Month

Archives: Authoritarianism

Should the Pentagon be Propping up Dictatorships around the World?

By David Vine | ( Tomdispatch.com ) | - - Much outrage has been expressed in recent weeks over President Donald Trump’s invitation for a White House visit to Rodrigo Duterte, president…

The Sadism of creeping Dictatorship

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - One of the classic techniques of dictatorship is humiliation, a manifestation of the sadism of the regime. Most people want to avoid being…

Which Middle East Authoritarian Leader is Trump most Like?

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Trump's abrupt and virtually unprecedented firing of FBI director Jim Comey raises the question of whether he and his far right wing circle…

Trump Empire-Dynasty Expands via White House Ties

By Nomi Prins | ( Tomdispatch.com) | - - President Trump, his children and their spouses, aren’t just using the Oval Office to augment their political legacy or secure future riches. Okay,…

Trump’s Real sin in DC is not distinguishing between “Good” and “Bad” Dictators

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Donald J. Trump's peculiar comments about and relationship with dictators and loonies among foreign leaders have upset a range of observers, from sincere…

Priebus: Trump Could Amend Constitution to Abolish 1st Amendment

TeleSur | - - A constitutional amendment to stem negative coverage of any administration would require a supermajority in both houses of Congress. U.S. President Donald Trumps's chief of staff, Reince Priebus,…

Press Freedom in Middle East Cratering in Age of Brutal Dictatorships

By Brian Whitaker | ( Al-Bab.com ) | - - Among the 22 countries belonging to the Arab League, 17 are ranked as "bad" or "very bad" in the annual World Press…

As Leftist Turks Protest, Trump congratulates Erdogan on Authoritarian Turn

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Several hundred Turks demonstrated in Istanbul on Monday in protest at the referendum result on Sunday transforming Turkey into a presidential system and…

Turkish Democracy in Trouble, but not Because of Presidential System

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Turkey's historic referendum on Sunday will move the country from a parliamentary to a presidential system. Many observers are sounding a death knell…

Turkey’s Referendum on Democracy vs. Illiberal Rule

By Natalie Martin | (The Conversation) | - - When the Turkish government announced its plans to transform itself into an executive presidency, no-one was particularly surprised. This plan, which has been…

Asian Doctor Violently Pulled Off US Plane by Security Guards

TeleSur | - - While he was allowed back on the flight, the man’s face was bleeding from the force the guards exerted. A viral video has yet again stirred controversy around…

Strongman: The Bloodstained Rise of Global Populism

By Alfred W. McCoy | ( Tomdispatch.com) | - - In 2016, something extraordinary happened in the politics of diverse countries around the world. With surprising speed and simultaneity, a new generation…

Trump, al-Sisi and Tightening up the Pressure Cooker

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - President Trump met Monday with Egyptian field marshal/ president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Trump effused, “We agree on so many things. I just want…

The White House Wouldn’t Post Trump Staffers’ Financial Disclosures. So We Did

by Ariana Tobin and Derek Kravitz | (ProPublica) | - - In a remarkable Friday night news dump, the Trump administration made dozens of White House staffers' financial disclosure forms available. But…

In Erdogan’s Turkey, an Artist is Jailed for Painting Reality

TeleSur | - - A Turkish court has handed down a two-year, nine-month and 22-day jail sentence to a Kurdish artist because of her painting of a Kurdish village being razed by…

I Am an Enemy of the People (Feffer)

By John Feffer | ( Foreign Policy in Focus ) | - - If Trump cracks down on journalists, there might be less uproar than you'd think. Even before the election of…

Making us Less Safe: Trump bloating Pentagon Budget, cutting Diplomacy, Science

By Miriam Pemberton | OtherWords | - - Throwing money at the Pentagon while gutting other programs that protect Americans shouldn't make anyone feel safer. Millions of Americans are feeling uneasy, disgruntled,…

Turkey’s Erdogan trolls Germany with “Fascist” Charge

By Joel Schalit | EURACTIV | - - Normally, the accusation is reversed. Erdogan undoubtedly knew that when he accused Germany on Sunday of “fascist actions” typical of the Nazi era, for…

Is Russian Interference the greatest Threat to Western Democracy?

By Richard Maher | (The Conversation) | - - With important national elections scheduled this year in the Netherlands, France and Germany, European officials on edge about possible Russian interference are pursuing…