Politics
Politics
Fair Observer's analysis of political issues, events and trends and their national, regional and international consequences.
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360° Analysis / Barack Obama / Indonesia / Mitt Romney / obama / Politics / President / presidential elections / Romney / United States / US / US elections / AsiaBy Jarno LangFor Indonesia, the outcome of the American presidential election in November 2012 will be of great importance. This article will outline the most important contemporary matters of interest in the Indonesian-American relationship from a pre-election perspective. On November 6th 2012, the people of the USA will either grant President Barack Obama a second term in office or they will make Governor Mitt Romney the new president of the US. This election is of special relevance to Indonesia as the two candidates have very different perspectives on how American foreign policy of the near future should be. This article is the first of two installments on the relevance of the US presidential...
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360° Analysis / Assad / Damascus / Politics / Syria / Middle EastAs the Syrian conflict continues, Bassam Haddad reviews the complexity of the crisis as he addresses the structural causes of the initial uprising and the issue of sectarianism. Read part 1 here. Amid the mounting and tragic violence, loss of life, and loss of Syria, it seems difficult to write about history and causes. Yet it is equally difficult to write critically about the current chaos, precisely because of the information gap. One also wonders, what can be said about Syria anymore? In this vein, and following the despair in first part of this article, I retreat to the basics, to what we think we know a little better. In the first part, I addressed what I called "Stubborn Factors...
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360° Analysis / Algeria / Politics / Middle East / AfricaRecent soccer incidents underline the political fragility in Algeria, and have aroused fears that protests could at any time spill back into the streets. An upsurge in soccer-related violence in Algeria serves as a warning. Eighteen-months after the government quelled mass protests with increased wages and social spending, frustration is mounting with the failure of Algeria's gerontocracy in control since independence to share power with a younger generation, create jobs and address housing problems. Soccer-Related Violence In the latest incident, the Kuwait news agency reported that dozens of people, including a player, were injured this weekend when supporters of Jeunesse Sportive de...
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360° Analysis / Gaza / Hamas / Israel / Palestine / Politics / United States / Middle EastDespite his promise of change, Obama´s approach to US-Israeli relations and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is influenced by a persisting American Orientalism, which has its roots in the rhetoric of the first settlers. This is the first of two parts. Before US President Barack Obama faces a tough election night, it is crucial to examine whether he has brought the “change we can believe in” to Americans and — to be scrutinized here — the Middle East and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Beyond a factual check, it is necessary to explain the implemented policies in their historical context. The Cairo Speech One of Obama´s promises as a candidate,...
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360° Analysis / Barack Obama / Elections / Europe / Israel / Mitt Romney / NATO / obama / Politics / presidential elections / Romney / Russia / UN / United States / US / EuropeA Romney presidency will signal a re-evaluation of the relationship between Moscow and Washington, a strong commitment to Israel and a continuing push for the European powers to increase NATO’s defense spending. The final countdown to the US presidential election has started and with it has come the unthinkable for many Europeans: a potential victory for Mitt Romney. The Republican challenger is no longer his party’s hopeless second- or third-tier choice. He may remain that among Europeans, but their overwhelming support for Barack Obama cannot blind them from seeing reality. Instead, they need to consider the consequences of a Romney victory. Unfortunately, Romney’s...
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360° Analysis / Bahrain / Egypt / Israel / Pakistan / Politics / United States / US elections / Middle East / Africa / AsiaMany approach the US presidential elections seeking to choose between the "lesser of two evils". But does voting the passive voice have serious implications for American foreign policy in the Arab and Muslim world? For liberal America, it is becoming harder and harder to sell the almost painfully trite and stale cliché that one must pick “the lesser of two evils.” The simple fact is that, for advocates of human rights and equality, a vote for Barack Obama requires a number of back-peddling explanations and heartfelt apologies, not least of which regarding the broader Arab and Muslim world. In a widely-praised address from Cairo in 2009, Obama stated that the...
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360° Analysis / Israel / Palestine / Politics / United States / US elections / Middle EastShould Obama win re-election, the United States is likely to embark upon a new serious strategy to achieve peace in the Middle East. Rajai Masri illustrates a possible scenario to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Despite all appearances to the contrary, should Barack Obama get re-elected for a second term as president, the United States in tandem with Europe, is likely to embark upon a new serious initiative to impose a "a peaceful solution" to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.For some time, the European Union (EU) has appeared to have developed a consensus and a clear vision, or rather a blueprint to solve the so-called Middle East crisis. Indeed, the EU has long waited for...
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360° Analysis / Arab / Israel / Palestine / Politics / Middle EastBy Gilead SherChoosing the route of negotiating on the basis of the Arab Peace Initiative with an Arab world undergoing change, would prove to be a sensible strategy for Israel. For better or worse, the public discourse in Israel has recently focused exclusively on the nuclearization of Iran. However, precisely in light of the upheavals in the Arab world, it is now worth reexamining the relevance of the Arab Peace Initiative, which surfaced in Beirut in 2002 and was reaffirmed at subsequent Arab summits, most recently six months ago in Baghdad. The earthquake that shook the region, from the Maghreb to Yemen, from Libya through Egypt to Syria, obligates Israel to study the arena carefully while proceeding...
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360° Analysis / Army / Democracy / Eisenhower / India / military / Navy / Politics / PSU / Sino-Indian War / TATRA / Global Security / AsiaGiven the mess India’s higher defence management is, the government must take steps to build an abiding civil-military relationship. The Context Much water has flown down the tributaries of mighty Brahmaputra since the fatal night of 19/20 October 1962 when the Sino-Indian war commenced. Yet, it has not washed away the shame of India’s humiliating defeat, caused by “unspeakably incompetent generals and the political leaders that had assigned them the commands for which they were unfit”, if the spate of recently published articles are to be believed. After five decades, one could see similarities in the present scenario. Civil-Military relationship was...