Blogging the democratic revolution
Big Gun Rumsfeld lays down the law: There will be no U.S. intervention in Venezuela. It will be strictly Venezuelan. Because frankly, he thinks Venezuelans know how to take care of business. The Liberator of Baghdad and Kabul also takes aim at Chavez, warning of Venezuelans’ desire to live in a country that ‘is respected,’…
Is Jordan heading toward a constitutional crisis? It is rare for Al-Jazeera to report from Jordan on anything, but just now (about 8:00 a.m. Wednesday in Jordan time) I saw a report on a sudden outburst of public anger from opposition parliamentarians over the lack of democracy. Jordan has had an elected parliament for years,…
Former Haitian Prime Minister Yvon Neptune has been staging a hunger strike in jail for the last 15 days. He has refused medical treatment in the Dominican Republic until the interim government drops accusations that he organized a massacre: “Mr. Neptune said he would accept to be evacuated only if all the charges brought against…
Today marks the 100th day in office fr Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko: KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – Ukraine’s pro-Western President Viktor Yushchenko on Tuesday marked his first 100 days in office, saying his government remained on track to fulfil the demands of protesters who helped propel him to power. “We haven’t betrayed any of the slogans…
Tip of the hat to The Emirates Economist for letting me know about this item. Two weeks ago, the parliament voted 24-20 to give women the right to vote in municipal elections. This was heralded as a great first step, but skepticism still remained. And for good reason. The bill failed to pass the second…
An amazing article in today’s New York Sun has the number on how blogging is revolutionizing the world. Now, there is a new project to rationalize what we look for in from blogs, utilizing their inherent competitive advantage, when a global news event happens. (Because we want to know just what it is like in…
No, it’s not a government statistic, it’s Datanalisis, a highly regarded private pollster. They report that Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez now sports a 70% popular approval rating. The kind of news that makes you wonder if the Revolution is on his side of the fence. Or if the revolution has been frothed up by growing…
After the demonstrations on May 1, 1000 journalists took it upon themselves to rally for press freedom in their country that no longer has it. About 1,000 journalists have marched in the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, to demand the restoration of press freedoms following the royal takeover. Severe restrictions, including censorship, were imposed on the media…
Ahead of the September 2006 presidential elections, the United Civic Party has begun drafting a party platform that addresses all spheres of development within the country. They are hoping to pave the way for a democratic Belarus. The United Civic Party (UCP) has gotten down to developing a program that could be used by a…
London 02.05.05 ö With the purpose of continuing with the previous article I shall comment today upon the main reason for Hugo Chavez’s sustained popularity in Venezuela; his ability to win political allies throughout the region and the foundations upon which his alliances are built. To begin with the unravelling of the Chavez phenomenon one…
Instapundit links a superb items on how technology is fuelling revolution in the Middle East and Central Asia. It’s a must-read. Read it here.
The king of Nepal ended the state of emergency on April 30, two days earlier than the three month constitutional mandate. The order followed talks with India and Kofi Annan, who pressured him to restore democracy and civil liberties in the country. What followed was the emergency lifted, but the complete retainment of power and…
Natan Sharansky, author of perhaps my favorite book “The Case For Democracy,” has submitted his resignation to Ariel Sharon to protest the unilateral disengagement of the territories. JERUSALEM (AP) – Cabinet minister Natan Sharansky, a frequent critic of Israel’s peace moves with the Palestinians, submitted his resignation Monday in protest over the planned withdrawal from…
I have just posted the weekend edition of my Biweekly News Bulletin. This is a regular feature which I am beginning just this past week. This is the link: Window on the Arab World, and More!
Bolivia’s excellent Miguel Buitrago, who blogs in English, warns that big trouble may begin tomorrow in Bolivia. The Congress is set to vote on the question of taxes and royalties on Monday, May 2, and Coca King Evo Morales, fresh from being succored by Chavez and Castro in Havana this past week, is in no…
The most amusing thing about world revolutions is that there always are a pack of decadent Marie Antoinettes out there somewhere, living it up large, while the underlings seethe. In modern times, Indonesia’s Soeharto Kids are the benchmark, but Marcos, Ceaucescu and Saddam also are notables, and one day, the Saudis of Marbella will be,…
Finals week is upon me, so today I am not sure how much I will be blogging. However, I realize that I don’t pimp my advertisers quite as much as I should, so every Sunday I think there should be a post thanking them for their free market exchange. So what I ask of you…
Regime Change Iran’s week in review is up and available. Interesting developments on that side of the Middle East, as always. Here your ironic quote of the week: Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said, “human rights are a weapon in the hands of our enemies to fight Islam.” Wow.