Democracy & Human Rights

Egyptian and arab democracy uber alles?
Egyptian and arab democracy uber alles?

Blogs, Democracy & Human Rights, Harlan Ullman., Issues

Egyptian and arab democracy uber alles?

Insanity has been described as constantly repeating the same mistake and expecting a different outcome. That characterization sadly applies to American attitudes and policies towards much of what is happening in Egypt and the Arab and Islamic worlds. We have been there before often supporting what is mistakenly regarded as the triumph of some sort of democratic movement over a failing regime that ultimately proves highly destructive to U.S. interests. Remember that German elections led to the appointment of Hitler as chancellor in 1933 and how that turned out. Fidel Castro was the freedom fighter battling the corrupt Batista Government in Cuba more than a half-century ago. And when the [...]

By Harlan Ullman|2017-11-14T21:28:34+02:00August 29th, 2013|Blogs, Democracy & Human Rights, Harlan Ullman., Issues|0 Comments

When governments become destructive

Tomorrow, July 4th, marks America’s Independence Day. The document we celebrate, the Declaration of Independence that rejected British rule, was the masterpiece of democratic expression written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776. The most profound lines are not the more famous “When in the course of human events” and “all men are created equal.” They appear at the end of the first sentence of the document’s second paragraph: “when… government…becomes destructive, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it and institute new government.” Two hundred and thirty-seven years later, too many governments have become destructive in governing whether through smashing dissent with force or blatant, repressive misuse [...]

By Harlan Ullman|2017-11-14T21:28:36+02:00July 7th, 2013|Blogs, Democracy & Human Rights, Global Governance, Harlan Ullman., Issues, Studies and Analysis|0 Comments

Scandalul PRISM şi „Metafora bibliotecii”

Intr-un zig-zag pe mapamond acompaniat de reporterii surescitaţi ai canalelor TV grand-taille, Snowden cară în sacul de voiaj schiţele recent amorsatului scandal PRISM, excitând la culme activiştii pentru drepturile omului şi lipind emoticonul faţă-tristă conservatorilor adepţi ai armăturii ordinii şi controlului. Cum va evolua noua telenovelă cu spioni spilcuiţi ce pare un remake al Wikileaks? Ce a e nou, în formă şi conţinut, din unghi actual sau istoric? Un analist al Centrului de Prevenirea Conflictelor şi Early Warning, Narciz Bălăşoiu, sintetizează subiectul: „Obiectul dezvăluirilor l-a făcut aşa-numitul program PRISM, acesta fiind acronimul proiectului secret prin care National Security Agency (NSA) accesa direct serverele celor mai mari companii, precum Facebook, Yahoo, [...]