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POPSTurkey Coup Plot: Turkish Court Charges Seven Officer The crackdown dramatically escalated tensions between Turkey's military-backed secular establishment and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose government has strong electoral backing and the European Union's support. It also signaled that a major political shift in Turkey, NATO's sole Muslim member and a U.S. ally. The country's stability is crucial for Washington and the EU, which want Turkey to develop into a mature democracy.
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POPSIraq Upcoming Elections Illegitimate? There are many fascinating aspects to the USA's alleged spreading of "freedom and democracy." around the world, and in Iraq. The way the ruling party can ban candidates of the opposing party from running for office is cool. Too bad we don't do that here.
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POPSTamim Ansary on the future of the Iranian regime Ansary believes that what he calls the "Khomeinist" regime has made such serious tactical mistakes in trying to control dissent that it is probably doomed at this point. Khamenei, in failing even to maintain the appearance of fairness and impartiality, has insulted the intelligence of the people and sacrificed his own legitimacy. Interestingly, Ansary remarks that only intervention from the West -- on behalf of the protesters, that is -- is likely to save the old guard at this point, by restoring their moral authority as the guardians of Iranian nationalism.
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POPSTHE HEART OF EUROPE If Europe does not pay enough attention to this problem it could explode in its face. The EU is far too pre-occupied with overseas problems and forgetting its own.
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POPSThe Economics Of Democracy In Muslim Countries
The Status of Democracy Index (SDI) measures each country's progress toward democratic governance through multiple variables. First, it measures governance through four variables: how heads of state and members of the legislature are selected; political party development; suffrage; and the maturity of civil liberties The Status of Democracy Index rates each of these nine variables on a three-point scale: 0 (nonexistent), 1 (emerging), or 2 (fully present). Some of the variables, such as media freedom, religious liberty, and respect for human rights, are easy to quantify, whereas measuring human development is more subjective. Economic freedom can be scored on the level of governmental interference in the economy: 0 (strong), 1 (moderate), and 2 (low). It is then possible to convert the totals to a percentage for ease of digestion. Only three of these countries—Mali, Guyana, and Suriname —are considered full democracies. http://www.meforum.org/article/1921
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POPS"Forget a two-state solution" Palestinians must have right of return and Jewish presence in occupied territories grows 3X faster than Israel itself. The mix is here to stay. Only a single, democratic, secular, multi-cultural state can protect the rights of all.
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POPSCheeney/Zionist Plan for Nuclear Against Iran! "Of the many American illusions and delusions surrounding this war, the Administration's calculations with respect to Iran were among the most wildly off base. Instead of generating a liberal, secular democracy whose reverberations would drive out Iran's clerical oligarchs, the disastrous Bush policies fostered a sectarian Iraq that has helped empower Iranian hardliners. Rather than serving as an anchor for a new era of stability and American preeminence in the Persian Gulf, the new Iraq represents a strategic black hole, bleeding Washington of military resources and political influence while extending Iran's primacy among its neighbours." ... American researcher Suzanne Maloney
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POPS'Women's Legal Rights set back by Decades' Democracy how are ye. Not in 'democratic' Israel if you are female. No state divorce, but by men only judges in a religious court. Called a 'get' probably because a female isn't getting one anytime soon. Some suicides recorded while males live and beget with new partners!
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POPSBastards, no Divorce for females, Gets. Which century? And it's worse for non-Jewish Israeli citizens having to conform to Jewish Orthodox rules that dominate this so called democracy that is a blatantly apartheid state protected by the United States, as was South Africa too until it tumbled.
