Word: authoritarianism
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...rest of the world wrings its hands over entrusting the Olympic spirit to an authoritarian regime, the People's Republic has made remarkable progress in convincing corporate sponsors and its citizens, including some (but not all) dissidents, that Beijing deserves to be awarded the Olympic rings this week. Whatever the outcome, Beijing's $24 million bid--subsidized heavily by foreign corporate sponsors--shows China has at last mastered public relations, offering appealing images of economic progress while slickly downplaying human-rights abuses...
...year of hearings and appeals, Iranian reformist M.P. Hossein Loqmanian was jailed for 10 months for "insulting" the courts. His crime had been to stand up in parliament and denounce the conservative judiciary as undemocratic. The reformists' attempts to introduce democracy in the country, which has been under authoritarian rule since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, have earned them three landslide election victories ? but also the ire of hard-liners, who have shut down around 50 liberal newspapers and jailed reformists on charges of "insulting" officials and Islam. Iran Special: The Islamic Republic in Transition ZAMBIA Election Doubts Levy Mwanawasa...
...simply that Arafat won't or can't act decisively against Hamas and Islamic Jihad; it's that Palestinian public opinion right now is overwhelmingly opposed to any such action in pursuit of a cease-fire. A majority of Israelis and Palestinians would agree that Arafat is an authoritarian, deceitful and increasingly unpopular leader of a corrupt administration. But right now any Palestinian leader more responsive and accountable to his base than Arafat is would almost certainly be less, not more inclined to comply with the cease-fire terms currently on offer...
Life after Arafat will be just as bleak. Because of Arafat’s authoritarian style of governance, no Palestinian leader has had a chance to shore up much support within the Palesinian Authority and few are well known outside of Palestinian Authority (PA) circles. As a result, Arafat’s death/assassination will likely create a power vacuum in the Occupied Territories. Moderate leaders will rush to fill it, but so too will Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Moreover, the fragile coalition of Palestinian groups that make up the PA will likely dissolve, as key figures vie for power. Some...
...safety is relative. Vietnam won its safest country status based on post-Sept. 11 concerns. The country's authoritarian security measures and lack of visible economic targets make it an unlikely candidate for terror attacks. Still, it might be a good idea to stick to the trains: Vietnam has one of the world's highest road-fatality rates. And, of course, most people have to fly in the first place to get to the comparative tranquillity of Vietnam. But for those who can muster the courage?or find a Valium?for a flight to Hanoi, the inner-peace train awaits...