Blogging the democratic revolution
The monster at our door is keeping hurricane aid out from devastated Cuba, as protest grow. The only aid he’s taking is politicized aid, the kind that his agents pick and choose to deliver. Where is the outrage? Read it here.
The following is a translated letter from Akbar Ganji, courtesy of the Free Ganji blog. It is an interesting read, from a man who is becoming the largest rallying cause for human rights inside Iran.
Now, let’s be all dramatic like most of the headlines which say, “Middle East Ceasefire Shattered.” Because honestly, the truce was a big lie anyway. Now the possibility exists that the Palestinian government will have to succumb to more terrorist leadership or kill it outright. Policeman of the PA and Hamas terrorists are fighting now in Gaza as Abbas has declared a state of emergency. The fighting began when the government confronted Hamas after it attacked Israel. The Palestinian Authority declared a state of emergency in the Gaza Strip last night, hours after an Israeli woman was killed when a…
I seem to have a fetish with separatist conflicts this week, but it’s not coincidence that plans for peaceful settlement are popping up all around the same time. This is because the GUAM alliance countries are working together to reunite their respective countries after the collapse of the Soviet Union left a little fragmented. Today, Moldova is making progress with the plan outlined by President Yushchenko of Ukraine (outlined here, read this first). It seems that the leader of Transdniester, despite political grandstanding by parliamentarians on both sides, has showed interested in moving forward with the plan. Ukrainian President Viktor…
I got this note from a reporter in Caracas: Hoy hubo una protesta de los estudiantes de la USM, por el aumento de matriculas. Fue en la entrada, en el mismo sitio que la semana pasada manifestaron por los compa?????eros asesinados. Hoy hubo mas estudiantes…. Translation: Today there was a student protest at University of Santa Maria, for the increase of registration (note: probably a student fees hike). It was at the entrance, at the same site that over the last week they demonstrated for their murdered comrades. There were many students today… Stay tuned. Weekend’s coming.
Eurasianet reports on a leaked memo (perhaps deliberately) that shows Russian policy makers worried about the situation in Dagestan, which has seen increased separatis sentiments and terrorist attacks of late. The increasing rebel attacks in Dagestan (see EDM, July 7) have finally forced Russian authorities to focus on the problems of the republic. Officials in Moscow now realize that the region needs special handling. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov recently conceded, “Of course we are worried about explosions in Dagestan, and this difficult problem should be resolved by civil methods as well as by force (yufo.ru, July 6). On July…
Usually this wouldn’t be a story to me as I’m sure this happens at least a hundred million times a day somewhere in the world. But I’ve never heard of someone calling our president the equivalent of Hitler for supporting democracy movements. About 20 youths have gathered in front of the U.S. Consulate in St. Petersburg shouting: ???????We have defeated Hitler, and will defeat Bush???????, Interfax reported. The protestors, members of a local branch of the United Socialistic Party of Russia and Congress of Socialist Youth, accuse the U.S. of supporting the so-called velvet revolutions in former Soviet republics. They…
Besides democratization, and all that it implies, the government of Georgia must deal with separatist governments in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. While the former will likely prove much more difficult in general, Saakashvili’s governmet has just released a comprehensive plan to reconcile with South Ossetia. Most striking about the plan is how it deals two-fold with at once the Ossetian people outside the autonomous region and again with the government there. As the article notes, “Georgia becomes the first country in the region to offer repatriation, restitution, and compensation to refugees in the context of conflict-settlement efforts.” Every effort is…
Hugo Chavez and the communist thugs and barefoot Neanderthals one step removed from white sheets who oppose CAFTA are all about to be dealt a stinging defeat. The House leader reports that CAFTA is likely to be approved before the end of July. This is the scent of victory, because defeat is unthinkable. This is the most important legislation of the year because the fate of our entire region is at stake. I just hope we have reason to have hope. We need CAFTA.
Think I’m kidding? Read what respected Miami Herald columnist Andres Oppenheimer, in a well researched article, has to say. It’s disturbing. Read it here. UPDATE: Link fixed.
Kirk let me know about this a couple of days ago. It’s interesting, because you see several groups ranging from the Muslim Brotherhood to Kifaya coming together to put a crack in the current system. This is a trend in all authoritarian countries with emerging oppositions, but nonetheless, these are some unlikely temporary bedfellows. In any case, expect Kirk to have more on this later, but here’s the news anyhow. CAIRO, Egypt ???????? Opposition movements from across Egypt’s political spectrum joined in opposition to President Hosni Mubarak Wednesday with calls for a boycott of September’s presidential vote ???????? heralded by…
Daniel, a man of real culture, gives us the lowdown on Hugo Chavez’s vast new hideous culture scheme. It’s enough to repel the lowliest Britney Spears fan, it’s that gross. It’s also expensive, vulgar, downlifting, ugly and communist. Read it here.
..and the chicks are free. Hugo Chavez is flinging money in multi-billions all over the place, like a drunk with coins burning holes in his pockets. He’s the world’s biggest spendthrift and he’s driving Venezuela straight into the ground. Miguel Octavio has the whole sordid story here. Read and weep.
I knew this would happen. Hugo Chavez’s incessant meddling with the market would lead to what it always leads to: shortages, just like Cuba. And ration cards as well. More and more, Venezuela is looking like a communist regime. The thug of Caracas is bringing hunger to Venezuela. He’s got to go.
