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Our 32nd year
of publishing The International Observer
Current Concerns
North Korean
belligerency and threats
Rebel takeover in Central Africa, strife in Mali
Civil war in Syria
Regrouping
of Islamic insurgents in the Southern Sahara
Noticed and Noted
Crimes of white supremacists get little attention from US Congress—Concern by politicians and public is diverted from the dangers posed by
home-grown US hate groups. “Congress obsessed with American Muslims,
neglects real threat of White Supremacists,” wrote University of
Michigan History Professor Juan Cole on 4 April in
Informed Comment
on
www.juancole.com. He cites the
recent killings of Texas district attorneys and a Colorado prison
official, allegedly committed by extremist white terrorists. He also
notes that “Congress
not only has held few or no hearings on the danger of white terrorism, it
has actually pressured the Department of Homeland Security not to
produce studies on the phenomenon.”
In 2012, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) of Mobile, Alabama,
counted 1,007 active hate groups in the US. It describes them as having
beliefs or practices that attack or malign an entire class of people,
typically for their immutable characteristics. Without implying that a
group is criminally active, SPLC finds that a group’s activity can
include criminal acts and violence.
[April 2013]
Press Freedom—Sacrifice:
Work of the press varies greatly from country to country and from
situations of peace to chaos and conflict. It continues to suffer from
death, imprisonment, torture, and abuse of individual journalists, as
well as censorship, legal chicanery, and repression of media. In 2012,
70
journalists--local and foreign
professionals--lost their lives in the course of their
profession—2 more than during the same period in 2011, reports the
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in New York NY
The press suffered its highest death toll in Syria (28), Somalia (12),
and Pakistan (7), accounting for more than two-thirds of all losses.
In addition to deaths, at least 232 (179 in 2011) members of the press
were imprisoned at year’s end, according to CPJ. In the Middle East and
North Africa 121 journalists or 52 percent are in jail, at least 49 in
Turkey, 45 in Iran, and 15 in Syria. In Asia, 65 media members are
imprisoned, led by China (32), Vietnam (14), and Azerbaijan (9). In
Africa, 44 members of the press are held of which 28 are held in
Eritrea. In the Americas and Europe, one journalist each is in jail.
Australia’s
September elections are posing severe challenge to prime minister.
In September, Australian voters will decide whether to stick with the
government of Prime Minister Ms. Julia
Gillard or turn to the
Liberal Party under Anthony John “Tony” Abbott. The outlook for the
Labor Party is far from rosy, partly because of its introduction of
several reforms and controversial measures and because of internal
squabbling over the role of former Prime Minister Kevin
Rudd. It did not help the
public image that a nasty but bungled split about leadership erupted on
21 March which has led to the fifth change of ministries after
resignations and dismissals of several ministers and junior ministers.
The Prime Minister says she is fully aware of
the tough campaign ahead. In an interview in
The Washington Post of 10 March, she points out that the party
supported her twice against Rudd, in 2010 and again in February 2012,
and that she is confident of Labor’s continuing confidence in her
government. The leader of the Liberals has supported changes in health
care, the role of the first Australians but has criticized proposals to
control emissions. As Leader of the Opposition he is seen more as an
obstructionist than one contributing to shaping national policy.
[March 2013]
Political freedom:
Freedom House of Washington
in its annual survey* characterizes 2012 as a year of “Democratic
Breakthroughs in the Balance.” For seven years running, global declines
in freedom outweighed earlier gains and the number of countries
designated shown as Free in 2012 stands at 90, representing 46 percent
of the world’s 195 countries and 43 percent of the world population
(relatively unchanged since 2010).
*Freedom in
the World 2013, Washington DC: Freedom House,
Leadership turnover in 2012
There were 35 changes, excluding reelections of incumbents, at the head
of state level (33 in 2011). Heads of state of Ethiopia, Malawi, and
Tonga died in office. At least 432 heads of government were changed,
excluding those reappointed or reelected (42 in 2011). The prime
minister of Ethiopia died in office. The chairmanship of the presidency
rotated in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Switzerland and in San Marino two
semi-annual changes took place.
The number of turnovers jumped to 24 in Africa (15 in 2011, 14 in 2010),
the same as in Europe (16 in 2011, 23 in 2010). Asia recorded 9 changes
(10 in 2011, 9 in 2010), the same as in the Middle East and North Africa
(16 in 2011, none in 2010), followed by the Americas with 7 (12 in 2011,
11 in 2010). Fewer took place in Oceania, 5 changes (6 in 2012, 8 in
2010).
EU fiscal
compact enters into force after Finland ratifies
The monetary house of the European Union (EU)
will be stabilized for the time being after the
Treaty on Stability,
Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union takes
effect on 1 January 2013. On 21 December, Finland became the twelfth
member state to ratify the balanced budget rule which was initially
signed by 25 member states on 2 March—by all except the Czech Republic
and the United Kingdom.
Agreed rules
require that national budgets of
participating member states must be in balance or in surplus, provided
the annual structural government deficit does not exceed 0.5 percent of
nominal gross domestic product (GDP). The deficit must be in line with
the country-specific minimum benchmark figure for long-term
sustainability (set by the preventive arm of the Stability and Growth
Pact, assessed every year).
[December 2012]
Changes at the top in December 2012:
Bermuda (PM), Japan (PM), Lithuania (PM), Mali (PM), Mexico (president),
Montenegro (PM), Namibia (PM), Săo Tomé e
Principe (PM), and San Marino (Captains General).
January 2013:
Central African Republic (PM), Chad (PM), Ghana (president and vice
president reelected), Palau (president), Saint Kitts and Nevis (governor
general), Switzerland (president),
Taiwan (PM), and United States of America (president and vice
president reelected). (For details
on changes of government in December, please see Country Notes 2012 in
the current issue. PM New prime minister named).
China’s leadership of seven
The 82 million members of the Communist Party of
China (CPC) and 1.3 billion people of China are now subject to decisions
by five new and two holdover members of the CPC Political Bureau. They
were not nationally elected but chosen by 2,270 party delegates to the
18th CPC National Congress held on 8-14 November in Beijing.
The general view in the People’s Republic and abroad seems to be that
the balance between conservative and reform-minded decision makers has
not changed only the new leadership is younger and better educated but
grew up during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). Before the 18th
Central Committee was chosen on 14 November, many believed and hoped the
next leadership would push forward with democratic, political, and
social reforms. (It should be pointed out that reforms
per se in authoritarian and
communist-ruled countries can also result in changes that strengthen
control rather than relax it.) The new leader of the party who will
ascend to the state’s presidency in March may tend to be more
practically than ideologically oriented but it will probably take him
the next two years to get settled in his new positions and work out
power relationships with party factions, regions, and the strengthening
economic middle class.
The General Secretary of the Central Committee of
Chinese Communist Party (CPC) Xi
Jinping (born 15 June 1953 in Shaanxi Province) was elected on 15
November. He studied chemical engineering at Tsinghua University in
Beijing from 1975-1979, graduated with a major in Marxist theory and
later was awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws.
The second ranking member of the Standing
Committee of the Political Bureau
Li Keqiang (born 1 July 1955
in Anhui Province) studied economics at Peking University from 1978-1982
and following post-graduate studies was awarded the degree of Doctor of
Economics.
[November 2012]
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