The divisions in Egypt are deep. Whereas reconciliation had seemed possible, though difficult, until last week, there are now two irreconcilable camps facing off against each other: the military and its secular supporters, on one side, and the Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters, on the other. The young activists and the liberals no longer play […]
In a nation long plagued by military coups, the question of who will replace Pakistan‘s all-powerful army chief has taken on new urgency this year as the country tries to shake off the legacy of decades of military dictatorship. Read Here – Reuters
France has just announced that, basically, it’s a democracy. By which I mean the French cannot insult their president any more…The United States, on the other hand, has just announced that it’s basically seriously reconsidering whether or not it’s a democracy. Read Here – WorldAffairsJournal
Egypt has had its fill of heroes in the form of Gamal Abdel Nasser, Anwar al-Sadat, Mubarak, and Morsi — all false prophets of particular versions of modernity — but it is crying out for leadership. Unfortunately, the politicians stocking the new government do not inspire confidence that Egypt will finally get what it needs. […]
The ouster of Morsi is only one episode in the long tradition of African state coups. Yet, it contributes to a trend that threatens the blossoming of democracy across the region. Read Here – The European
In his, Dictionary of Political Thought, the noted political philosopher, Roger Scruton, defines a coup d’etat as “a change in government by force resulting in a change of constitution, and brought about by those who already hold some form of power whether military or political. The institution of a coup thereby transforms the terms on […]
Two years ago, the West thought it recognised what was happening in the Arab world: people wanted democracy, and were having revolutions to make that point. Now, recent events in Egypt have left many open-mouthed. Why should the generals be welcomed back? Why should the same crowds who gathered in Tahrir Square to protest against […]
General (retired) Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan’s former military strongman and once Washington’s trusted ally in the war on terror, may soon be prosecuted, the first time in the country’s history that a former army chief will face legal action for violating the constitution and tampering with its democratic institutions. Read Here – The Hindu
The United States hoped to build Turkey into a model democracy in the Middle East, and to wait out the turmoil of the Arab Spring. Both policies have failed. Read Here – The European
It seems unlikely that Egypt’s President Mohammad Mursi has read Thucydides’ famous record of the great Athenian politician Pericles’ speech when he describes democracy as the system of government that acts for the many and not the few, gives equal justice to all and regards merit as the sole criterion for office — and he […]
looking beyond borders 