez Frias assured that the government of the United States is planning to assassinate him, “the first…
For those who don’t know, the Jackson-Vanik Act was basically an embargo that restricted trade between them and the United States. I’ve written McCain about this and I’m glad to see something happening. From the Action Ukraine Report: WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and Representatives Henry Hyde and Tom Lantos today introduced legislation to lift the Jackson-Vanik restriction on Ukraine. Senator McCain issued the following statement: “The recent ‘Orange Revolution’ in Ukraine marked a huge victory for the advancement of democracy in the world. The Ukrainian people made clear that they would not stand idle as a…
Spain’s Zapatero is facing his first big test as voters go to the polls to ratify or not the EU constitution. He’s made a big effort to persuade them to say yes. Whether they will or not is their choice. Regardless of that a lot of people look in askance at his ascent. Venezuelan blogger Alek Boyd (who was educated in Spain and knows the country well) reminds us of Zapatero’s peculiar relation to world terrorism, not just in Spain but to dictator Hugo Chavez who shelters FARC terrorists. What a guy.
Bill Rice thinks that the joint declaration on Taiwan by the United States and Japan was timed just right. What is amazing about the event, is its timing. US Diplomacy of old would have kept such a meeting until after China had given the message of displeasure to the North Koreans. On another level, the announcement comes on the 60th anniversary (good post from Michelle Malkin here) of the Marines taking of Iwo Jima. I give both Pacific democracies credit for supporting freedom by making a strong public stance together in word and in treaty. This puts teeth to President…