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We
tell the world about the world
Our mission is to further the promotion of liberal democracy and the safeguarding of the environment by the actions of accountable governments. To advance this cause we report, without fear or favour, the affairs of nations that are in transition, their politics, economics, business, finance and human rights - and we tell it how it is, consistently, calmly, and objectively. There is a void of easily accessible information which we seek to fill, by offering well organised one-stop-shop country pages, for information past, current, and realtime.
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JULY 2014 REPORTS
The
Arrogance of Hubris
There is much that is
absurd about the way in which the western and other powers have
hitherto engaged with the current middle-eastern civil wars. Even
now they don’t seem to have learned the lessons of history -
although seriously talking about co-operation with the Iranians has
to be a start. This last is surrounded with caveats, presumably to
mollify militant Republicans and the Israel lobby (probably much the
same thing), but they won’t be mollified. Along with Turkey, Iran is
THE regional power. It is their backyard – and they do ‘have a dog,
more than one, in this fight’.
The blunt question really needs to be asked (because it isn’t being
openly asked), what does the crisis in Iraq really have to do with –
what business is it, of the USA? [...]
Libya
and the return of Dictatorship
Libya appears to have
been abandoned by the powers that helped to precipitate the collapse
of the Qadhafi regime in 2011. In all of the nations involved in the
‘Arab Awakening,’ Libya alone attracted the intervention of western
powers when the US, British and French, euphemistically referred to
as NATO, acted as the rebel airforce. Having destroyed what remained
of the Colonel’s Libyan airforce - their declared mission, they
continued to the very end of the regime by halting the escape of the
Colonel’s road convoy through an air attack, which resulted in his
unsuccessfully running for his life, being seized, raped, otherwise
abused and lynched by the maddened mob from whom he had sought to
escape.
Since then chaos has ruled supreme, but if you can’t get democracy
then stability will have to do. Now a US approved candidate for
dictator waits in the wings. [...]
Putin's
enlarged Empire: The EurAsian Economic Community
To understand in
context ongoing events in Ukraine and Russia’s part in this, our
report on the Eurasian Economic Community shows the critical
importance to Russia that Ukraine had represented in their future
plans, now seemingly dissolved into ‘what might have been’.
The EurAsEC project is a key part in Putin’s fundamental plan to
restore whatever is possible of the former USSR in the context of a
Greater Russian Empire. The Russian Federation, the largest nation
on earth in terms of landmass, now consists of 90 federated
republics and territories, each dependent on the big decisions being
reserved for Moscow. The EurAsEC is aimed at those of the 15 former
‘all-union republics’ of the USSR that have not departed from
Moscow’s sphere of influence, all of whom have since 1991 tasted
life ‘on the outside’. Of the big targets the three Baltic's have
joined the European Union. Uzbekistan a Central Asian giant, has not
joined EurAsEC at this time, which must be frustrating for Moscow,
but they clearly fear reintegration in any form. That can change of
course with a change of leaders – the relevance being that the
present unchallenged ruler of Uzbekistan is elderly and unwell – and
there is no clear successor.
Resources-rich and enormous Kazakhstan, easily the prime target
however is in. Belarus, Europe’s last dictatorship, already a
deplorable undemocratic lame dog, dependent on Moscow, was a
signatory. Kyrgyzstan will join and Tajikistan is on the edge. Our
article speculates on other republics who may join and those who
won’t. The EurAsEC comes into effect on Jan 1st 2015
With Ukraine out, their 40 million slav population will not be a
part of this and since Russia is working for member states to move
on further from this economic alliance, particularly in defence and
foreign policy, this is an uphill task after the 23 years of
independence they have all known from Moscow’s control.
Still it undoubtedly remains an achievement for Putin in his quest
to restore greater global significance, even great power status to
Russia.
Whatever else, geopolitically Russia’s stamp is firmly on Central
Asia. No doubt future historians will give him credit for his
single-minded rebuilding of what it was possible to rebuild of his
vast nation, and what went before. [...]
Democracy's Front Line in Trouble
618 Journalists
Killed with Complete Impunity since 1992
(The Committee to
Protect Journalists)
The current state of Press Freedom is or should be a cause for alarm
for all who care for Democracy. From time to time a story reaches
the world about the persecution of journalists which causes outrage,
as was the case with the three al Jazeera journo’s in Egypt
sentenced to horrendous prison terms for just doing their job. Also
this:- “After Morsi’s ouster by the military in July, the government
suspended the new constitution and launched a systematic crackdown
on Islamist media, shutting down television and print outlets and
targeting and arresting both local and foreign journalists who
attempted to cover pro-Morsi protests. Five journalists were killed
at the hands of the military in July and August".
At times like this we do well to remember that journalists are in
the very front rank of democracy. Without them how would we get our
information other than official hand-outs, which automatically are
suspect, given the self-evident special pleading. [...]
Clive Lindley -
Publisher
*************************************
SPECIAL REPORT
THE RISE
OF SOUTH AMERICA
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