GEORGIA PULLS OFF A PEACEFUL, FAIR ELECTION:

Sarah,

It’s true, Georgia is also a country.  It is miniature, just south of Russia and was part of the Soviet Union from 1921 to 1991.  It has since struggled to free itself from Russia’s influence and even fought a very one-sided war with Russia in 2008.

 

What Happened?

A billionaire named Bidzina Ivanishvili won an election and ousted the political party that has dominated Georgia since 2003.  His platform is reconciliation with Russia (the 2008 war hurt relations) and to lessen the inequalities brought on by the transition to capitalism. 

Why Is This Interesting?

This is interesting because most of the ex-Soviet states have not fully embraced democracy.  When the Soviet Union dissolved, 15 independent countries were created.  The countries closest to Europe (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) transitioned to democracy rather easily.  Others, especially those in Central Asia, are still ruled by Soviet-style dictators.

Even in countries where elections have been held, transitions of power have been very messy.  Ukraine, for example, is very polarized.  The west of the country leans towards Europe, the east leans toward Russia.  The last couple Ukrainian elections have been marred by conflict with neither side admitting defeat.  Georgia’s election was remarkable because the current president readily and gracefully stepped down from power.

Bottom Line: This is seriously good news.  The transition to democracy is always hard, but it is especially hard when you border Russia and share a region with autocratic dictators.

PUTIN’S LATEST MOVE:

Sarah,

This week, Putin supporters expelled an opposition leader named Gennady Gudkov from Parliament.  Although Gudkov supported Putin in the past, he had recently begun to criticize corruption and inefficiency within Putin’s United Russia party.  The official charge against Gudkov was “conducting business while in office” but observers could not help but notice that the expulsion occurred on the eve of a large anti-Putin protest.  This is important because lawmakers have a degree of immunity and the expulsion leaves Gudkov vulnerable to prosecution for any connection to the protests.

So let’s add up Putin’s latest moves:

-expulsion of Gudkov from Parliament

-imprisonment of other opposition leaders

-imprisonment of a female punk band named Pussy Riot for singing a song in a church

-passage of new laws that dramatically increase fines for protesting

-passage of a law criminalizing libel

-passage of laws that increase censorship of the internet

Bottom line: New acts of repression are happening weekly.  Russia is heading in the wrong direction.

ANTI-JAPANESE PROTESTS IN CHINA:

Sarah,

As a result of a territorial dispute between China and Japan over some uninhabited islands, Anti-Japanese protests are raging throughout China.  The LA Times described some ways in which the Chinese are protesting:

1.  Commentators are urging a boycott on all Japanese goods.

2.  One man drove his Honda Civic back to the dealership and set it on fire.  Other Japanese cars have been smashed throughout China.

3.  Tour groups are cancelling visits to Japan.

4.  A couple cancelled a wedding photo shoot because the cameras to be used were Japanese.

5. Citizens are downloading Japanese porn illegally to deprive Japanese porn studios of money.

6. A famous Chinese actress canceled an appearance at the Tokyo premiere of Resident Evil to show support for her country.

(click this article for a better description of the dispute)

Source: LA Times, “Isle Dispute Fuels Offbeat Protests by Chinese”, 9/14/12

THE THIRD LARGEST DRUG CARTEL IN MEXICO IS STRUGGLING:

Sarah,

The top three drug cartels in Mexico are the Gulf Cartel, the Sinaloa Cartel, and the Zetas.  This week, the boss of the Gulf Cartel was arrested.  This event signals major changes ahead.  Here is a breakdown:

Quick History:

In the 1980’s, American authorities shut down drug smuggling routes through the Caribbean and Florida.  This forced Colombian suppliers to use Mexican middlemen to get their drugs into America.  One of these middlemen, the Guadalajara Cartel, began investing in their own operation and soon became the most dominant cartel in Mexico.

When the leader of the Guadalajara Cartel died, the Sinaloa Cartel, the Tijuana Cartel, and the Gulf Cartel split the smuggling routes of the original operation and grew to be their own powerful entities. 

In 1999, elite soldiers in a special unit of the Mexican Army deserted and were hired by the Gulf Cartel as bodyguards and assassins.  In 2010, the soldiers broke away from the Gulf Cartel and started their own operation.  They call themselves the Zetas.

Since 2010, these three major players have dominated the Mexico’s drug trade.  The Sinaloa Cartel is the largest and most powerful.  The Zetas are the newest, most aggressive, and most violent.  The Gulf Cartel is still powerful, but seems to be rapidly disintegrating.

