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[…] topic in a speech to a Gulf-Cooperation Council audience, too, in December last year, and Putin had advocated it…
[…] Business Speech: The West has spat into your Porridge | Justrecently's Weblog on Some Porridge, some Rice: China’s New Normal?Tuesday,…
[…] into Chinese-American relations ten years ago, as described by Xinhua back then in June 2013, and further explained by…
Probably true. Besides, the only objects people in a totalitarian country can choose for their anger without much risk are…
Nicolas Sarkozy isn’t an idealist, anyway. Tunisia was considered a safe destination for riot-control gear just as long as Nick’s good friend Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was in control.
This comes sort of late.
Sarkozy never connected easily with the French people, either. Le Temps des Cerises will hardly be his favorite song.
A rendition in French …
… and a few words about revolution and the gentle force of reason, plus the song again, by Wolf Biermann (video above).
Nice to catch a non-sino piece, especially since I revisited The Battle of Algiers a few weeks ago. Random comments if I may.
Followed it on nightime BBC radio. Ben Ali and his Imelda type wife were reported to have landed in France, big denial, and then it was Malta, personal headscratch here, and then the sands of last resort, Saudi Arabia. I would have voted for Dubai had the radio been turned off.
Yeah, the Tunisian army is very well equipped for ‘skirmishing’ (love that euphemism) with the populace. Unlike the Pakistani Islamists, the Tunisian franchise claim to be pluralists. As far as democratisation goes generally, the Islamic world is a broken reed, but there could be hope for the Tunisians.
With the exception of Turkey, any secularist thread in the Islamist world lost the battle against the literalists years ago. Would also be nice to see democratic movements spread across North Africa, but countries in this part of the world seem to be hardwired into efficient army-security police states.
While the US gets a lot of stick for duplicitous foreign policy, the French are right up there with the best. Recall CAE and Rwanda. Safe haven for young Duvalier and other scumbags who do a flit with the treasury.
BTW. A really good read. The Vanishing Sahara by Jeremy Keenan who is a very independent anthropologist. Cheers KT
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