Stories about Governance from March, 2008
Afghanistan: Intermission in Afghanistan
Hadi1121 analyzes the current state of affairs in Afghanistan, noting that increase in violence and lawlessness is widespread anywhere outside Kabul and the credibility of the Afghan government has gone down dramatically.
The Baltics: Deportations of 1949
Marginalia writes about the 1949 deportations from the Baltic states.
Ecuador: The Aftermath of the Border Crisis
On the outside, it appeared as if the governments of Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela reached an agreement over the border conflict that took place earlier this month. However, tensions continue to be high and diplomatic relations have not returned to normal, especially after a photograph was published in a Colombian newspaper claiming that the Ecuadorian defense minister met with the fallen FARC leader Raúl Reyes. However, it was revealed the man in the photograph was not the government official as indicated causing more tension, and bloggers from Ecuador write about this mistake.
Poland: The Abortion Issue
The beatroot writes about the Council of Europe and the issue of “legal access to abortion” in Poland.
Ukraine: “Imported Ideology” and Hate Crime
Ukrainiana blames “imported ideology” for hate crime in Ukraine.
Russia, Ukraine: The Nose; Andropov vs Khrushchev
De Rebus Antiquis Et Novis, in the March 25 entry, pays tribute to “The Nose” by Nikolai Gogol and quotes from Yuri Andropov's 1970 proposal to suppress Nikita Khrushchev's memoir.
March Madness in Kuwait
Just as there is March Madness in the US, the phenomena seems to have spread to Kuwait - not for basketball but elections. Abdullatif Al Omar brings us the Kuwaiti bloggers reactions to the resignation of their government, the dissolving of Parliament and the looming elections in June.
Lebanon: Desperate People
“This country is a factory that produces and exports desperate people,” says Tantalus about Lebanon.
Brazil: Haiti, Rio de Janeiro and the UN peacekeeping mission
Aloisio Milani [pt] is promoting an in-depth analysis of “the possibility and feasibility of the blue-helmets’ performance to become a doctrine of intervention by the Army in public safety in violent Brazilian cities, where organized crime is part of the population's routine”. He has heard Army sources, the Ministry of...
Iran:Protest against filtering
Key1one says[Fa] that Cloob.com,a Persian-language social networking website, mainly popular in Iran, has been filtered for about one month.About 2000 people signed a petition and protested against this filtering.
Afghanistan: Why Grow Poppy
Joshua Foust analyzes approaches to the problem of opium production in Afghanistan, and says that addressing opium requires a vast, multi-dimensional approach, combining anti-corruption efforts, a massive influx of money, subsidization of food or other cash crops.
Czech Republic: Havel Supports Anti-Missile Radar Base
Dr. Sean's Diary reports that ex-president Vaclav Havel supports stationing of the U.S. anti-missile radar base in the Czech Republic.
Macedonia: The Government's “Un-Collapse”
Douglas Muir of A Fistful of Euros reports that Macedonia's government has “un-collapsed.” Also, he feels that “the Macedonia name issue is so stupid that it’s almost physically painful to write about it.”
Europe: Recognition of Kosovo
Balkan Baby and readers discuss Kosovo's independence.
The Balkans: NATO
Balkan Baby writes about George W. Bush's upcoming Central and Eastern European tour, the NATO Summit, and the Balkan states’ “quest to join NATO.”
The Balkans: John McCain
Greater Surbiton has “no doubt that the interests of South East Europe would be better served by John McCain as president than by either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama.”
Czech Republic: Iraqi Mini-Protest
The Czech Daily Word posts pictures and reports on a mini-protest by Iraqis that was held in Brno.
Bosnia & Herzegovina: Sarajevo War Memorial
YakimaGulagLiteraryGazett comments on the plans to erect a memorial to Serbian war victims in Sarajevo: “Here is how I think the money should be spent instead of building the cross, why don't these people help Serbian war survivors? Why don't they help the injured people from their side?”
Latvia: Musings on Ethnic Homogeny
Among other things, Marginalia muses on the “basic bonds between peoples and their languages, lands, beliefs, cultures and even cuisines” and how it relates to Latvia.
Poland, Ukraine: Euro 2012
20 East writes about Euro 2012, to be hosted by Poland and Ukraine: “As I live in Warsaw, I’ll worry more about the Polish side of things although one general point is that however far behind Poland might be, in Ukraine it is slightly worse.”
Poland: The President's Homophobia
The beatroot reports that “the Polish Consulate in New York has just apologised to Brendan Fay, the gay guy who complained about use of his image in the recent anti-homo TV rant by President Lech Kaczynski.” Leopolis writes about president Kaczynski's “paranoid tirade, outlining the greatest threats to Poland (besides...
