Decades of repression have ensured that the opposition is quiescent in Egypt and virtually inaudible in Saudi Arabia. But they have also made these countries vulnerable to violent disruption. Transition in autocracies often means instability.
Arab autocracy: Thank you and goodbye | The Economist - 0 views
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the closed political systems of Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the uncertainties of dynastic power-mongering and the corruption inherent in patronage-ridden autocracies still often leads to plotting at the top and frustration that could spill over into anger at the bottom. That becomes more likely as the internet, mobile phones and easier travel make people far less easy to control.
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What the Arabs need most, in a hurry, is the rule of law, independent courts, freeish media, women’s and workers’ rights, a market that is not confined to the ruler’s friends, and a professional civil service and education system that are not in hock to the government, whether under a king or a republic. In other words, they need to nurture civil society and robust institutions.
CNN Editor Leaves Over Tweet on Hezbollah 'Giant' | Religion Dispatches - 0 views
Read Uncensored Jerusalem Post Story on Top Secret Israeli Nuclear Base | Tik... - 0 views
Music Stirs the Embers of Protest in Iran - NYTimes.com - 0 views
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The government has tried all manner of methods to mute what has become known as “resistance music.” It has blocked Web sites used to download songs and shut down social networking sites, which the opposition also used to organize protests and distribute videos of government and paramilitary violence.
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lamping down on music in the digital age is like squeezing a wet sponge. Protest songs are downloaded on the Internet, sold in the black market or shared via Bluetooth, a wireless technology that Iranians have adapted to share files on cellphones, bypassing the Internet altogether. Fans have also made dozens of homemade videos, setting montages of protest images to music and posting them online.
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“Music has become a tool for resisting the regime,” said Abbas Milani, the director of Iranian studies at Stanford University. “Music has never been as extensive and diverse as it is today.”
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Miss USA's Defense - The Daily Beast - 0 views
BBC News - Israel denies US academic Chomsky West Bank entry - 1 views
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"I asked them if they could find any government in the world that likes the things I say."
A little less internet, a little more radio please. « ICT4Accountability - 0 views
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