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POPSRemoving the state from Dr Rowan Williams Church, State, Law and the Enlightenment: I think that this article is rather condescending, and demeaning of the Archbishop of Canterbury, in suggesting that he did not know what can of worms he was opening in his discussion of Sharia law in Britain. I don't think he is that thick. As the article does point out, however, he has questioned one of the core assumptions of modernity -- that "religion" (itself a "modern" concept) belongs exclusively to the private sphere. In doing so, it seems, he has thought the unthinkable, spoken the unspeakable, and questioned the unquestionable. Nasty man -- a bit like Galileo and Copernicus, perhaps, except that he's questioning the secular authorities rather than the ecclesiastical ones. Though I don't agree with everything in Janet Daley's article, I think it's worth reading because she does put her finger on the main issue raised by the Archbishop.
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POPSTurkey: the essence of the secularist debate I am with the first view. Secularism should include the freedom of view and the removal of primitive impediments to democratic participation. the lifting of the Kurdish linguistic ban is a step forward too. Even if the move results in accelerating value clashes and violence, the principle holds true.
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POPSThe Separation of Church and State and the Dinner Table
This is very interesting, since Israel falls somewhere in between secular democracy and theocracy. Since the notion of the state is intrinsically linked to the religious identity (even when not practiced) this creates a unique dilemma when the interests of the state come into conflict with the interests of the faith. Perhaps this is the true threat to the "Two State" solution. Israel is becoming embroiled in economic and political struggles that undermine the ideology that lies at the bedrock of its foundation. Perhaps it is time to realize that a modern secular state simply cannot coexist with the demands of an official religious ideology. Look at Bush for another example: although he talks about his faith, he has done comparatively little to advance the Christian agenda. This should be of note for Christian Conservatives who dream of making America a Christian nation: in the context of Euro-American culture and politics, a religious state has become impossible.
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POPS Jimmy Carter And The Demise Of The Shah Of Iran "What is going on in Iran is about the best thing going on anywhere in the world", President Lyndon B. Johnson pronounced in 1964. During the 1970's Iran's Shah propelled Iran into becoming a dynamic middle-east regional power. The Shah implemented broad economic and social reforms, including enhanced rights for women, and religious and ethnic minorities. Economic and educational reforms were adopted, initiatives to cleanse politics of social upheaval were systematized, and the civil service system was reformed. When sectors of society rioted to demand even greater freedom, the Shah promised constitutional reform to favor democracy. Soviet and fundamentalist Islamic pressures, constitutional reform remained on the back burner, as the Shah built what was the world's fifth or sixth largest armed force. In 1976, it had an estimated 3,000 tanks, 890 helicopter gunships, over 200 advanced fighter aircraft, the largest fleet of hovercraft in any country and 9,000 anti-tank missiles.
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POPSNobel Peace Prize Al Gore-5/2 Burmese Sangha-5/1? Award Burmese Monks Nobel Peace Prize online petition http://www.petitiononline.com/nobel007/petition.html "What has Algore done for world peace? My "vote" goes for the Burmese Sangha" The dignified spirituality, the refusal of alms, the passive submission to torture and even death at the hands of a jackbooted military—those wily sangha are pulling every cheap stunt in the Peace Prize playbook. The smart money still says Gore will win, but what chance does a former vice president of the United States—one who, while more or less running environmental policy for President Clinton, yapped endlessly about the problem and sacrificed not a penny of political capital to help solve it—have against thousands of bald-headed guys waving empty bowls over their heads?
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POPSIslam, Turkey, and Why We Should Be Worried... By "Centers of Evil" General Buyukanit is referring to the likely future president of his country, as well as the majority of their parliament. Now I know that calling a President evil has become kinda banal lately for most Americans, but I think this guy sounds like he means business. (Although what 'evil' means to a secularist is up for grabs, I guess!) What will the US do? On the one hand we might fall into the old pattern of supporting a military coup over an inconvenient democratic election. (We've done it before... a lot!) This would just re-confirm for the rest of the world their belief that America is anti-democratic and imperialistic. It would send a disastrous message to the Afghans and Iraqis, forever damaging our ability to convince them that we are not invaders. What is more, it would confirm for many that the US is anti-Islamic. But on the other hand, does anyone have the political stones to embrace and protect an Islamic Democracy?
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