Elections

By Ahmet T. Kuru, San Diego State University | – The earthquake that struck Turkey on Feb. 6, 2023, is first and foremost a human tragedy, one that has taken the lives of at least 45,000 people to date. The disaster also has major implications for the country’s economy – the financial loss from the […]

Authoritarianism

May 14 will be Turkey’s Most Consequential Election in History

Arzu Geybullayeva

( Globalvoices.org) – This year marks the 100th year since the founding of the Republic of Turkey. May 14 of this year will also mark Turkey’s highly-anticipated general election. Pundits who have been watching the country’s political turmoil brought by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) describe the upcoming May vote as crucial — […]

censorship

Sudan Military-Civilian Pact Omits Key Justice Reforms, including an End to Impunity (HRW)

Human Rights Watch

Human Rights Watch – (Nairobi) – Sudan’s political actors and international partners should ensure that progress on human rights and accountability for serious human rights violations are central to any new transition, Human Rights Watch said today. This includes an end to the violent crackdown against peaceful protesters, releasing arbitrarily detained protesters, and taking concrete […]

Democracy

America’s best Christmas Present would be Real Democracy where even the Poor Vote

Liz Theoharis

( Tomdispatch.com) – Last week, I was in Washington, D.C.’s Union Station. The weather had turned cold and I couldn’t help noticing what an inhospitable place it had become for the city’s homeless and dispossessed. Once upon a time, anyone was allowed to be in the train station at any hour. Now, there were signs […]

Authoritarianism

Why Istanbul’s mayor was sentenced to jail – and what it means for Turkey’s 2023 presidential race

The Conversation

By Ahmet T. Kuru, San Diego State University | – A Turkish court’s decision on Dec. 14, 2022, to jail Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu for two years and seven months for insulting public officials hung on comments he made three years ago. But its impact will be felt on an event taking place in a […]

Democracy

Living Politics, Embedding with Workers, Standing up to the Lies of the Rich

Rebecca Gordon

( Tomdispatch.com ) – “Welcome back!” read my friend Allan’s email. “So happy to have you back and seeing that hard work paid off. Thank you for all that you do. Please don’t cook this evening. I am bringing you a Honduran dinner — tacos hondureños and baleadas, plus a bottle of wine.” The tacos […]

Democracy

The Economy Looms Large in the Midterms, but Abortion, Ukraine and the State of Democracy are also Key Voter Issues

The Conversation

By Stella Rouse, University of Maryland and Shibley Telhami, University of Maryland | – The 2022 midterm elections, perhaps more than most in recent American history, present voters with a multitude of pressing issues to consider as they prepare to vote. These issues range from abortion to rising inflation, energy costs to the state of […]

Authoritarianism

Roots of White Rage

Peter G. Prontzos

Vancouver (Special to Informed Comment) Recent development show just how divided the United States of America really is. The latest polling shows that 72% of Americans believe that democracy is in serious danger. Even more strikingly, 43% said civil war was at least somewhat likely in the next 10 years. Robert Reich, a former US […]

Bill of Rights

Biden comes out Swinging against Trumpian, MAGA GOP as Authoritarian, Violent

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – President Joe Biden came out swinging in Philadelphia in a rare Thursday evening prime time address, denouncing the “MAGA Republican Party” of Donald Trump while praising what he termed “mainstream” conservative Republicans. MAGA is the acronym for “Make America Great Again,” the fascist slogan that disgraced former president Donald Trump […]