Tag: Dictatorships

Pakistan lurches to dictatorial rule as authorities launch vendetta against Imran Khan and supporters of his Islamic populist PTI

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

The long simmering political crisis in Pakistan is now boiling over. Terrified that the campaign of ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan for immediate new elections could inadvertently precipitate an explosion of mass working class anger against brutal IMF-dictated austerity, soaring food prices and mass joblessness, the government and military are resorting to dictatorial forms of rule.

Pakistan lurches to dictatorial rule as authorities launch vendetta against Imran Khan and supporters of his Islamic populist PTI

Related:

PTI leader, US envoy hold meeting at home

Separatists fed up with Trudeau want province to break away from Canada, become 51st state

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Separatists fed up with Trudeau want province to break away from Canada, become 51st state

“Trudeau, at heart, is a fascist; he’s a communist at heart, he’s a globalist,” the source said, who maintained that the prime minister “will never be held to account” because his administration also appoints the country’s judges.

H/T: The Most Revolutionary Act

Haven’t they been paying attention?! Joe Biden is a socialist, too!? /sarcasm

Biden Is Letting Think Tanks and Dodgy Foreign Funders Get Cozy Again

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

At some point over the past few years, the Biden administration revoked one of the few progressive policies that Trump-era officials implemented in the effort to bring greater transparency to foreign influence in Washington. The New Republic has learned that with little fanfare, and with even less explanation, the White House has stopped requesting that American think tanks disclose funding from foreign governments. “This is not the policy of the U.S. State Department,” an agency spokesperson said last month.

Biden Is Letting Think Tanks and Dodgy Foreign Funders Get Cozy Again (archived)

Ukraine’s ‘Press Freedom’ Score Increases Despite Martial Law, Banned Media

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)
Source.

France-based press watchdog Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontières, or RSF) recently released its scores and rankings for international press freedom. In 2022, RSF gave Ukraine a score of 55.76 out of 100, placing it 106th out of 180 countries surveyed. In the most recent report, issued after over a year of war, Ukraine shot to 79th out of 180, with a new score of 61.19. This despite wartime measures that banned opposition parties, consolidated media under state control, and saw journalists’ speech chilled by unprecedented intimidation.

Ukraine’s ‘Press Freedom’ Score Increases Despite Martial Law, Banned Media

Related:

NGOs, “Unions”, & Media Outlets in the Service of Imperialism

Members of Zelensky’s party introduce internet censorship bill

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Members of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Servant of the People party have introduced a bill to criminalize the spread of “false information” on the internet and through social media that violates Ukraine’s “national security.”

Members of Zelensky’s party introduce internet censorship bill

Related:

How The FBI Helps Ukrainian Intelligence Hunt ‘Disinformation’ On Social Media

10 worst mass killers, regimes and dictators

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Naturally this list is subjective to an extent, and probably contains some mistakes and things that I missed. However, I think the top 3 are somewhat obvious and its no great surprise why I chose the regimes and dictators that I did. My criteria was their death toll, their reactionary power and influence, and also their plans and the resulting death toll, even if some of those plans were not fulfilled.

10 worst mass killers, regimes and dictators

Video: 10 worst mass killers, regimes and dictators

Ukraine May See New ‘Maidan’

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Ukraine could be looking at another Maidan

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy’s assurances don’t assuage some veteran observers of the country either. “We have not seen significant enough efforts to address corruption — although perhaps with one important exception,” said a former senior U.S. diplomat who has considerable experience in Ukraine. “I think they really are trying to prevent diversion of any of the massive Western assistance they’re receiving. I believe they do understand the risks, if there were to be a major scandal.”

But the former diplomat said that what struck him in recent meetings with opposition politicians and civil society leaders in Kyiv was how, “on the one hand, they truly appreciate Zelenskyy’s strength as a war leader,” but are “deeply worried also about corruption and his authoritarian style.”

“In their minds, there is going to be a reckoning as soon as the war ends,” he said. “And I think that’s probably going to be true.”