New York Times (October 8)
Donald Trump is basically giving dictators the “green light.” The President “has made it clear that the United States will no longer even pretend to stand up for liberal values globally.” On top of that, there has “never been an American president as enthusiastically pro-Saudi as Trump” so it is no wonder that “Saudi Arabia feels emboldened.”
Tags: Dictators, Emboldened, Green light, Liberal values, Pro-Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Trump, U.S.
Washington Post (July 24)
Somehow Trump’s appeal keeps rising. “His support within the Republican Party has risen and solidified. It now stands at around 90 percent, which is what tin-pot dictators get in rigged elections.” This leaves many befuddled, but his trick is telling people what they already believe. Playing to prejudice is Trump’s appeal. “He validates the thinking—some of it ugly—of many Americans. To them, Helsinki doesn’t matter and even Putin doesn’t matter. Only Trump does. To them, he hates the right people.”
Tags: Appeal, Dictators, Hate, Helsinki, Prejudice, Putin, Republican, Solidified, Trump, Validation
The Economist (July 14)
“The fall of the Arab world’s worst two dictators would give a terrific boost to the region.” Half a year into the Arab spring, results are mixed. Perhaps we expected too much, too soon, but we should not forget the remaining potential. “The immediate fate of the Arab spring turns on Libya and Syria, both in the throes of revolution. If either got rid of its dictator, the overall Arab movement towards democracy would enjoy a huge step up.”
Tags: Arab spring, Democracy, Dictators, Libya, Middle East, Syria
Wall Street Journal (January 15)
The revolt in Tunisia reminds the world that dictatorships often appear strong… “right up to the moment they fall.” Former dictator 74-year-old Zine el Abidine Ben Ali has now fled Tunisia, but “what Tunisians will get next is anybody’s guess.”
