Triumph of Democracy over Cynicism?

This old cynic thought that the Pakistani elections wouldn't be fair. I thought Dictator Musharraf would rig the elections but it seems that I was wrong. It can happen.

The opposition parties seem to have won the majority of seats and there is even talk of impeaching Dictator Musharraf. But before the neo-cons wet themselves and heap praise on Dictator Musharaff for this (relatively) orderly transition to democracy let us see how the Pakistani army/secret police react to the results. How will they react to the prospect of their true commander in chief being impeached?

Pakistan isn't a democracy yet. That will only happen when Dictator Musharaff is rotting in prison.

Adios El Presidente

For 50 years Fidel Castro and Cuba have resisted American imperialism. For 50 years Fidel Castro and Cuba have stood alone against American hegemony in Latin America.

Castro's rule wasn't perfect but that was mainly due to actions taken by America. Like so often before (Iran, Guatemala etc) and so often after (Congo, Chile etc), America used force to try to thwart the Cuban revolution and restore their cronies. This in turn drove Cuba into the Soviet Union's arms. One can only imagine what sort of a (democratic) state Cuba would have become had America not intervened.

What lies on store for Cuba now that Castro is going? Will it become truly democratic state or will it revert to what it was before Castro: an American vassal?

Happy Birthday Kosovo

As you celebrate joining the club of free nations one cannot help but think about all other people around the world trying to achieve their independence.

The "international community" was prepared to use military force and set aside niceties such as national (Serbian) sovereignty, UN resolutions and international law in order to grant you independence. But when it comes to independence for others (Palestinians, Kashmiris, Chechens, Kurds, Tamils, Sahrawis, West Papuans, Achenese, Karen etc) the "international community" is at best ambivalent and at worst downright hostile.

What makes you different? What makes you so special? What gives you the right to self determination, something denied to so many others around the world?

Don't allow your infatuation with the US blindly lead you wherever it goes and whatever it does. So many other New Europeans, blinded by their infatuation with the US, have aided and abetted the US in its brutal destruction of Iraqi independence.

But that's for tomorrow. Today celebrate the birth of your new nation. It won't be long before it dawns upon you that you are living in one of of the poorest, corrupt, organised crime ridden nations in Europe.