Stories about Politics from April, 2007
Israel: Controversarial Articles
Israeli blogger Desert Peace discusses the controversy which surrounded articles he had posted on a peace solution for the Israeli-Palestinian stand-off.
Iraq: George Orwell's 1984
Iraqi blogger Majed Jarrar argues that our present has a lot in common with George Orwell's 1984.
Japan: Has the age of the Internet arrived?
Japanese blogger hirochan comments on the recent elections in Japan [Ja] and gives his insights into the nature of the role of the Internet in political and election campaigns in Japan. He points out the fact that Japanese politicians are not maximizing the potential of the Internet as a tool,...
Turkey is Typing: The Killings in Malatya
"A handful of monsters walked into a Bible publisher in the Turkish city of Malatya the other day," writes one blogger, describing one of the tragedies which stunned Turkey this week. The brutal killings of three Christian missionaries at a Bible publishing house in Malatya has bloggers across the nation mourning the display of violent intolerance and contrasting the established sanctity of nationhood with the dire need for multi-religious acceptance.
The Balkans: Turbofolk
Bosnia Vault lists useful resources on turbofolk music.
Russia: Blondes Who Disagree
Robert Amsterdam comments on the rally of The Blondes Who Disagree, calling it “an obvious attempt to ridicule and discredit the recent Marches of Those Who Disagree, which were so brutally suppressed by the authorities.”
Ukraine: Politics Roundup
Dan McMinn's roundup of recent Ukrainian political developments gets a life of its own, as usual, as the comments start coming in (31, so far).
Moldova: Coverage of Transdniestria
A comprehensive overview of coverage of the situation in Transdniestria, over at Scraps of Moscow.
Albania: Ruminations on Elections
Our Man in Tirana attempts to place the French and British elections into Albanian context.
Estonia: “A Russian Rebellion”
As Tallinn seems to have entered the second night of rioting over the removal of a Soviet war memorial, here's a blogger's recap (with photos, RUS, by LJ user mrprophet) of what happened the previous night: A Russian rebellion Today I've been to a true Russian rebellion, senseless and relentless....
“What Kind of Lebanon Do We Want?”
As Lebanon's political leaders offer up their usual litany of what he says is useless rhetoric, French-Lebanese blogger Frencheagle asks his readers to remember one question: “What kind of Lebanon do we want?” (Fr). The problem of coexistence, he says, is one that an international tribunal on the civil war...
Republic of the Congo: Biometric Identity Cards
Demain Le Congo Brazzaville thinks President Sassou won't stand a chance winning the upcoming election unless he manages to rig it. Sassou plans to create biometric identity cards, but DCB warns against putting too much faith in an electronic voting system (Fr), which may simply encourage a different kind of...
France: What You May Not Have Read About Voltaire
Racisme et Histoire: Le Tabou posts a collection of quotes from some of France's most famous philosophers, writers, and politicians (e.g., Voltaire, Ferry, De Gaulle) you might not read in history books. “I repeat, the super races have a right, because they have only one duty. They have the duty...
Pray for Malawi's former president, 21st century Pan-Africanism, Google sponsors African students , and Donor aid raises questions
Malawi is reviewing its Republican constitution and hot issues on the table relate to the executive and term limits. As reported here before, Malawians are busy discussing the possible return of former president Dr. Bakili Muluzi. Based on how one understand the constitution, the debate is whether the Malawian constitution...
Japan: Reactions to Tokyo Governor Ishihara's re-election
On April 8 and April 22 nationwide local elections were held throughout Japan, gubernatorial elections on the 8th and local assembly and municipal elections on the 22nd. Among 13 gubernatorial elections, the Tokyo elections attracted the most attention, with incumbent Ishihara Shintarou running for a third term. Over the previous...
Taiwan: Taiwan Refuses Olympic Torch
Michael Turton blogs about the refusal of Olympic Torch by Taiwan government, as local politicians regarded the route as “domestic”.
Cayman Islands, Jamaica: Interesting Cartoons
Writing from the Cayman Islands, Mad Bull posts three cartoons drawn by the Jamaica Gleaner’s Las May that he thought “were either funny, or interesting, or funny AND interesting, all at the same time.”
Japan: Thoughts on the Abe “apology”
Japan, Beyond the Tamagawa reminds readers, with respect to recent comments by Prime Minsiter Abe Shinzo about the Comfort Women issue, that Abe “didn't intend [his comments] to raise such a stink. He did say what he personally has said he believed for years. Japan's Imperial Army did not force...
Ethiopia: the human rights center for human wrongs
A critical look at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia: “Other institutes are created for solely political purposes. The Institute of Human Rights, the President’s pet project, will kick off its work soon. Andreas Eshete has unabashedly stated that the objective of the institute is to counter the “false Propaganda” of...
Japan: Reflections on postwar “Child's Play”
Debito reproduces a passage from John Dower's famous book “Embracing Defeat” dealing with the games children played in post-WW2 Japan, including “holding a mock black market, playing prostitute and customer, and recreating left-wing political demonstrations.” Debito comments that Dower's account “is something rarely considered in historical accounts: The barometer of...
Iraq: Satirical Stats
I have found a great Arabic Wiki called Beidipedia (lit. Eggepedia) about the Middle East in general but is predominantly focused upon Iraq, its approach is to present satirical items in the traditional neutral news/encyclopedia approach a la The Onion, writes Iraqi blogger Konfused Kid, who is based in Jordan.