Recent Arrests:

The arrest of the Gulf Cartel’s leader, Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sanchez, signals only the most recent struggle for the organization.  The leadership has been decimated in recent years: one captain is in jail in Texas, one captain was arrested the week before, and one captain was killed in a 2010 shootout with the Mexican Army.

With their top leadership eliminated, it will be tough for the Gulf Cartel to continue fighting off the cartels.

Power Vacuum:

The Gulf Cartel controls prime assets and smuggling routes.  People are definitely going to fight over them.

First, there will likely be infighting among the second tier of Gulf Cartel leadership to obtain the top spots.

Second, the Zetas and the Sinaloa Cartel will be fighting to take over Gulf territory.

The Zetas have been expanding rapidly but lately there has been evidence of dissension in their ranks.  The more organized Sinaloa Cartel might have the advantage.

Politics:

Mexico has recently elected a new President.  There is a question as to how he will handle Mexico’s drug violence.  Mexico’s last administration focused on pursuing the top leadership in each cartel.  This strategy was criticized as ineffective because it did not focus on the source of drug cartel power and merely replaced one drug lord with another.  We will see if Pena Nieto (the new president) does anything different.

(click here for more detailed information on Mexican Drug Cartels)

AMERICANS ARE ATTEMTPING TO BUILD “EUROVEGAS” IN SPAIN:

Sarah,

Casino magnate Sheldon Abelson is planning to build a mega casino on the outskirts of Madrid, Spain.  The project is dubbed EuroVegas and will include 6 casinos and 12 hotels.  If completed, it will be the largest gaming resort in Europe. 

Pros:

Advocates claim the Casino will help Spain’s ailing economy.  Spain’s unemployment stands at 25%. (America’s unemployment rate is 8%)  The project is predicted to create around 200,000 permanent jobs.

The finished project may also increase tourism in Spain.

Cons:

Critics claim the casino will lead to more money laundering operations and prostitution.  They think the economic advantage will be offset by tax breaks and note that most of the new jobs will be low paying.  Lastly, Spain will have to build more roads to accommodate the large complex.

Bottom line: EuroVegas?  Real creative guys.

ISRAEL’S PRIME MINISTER CRITICIZES OBAMA:

Sarah,

This week, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized America’s current position on Iran.  Here’s why:

The Dispute:

The dispute revolves around Iran’s nuclear program.  Iran claims it is developing nuclear technology to build civilian power plants.  Western countries think Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons.

To deter their progress, Obama stresses diplomacy and economic sanctions.  He has not taken the military option “off the table” but hasn’t been very specific.  Israel wants the United States to take a harder line.  Specifically, Israel wants the United States to set “red lines” which if crossed by Iran, would trigger a military strike by American armed forces.  America has not done this.

Israel also condemns Obama for urging Israel not to attack Iran.  In the words of Netanyahu: “They (the U.S. and Europe) don’t have the moral authority to place a red light before Israel.”

Lastly, Netanyahu is mad because he claims Obama refused his request for a meeting at next month’s United Nations assembly in New York.  Obama claims it is merely a scheduling conflict; he will not be in New York at the same time as Netanyahu because he is scheduled elsewhere.

The Political Dimension:

Some observers think Netanyahu’s comments are designed to influence the American election.  Romney’s policies are more in line with Israel’s and Netanyahu may be trying to speak to the crucial Jewish vote.  A majority of Jews voted for Obama in the last election.

Netanyahu’s words put Romney in an interesting position.  On one hand, they may strengthen Romney’s claims that Obama is soft on Iran and is weakening our ties with Israel.  On the other hand, Romney does not want to be forced into promising a military attack.  By and large, American voters are not interested in starting another war.

 

 

SUICIDE BOMBINGS TARGET NEWLY ELECTED PRESIDENT OF SOMALIA:

Sarah,

Last month I gave you an overview of why Somalia is struggling so much.  Read it if you haven’t.

Recent news exemplifies Somalia’s continuing strife:

Two days ago Somalia elected Hassan Sheik Mohamud to be their new President.  However, the government that elected him only controls part of the country and relies heavily on foreign aid.  Much of the country is still under the control of the Shabab, an Islamist Militia.  Right now, the African Union (a collection of African countries) has peacekeeping troops positioned in the south of the country to protect the Somali capital against attacks from the Islamists.

Yesterday, the Shabab unleashed suicide bombers on the hotel where Mohamud was staying.  He survived, but the attack provided a clear reminder that the Somali government does not control all of Somalia and the Shabab can orchestrate attacks anywhere in the country.

The Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack on Twitter.  Currently, they have 15,500 followers.

 

Bottom line: I'm really curious about the Twitter situation in Somalia because I'm assuming computers are rare.  Do people just go to internet cafes to check on the status of the extremist Islamist militia that controls half the country?