Blogging the democratic revolution
Local sources report that students from the University of Carabobo have blocked Av. Bolivar of Valencia demanding the resignation of Isaias Rodriguez, Venezuela’s Attorney General. Furthermore students of University Santa Maria’s Eastern campus, located in Puerto La Cruz, have also closed the road between the aforementioned city and Barcelona. The assassination last week of university…
The OSCE has released it’s preliminary report on its election observation mission in Albania. The EU Observer pointedly notes the positive developments made in this round while addressing its shortcomings. EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – Sunday’s (3 June) elections in Albania have only partially complied with the international standards for democratic elections, the Organization for Security…
July 4 is here, my favorite holiday! I was thinking all day what I would write here about our great country and the struggle for freedom all over the world. I couldn’t. There are too many words and too many ways to say them. So instead, I will implore you all to take the day…
I think most of the headlines calling this a “key test” are pretty correct in that description. Albania is another transition democracy in the volatile Balkans, and transition means baby steps. This means that it will be years before investment bears fruit and real liberalism takes solid root. TIRANA (AFX) – Albanians began voting on…
Our good friend Stefania of the estimable Free Thoughts blog is not only more serious in thinking about what the G8 should be doing than Bob Geldof, she’s also more serious than the G8 itself. Her suggestions about what the G8 should really be thinking about and discussing are here. Don’t miss.
My analysis of what is really going on at Venezuela’s universities, the backstory and implications, is here.
Debunked as it well deserves. I’ve seen this movie before – back in the 1980s. Simon Jenkins obviously saw the same thing in the 1960s. There’s no better debunking of this phony Live 8 revolution than here. How is a sensible person to react to last night????????s Live 8/G8 extravaganza? It defies hyperbole. It steamrollers…
It looks like some people in Lebanon are suffering post-electoral loss syndrome. That is, the pro-Syria crowd outside of Hizb’allah is going nuts out of office. Perhaps they don’t know what to do with themselves now that they can’t terrorize people’s lives with the government. With this dire impropriety in their lives, it must be…
Daniel has located the Babes of Caracas who were out in abundance today in Venezuela. And every single one of them despises Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez to an extent we can only dream about. What is the purpose of posting such photos? To prove that the revolution is real. The winds of change blows where…
This brilliant analysis in The Australian about the political horror show going on right now in Philippines will make your blood go absolutely cold. Best thing written on what’s at stake. Today’s must-read is here. Hat tip: Real Clear Politics
According to the New York Times (registration required), Syrian Kurds, many of them denied not only equal protection of the law but also citizenship, are increasing pressure on Damascus for change. With democratic revolutions under way to the west in Lebanon and to the east in Iraq, the former being explicitly anti-Syrian and the latter…
Three students were shot dead in cold blood this week by Venezuelan police who claim they mixed the students up with some criminals they were hunting. Just like that, three lived snuffed out on a sunny street in Caracas. It was all just … another … mistake. That’s brought thousands of people into the streets…
I hate to say “I told you so,” but I recall a few people not believing me or the pictures that I posted, so consider this a kick in the butt. Even moreso when you consider that the “average” numbers are inflated as well. Election date has been made available on the Interior Ministry’s website….
Supposed to be pretty big, and they’ll be heading to the CNN building. I wonder if they’ll be able to ignore it since it’ll be right there in front of them. ATLANTA – A huge rally and mass demonstration will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, on July 7 & 8, 2005 as part of a…
President Hu of China is in Russia for a four-day visit with Putin where the two will agree on an array of political and economic ties for their roles in the region and in the world. Chinese President Hu Jintao Friday called for greater efforts to strengthen the strategic partnership and economic and trade ties…
Bush has come out and chided countries in Africa for turning a blind eye to the regimen genocide ongoing in Zimbabwe. I would assume that this is timed to coincide with the G8 summit and the huge plan to aid, trade, and liberalize the continent. WASHINGTON – US President George W Bush yesterday accused Zimbabwe’s…
The Central American Free Trade Agreement, the treaty to bring our good and faithful friends from Central America into free trade with the U.S. has won – won! – a bruising battle in the Senate. We were terrified all was lost and it was not! This is the greatest victory of the year! Victory! The…
Interesting choice, too. It was a foregone conclusion that Saad Hariri probably wouldn’t try for it, as he and Lahoud would constantly clash — and that’s not good for a newcomer into politics (Lebanese politics, no less). But I thought that they may have stuck with Mikati, who replaced Karami. Here’s the article. By Lucy…
Will Franklin has this week’s carnival of revolutions up at his blog, which takes on all of this week’s democratic developments. By the way, I’ve been in Boston this whole week and have been totally cut off from the internet during that time (my posts were pre-timed to publish, how cool is that?). I’ll be…
Those interested in development issues in the Arab world might find it worth while to read a back and forth discussion of the future of the Arab world taking place between my blog and that of an Egyptian architect-turned-political activist, Karim Elsahy (pronounced es-sahhi, with a hard “h”). Elsahy’s blog, One Arab World, contains a…
Yesterday, I posted “More squawking of a Russia-Belarus union,” though significantly most of that squawking comes from Belarus’ side. Here’s a piece in RFE/RL that adds further to yesterday’s post. KREMLIN ADVISERS SCOLD BELARUS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD… In an open letter to Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka published on 23 June at sovetpanfilova.ru, the Council…
Remember back several months ago when Putin declared that regional governors would be appointed rather than elected. It didn’t really matter in the first place, because those elected were already vetted for approval by Moscow. The reason Putin gave is that he would be able to install more popular and competent leaders should they be…
Viktor Yushchenko seems at time to be more interested in completing assession to NATO than to tackling the problems of his fragile presidency. This is interesting seeing that NATO officials and member heads of state have not exactly thrown their arms around the Ukrainian president as he moves from constituent to constituent trying to rustle…
One of the two key problems facing the new Lebanese government is what to do about pro-Syrian President Lahoud and who to elect to the position of Parliament Speaker. The new parliament, which has not yet convened, has called on Lahoud to resign, a call he is obviously ignoring. WASHINGTON (AFX) – Lebanese President Emile…
There has been some talk about this for awhile now, though it usually amounts to nothing. Lukashenko is basically looking for a way to preserve his power and status through oppression. With so much pressure from the west, he must be counting down the days until the end of his reign. Because of that, he…