Blogging the democratic revolution
Whenever Iran has an election of some sort, its agents host polling stations all around America attempting to further legitimize itself. Last time this happened, authorities were able to bust up many of them. The SMCCDI has information on how you can help intervene. The list of cities and addresses where these polling stations will…
From Reuters: Unelected Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, among the first to vote, told Iranians they would be endorsing not just their chosen candidate, but their country’s Islamic system. “Whoever you vote for among those seven candidates, it’s a vote for him, the Islamic republic and the constitution,” he said after using a special ballot…
Gary Metz of Regime Change Iran has the opinions of several Iranian bloggers who seem to express the sentiments of quite a bit of the electorate. Here are the ones he posted below: The Adventures of Behi — Tonight, I was talking to Mrs. Behi about the decision we shall make for the election tomorrow;…
Al-Hayat has reported that the Moroccan government has prohibited the daughter of the head of a banned Islamist organization from travelling to Spain because of critical comments about the government (“Morocco Restricts Nadia Yassin from Travelling Due to Her Statements Against the Regime“). The article notes that Nadia Yassin, the daughter of Shaikh Abd al-Islam…
An unbelievable 1150 people have been murdered in cold blood by police in just one Venezuelan state. The death squads, which have never before been seen in Venezuela until Hugo Chavez came along, are now spiraling out of control as lawlessness reigns. Activists are taking it to the National Assembly. Alek Boyd has the news…
Nicaraguans in their thousands marched to defend democracy! They don’t want the slimey, evil, communist Sandinistas to take over on legal technicalities. Right now, the Marxist Sandinistas have got President Enrique Bolanos backed into a corner trying to force him to resign. It’s Bolivian stuff. Nicaraguans do not want to lose their president and then…
This item on Zimbabwe’s smoking ruins made my blood go cold. Read it here. Hat tip: Real Clear
A fantastic post by Gary Metz, and heartening news that the U.S. is really going to stand by the Iranian people just as they are about to boycott the election in massive droves. In a unique display of unity in broadcasting the same feed into Iran. These broadcasters are providing a marathon of reports into…
I just received this email from the Young Ethiopian Diasporans relating the declining situation in Ethiopia following the brutal murders of dozens of protestors by the authorities. Here is the latest, as Jimmy Carter looks on calmly: When all else fails, beat up reporters and take 3000 prisoners. Last Friday, Ethiopian PM Meles stated that:…
No, not in the Middle East. In Venezuela. A first. A crusading journalist who asked too many questions about aluminum mining, the same damn industry the Russian mafia hits journalists for. By terrorists. With never-before-seen-in-Venezuela methods. To terrify. Alek Boyd now has an update here. It turns out they didn’t completely chop his head off,…
Nicaragua’s slimey unelected Sandinista bureaucrats may have finally cornered President Enrique Bolanos who busted them and their nasty rightwing allies for bonafide corruption. Now, they are demanding that he step down for ‘violating the constitution.’ Don’t tell me this isn’t political. And ominous. Read it here.
I haven’t given this idea thought before. Very interesting. (Hat tip: New Mongols) ULAAN BAATAR, Mongolia — While the world powers grapple with how to check North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, Mongolia has quietly engaged the country and is pressing it to undertake reforms in a more direct manner. The primary tool to woo Pyongyang is…
Boli-Nica has a couple of amazing posts on the growing evidence against Hugo Chavez in the bankrolling of the blockades against Bolivia’s cities this month, the purpose of which was to starve the citizens into submission until they agreed to nationalize Bolivia’s energy resources. Seriously good blogging. Read it here and here.
City government machines are usually filthy even in the most ideal of first-world political conditions, which makes them an ideal operating environment for Venezuela’s dictator, Hugo Chavez. That may be why he’s growing active there. Alek Boyd recently questioned the brazen use of London municipal resources for Chavez’s government propaganda effort and got an amazing…
Mass resignations are following Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez’s decision to honor Cuban dictator Fidel Castro at Venezuela’s Independence – that’s right, Independence – Day, parade. Venezuelan troops seem to think Castro’s hand makes a mockery of independence. After all, he is a tyrant. It’s too much for the troops. Read it here.
Chris Borgen over at Opinio Juris has a couple of engaging posts on international institutions and the building of a global liberal order. He argues that Clinton was more successful at promoting a desirable world order because of his support for international institutions, and his greater preference than the White House’s current occupant for treaty-making….
The Moldovan parliement recently signed a Ukraine-drafted accord on how to move forward with the Transdniestria separatist conflict. HISINAU, June 10 (Itar-Tass) – Moldovan parliament has approved a plan of settlement of the conflict with the breakaway Dniester region proposed by Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko. Parliament also has adopted an address to the Organization for…
Once again, the brilliant Carlos Alberto Montaner writes what I wish I’d written. He is awesome, awesome. He tells why President Carlos Mesa was not fit to govern, the sad subtext to all the turmoil in Bolivia. Read it here.
King Gyanendra ended the three month state of emergency this past April 30, meaning he was supposed to ease up tight controls on civil liberties imposed since February. Of course, that didn’t happen. In the most recent example of his power grab, over 100 journalists were arrested for protesting against the restrictions. Police arrested nearly…
Having been out of the blogosphere for a week due to conflicting obligations, I’m back and I’ve put up a Middle East Week in Review looking at the major events. The main events centered around Lebanon’s elections, but Iraq made progress in facing down terrorists and Iran moved close to its “elections,” such as they…
Yesterday I posted on the third round of the elections in Lebanon taking place in Bekaa and Mt. Lebanon. It was termed “the mother of all election battles” because it pitted in tightly contested races the electoral lists of the now split opposition led separately by Hariri-Jumblatt and Aoun. A lot of the success of…
Military troops threatening to seize western oil fields. Read it here. UPDATE: Miguel has a superb explanation of what’s really going on in this case. He also notes some of the implications. Read it here. UPDATE: Daniel has a first-rate analysis of further trouble in another quarter of the military, the rebellion against Chavez’s honoring…
Jim Hoft of Gateway Pundit is hosting this week’s carnival of revolutions, catching you up on everything that has gone down this week in the democratic movement. “So let????????s cut to the chase, down to this past week????????s developments in democracy, elections, tyrannous acts, human rights, and pie. Apple pie.”I knew that quote would come…
This is big. Keep reading, you’ll see why. Hundreds of women staged an unauthorized demonstration in Tehran today, protesting sex discrimination under Iran’s Islamic leadership just days before the June 17 presidential elections. The protest was the first public display of dissent by women since the 1979 revolution, when the new regime enforced obligatory veiling….