Not much time to post on this, but I woke up to a great news roundup by Gateway Pundit with pictures and video. Check it out.
I just wanted to point this out because I laughed out loud when I read it: President Alyaksandr Lukashenka said in an interview with Russia’s TV-Tsentr on 11 July that he has no friends, Belapan reported. Responding to a remark by the interviewer that “the presidency is a colossal solitude,” Lukashenka said this description touches a “sensitive spot” in him. “This is the hardest thing, and…it tends to grow,” Lukashenka went on. “It is getting bigger and bigger over the years. Vladimir Vladimirovich ÄPutinÅ, my good colleague and friend, has friends. I cannot boast the same thing.” Lukashenka added that…
Al-Hayat has reported that an Egyptian court has legalized a moderate Islamist political movement (“Egypt: Judge Qubtay Grants Islamist Party a License by Decree“). Under Egyptian law, political organizations have to have a license to operate, and the country’s largest Islamist organization, the Muslim Brotherhood, is still denied one. This decree means that the New Center Party, led by Abu Ala Madi, an engineer, is the only legal Islamist party in Egypt. The article notes that this decision overrules a decision by the state Council for Party Affairs. The party, associated with what in Egypt is referred to as al-wasatiyya…
I’ve heard about this for two weeks and have been awaiting its release. Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ) and Co-chairman of the Helsinki Commission has introduced legislation into the House entitled the Central Asia Democracy and Human Rights Act. Under CADHRA, all non-humanitarian assistance to each government covered under the legislation would be conditioned on the President certifying that the country is making ???????substantial, sustained and demonstrable progress toward democratization and full respect for human rights.??????? U.S. assistance would be reduced by 33% for each year a positive determination cannot be made. In the third year, all aid to that government…
Students at Tehran University launched a protest against the regime to release all political prisoners. Of all people, a Reuters journalist was on the scene and wrote about it with pictures. TEHRAN, July 12 (Reuters) – Iranian police beat dozens of protesters with batons on Tuesday at a demonstration to call for the release of Iran’s most prominent jailed journalist. About 150 people, mostly students, had gathered in front of Tehran University chanting “political prisoners must be freed” when dozens of police moved in to break up the protest. The rally was in support of Akbar Ganji, an outspoken critic…
Reality Check Time on the Israeli/Palestinian Front – Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, now scheduled for next month, is leading the Israeli-Palestinian peace process – if such a thing exists – toward disaster. Ironically, the withdrawal, known in Israel as the “Disengagement Plan,” has wide support everywhere in the world outside Gaza itself – from most Israelis, from other Arab governments, especially Egypt, which is helping in the implementation, from the European Union, the United Nations and from the United States. I originally supported it myself, but it has become clear to me that this will lead to a…
Another car bomb has gone off in Beirut, but this time with a twist. This politician, Elias Murr, is considered pro-Syria. Lebanon’s caretaker Vice Premier and Defense Minister Elias Murr survived an assassination bombing ambush with minor and medium burns in Beirut’s suburban district of Naccache Tuesday. Local media reports spoke of one to four others killed in the explosion that ripped Murr’s motorcade to shreds. The reports said Murr, 45, the son-in-law of President Lahoud, was helped out of his armor-plated four-wheeler Porsche by onlookers and was taken to the nearby Serhal hospital in Lebanon’s Christian heartland where he…
Welcome to this week’s carnival of revolutions hosted by yours truly; the one, the only, the sexy. The purpose of this carnival is to highlight democracy movements, tyrannous acts, human rights, and election fiascos over the past week. And to promote myself, of course. Hey, look over there! General: Will Franklin looks at foreign aid from the U.S. Blogrel from Armenia asks the U.S. to define freedom and offers suggestions on how to use leverage on other governments. Thomas Lifson asks if there’s a such thing as a good communist? I think we all know his answer! Blogs — do…
I almost forgot, but I’m hosting tomorrow’s carnival of revolutions. Make sure to email me your blog posts regarding democracy, human rights, tyranny, etc. by sometime tomorrow morning. It’ll be a good one!
This is cool. There’s a reason this is becoming more and more frequent. BAKU, July 10 (AFP) – Some 10,000 opposition members, many dressed in orange, demonstrated Sunday in the centre of Azerbaijan’s capital Baku to call for fair parliamentary elections in November. Participants at the rally, organised by the opposition Azadlyg (Freedom) Bloc, shouted: “freedom” and called on President Ilham Aliyev to ensure that the November 6 poll is free. Many wore orange clothing, a symbol inspired by last year’s “orange revolution” that brought pro-Western opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko to power in Ukraine. Isa Gambar, head of the opposition…
Domingo Cavallo, the man who made Argentina into a first-world country in the early 1990s and then turned it into a fourth-world hellhole by 2002, bringing starvation, crime, poverty, robbery, toilet-paper money and an end to property rights, all in the span of a few short years, is running for office again. Luis at El Opinador Compulsivo in Buenos Aires calls it pathetic. Somebody just tell him no. Like a crazy driver, this man must never have be allowed to have his hands on the steering wheel of power again. Not ever. Arggggggghhhhh! UPDATE – SEPT 24: The dummy came…