North Africa crisis - beginning of the end of antiutopias?

[Zyx]

Not a very good one.

You're right, her knees didn't get the attention they deserved.

[eMTe]

Returning the topic from porn to proper path.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_Index

Various indexes are often criticized, but even if this one creates one of the most simplified pictures it is believable that pretty much the majority of countries are still under some sort of "regime".

Still, if Id have to choose where to move Id probably choose Singapore (pos. 82) rather than, for example, Costa Rica (pos. 24).

[eMTe]

So, Kaddafi's dead.

The 18-years old one is a national hero now, unless the whole story is an urban legend created to add spice to his death. What's greater than dictator living luxury life dying like lame dog?

[Zyx]

The 18-years old one is a national hero now, unless the whole story is an urban legend created to add spice to his death. What's greater than dictator living luxury life dying like lame dog?

It makes a great revenge story, but aren't revenges the root of many problems in the middle east? I think his death is mostly symbolic, but of what remains to be seen.

Also, there's this.

[eMTe]

Revenge is kinda inscribed into such cultures, there's nothing that can be done about it in nearby future.

I wonder who will rule the country now. I stopped following news from Libya a couple weeks ago, so I know nothing of whoever is capable of rising to power.

[eMTe]

Well, it seems not everything follows the optimistic scenario. News say that Muslim orthodoxes just won the elections in Egypt. Of course, they "invite" other parties to participate in power sharing, but we all know what it means.

I wonder what are your opinions on that.

[Chroelle]

I would like to see where it goes, because there are places where muslim orthodoxes are governing pretty ok (compared to Libya so far and Syria as examples). But of course time shows that at some point it goes bad, and then we will propably have another revolt of the people...

[eMTe]

You must have Indonesia and Malaysia on your mind, indeed both are governed by moderate Muslims and they do pretty well. But those Egyptian ones are not moderate from what I read.

[eMTe]

Seems Kim Jong-il is dead. Nothing will change for North Korea or is it another brick removed from the wall?

There are already suggestions that Kim Un, the dictator's son is too young to rule in an authoritarian way and the TRUE power will be divided between the closest associates of Il or there may it even be some struggle. Most experts however, agree, that North Korea is going to remain the authoritarian state, whoever will truly rule it - army, security services or Un. Anyway, it's hard to expect that nothing will change - dictators are often only symbols, someone who unites people under the same banner, but when they die various powers seek for change, better or worse, but for change. That's what we can learn from the history of USSR and China.

[Zyx]

I'm pretty sure that the Dear Leader had passed a long time ago, considering the news from a while ago about him being photoshopped into various images by the state news, Weekend at Bernie's-style.

So, my guess is that the party has been ruling the country for a long time already. It's also debatable if the Dear Leader even was the supreme leader, but just a continuation of the personal cult built around his father.

Not that any of this matters to the oppressed people of his country.

[Chroelle]

Simply love searching for "Photoshopped Kim Jong Il"..

[Zyx]

Gaming trivia: Gaddafi is one of the four world leaders who are still alive and were portrayed in the fantastic game Nuclear War. It's also kind of sad that the most of the countries the leaders fronted are still quite far from western democracies. (Also, if you wondered why Gandhi was so keen on nuclear weapons in Civilization V, it's probably due to this game.)

I had miscounted, there are still four alive after Gaddafi. I probably thought Jimmy Carter had died. However, Gaddafi was the last one to still be in power (Castro having retired already in 2008) so that's kind of an achievement.

[eMTe]

Hm. I never played Nuclear War. There's quite many interesting titles from the past that I dont know, to my surprise.

[Zyx]

Has anyone been following the situation in Hungary? It seems like the new government has taken some autocratic tendencies by changing over 400 laws including the constitution to help them stay in power.

Strange times.

[Chroelle]

Just looked it up just now and read a little. Hm...seems weird in this enlightened time that something like this could happen in Eastern Europe.

[eMTe]

Hungary is badly governed for over a decade (including Fidesz first governance), so it's not that surprising that populists like Orban come to power. As for autocratic tendencies I hardly believe this scenario, Orban is not anti-democratic, he's only populist, but with strong right-wing views. After the crushing victory he took the opportunity of pushing the laws that reflect his and his party's views on various issues, from homosexualism to monetary policy, just like probably every right-wingish party having supermajority in any country's parliament would do. Is it dangerous for democracy in Hungary? I hardly believe that. Not less dangerous that Berlusconi was for Italy.

[Pater Alf]

Even if Orban is not anti-democratic (which I doubt as the new laws give him a lot of power to cut down democratic things like a free press), changing the constitution in that way is a pretty bad scenario. It opens lot of possibilities to non-democratic politicians that might come in the future.

[eMTe]

The problem with haunted politicians is that they dont believe there's other future than their rules. But there's long way between irresponsibility and authoritarianism.

[Zyx]

Not less dangerous that Berlusconi was for Italy.

I think this summarizes it pretty well. The EU was totally toothless against that guy, but at least Berlusconi had some level of support from other core EU leaders.

[Chroelle]

My point exactly! Berlusconi was dangerous to Italy, but perhaps not as dangrous as whoever could have been there instead.

It is always a bad thing when someone swoops in and changes politics that have been set through decades of debate just because they have the chance. But it seems that the far right suffered alot during the election so at least he doesn't need to please his supporting parties as much. But then again that also more or less states that this is as bad as it gets. People to the further right couldn't get votes so this guy must be "right-wing-enough" for them. Kind of scary when you look at it that way...