Diplomacy & Crisis News

Arroseur arrosé

Directeur exécutif du conglomérat médiatique News Corp (M. Rupert Murdoch), M. Robert Thomson a publié dans le Wall Street Journal, propriété du groupe, un article contre Google et Facebook titré « Fausses nouvelles et duopole numérique » (6 avril 2017) où affleure une pointe de jalousie.

Ensemble, les deux éditeurs d'information les plus puissants de l'histoire humaine ont créé un écosystème à la fois dysfonctionnel et socialement destructeur. Les deux entreprises auraient pu faire beaucoup plus pour mettre en avant le fait qu'il existe une hiérarchie des contenus. Au lieu de cela, ils ont prospéré considérablement en colportant une philosophie du « tout se vaut » qui ne distingue pas le vrai du faux parce que l'un et l'autre leur rapportent de substantielles sommes d'argent. « Fake News and the Digital Duopoly, 6 avril 2017. Piquets à travers la Chine

Le nombre de conflits du travail a tellement augmenté dans l'empire du Milieu que le gouvernement insiste sur la nécessité de réformer le syndicat unique, la Fédération des syndicats de toute la Chine (All-China Federation of Trade Unions), explique le China Labour Bulletin.

Il y a eu 1,77 million de conflits du travail en Chine en 2016, selon le ministère des ressources humaines et de la sécurité sociale (...). China Labour Bulletin [CLB] a recensé plus de cinq mille grèves, manifestations ou incidents sérieux en 2015-2016. Dans un document appelé « Opinion sur le renforcement des arbitrages lors des conflits du travail et l'amélioration du système de résolution » de ces conflits, le gouvernement suggère que la Fédération des syndicats de toute la Chine joue un rôle plus actif. (...) Mais, insiste le directeur de CLB, la négociation collective est la vraie solution pour résoudre les conflits. « Labour disputes on the rise, authorities call on union to take greater role », 7 avril 2017 Chiens de « hipsters »

La gentrification de Vancouver, au Canada, provoque une ruée sur la nourriture de luxe pour animaux de compagnie. L'engouement touche en particulier le régime cru, très prisé par les « hipsters » et leurs chiens, comme le note le Vancouver Business.

« Nous cherchons à développer de nouvelles formules qui se concentrent sur les problèmes de santé cruciaux des animaux de compagnie », explique Inna Shekhtman, fondatrice et directrice de Red Dog Deli Raw Food Co. Inc. « Près de la moitié d'entre eux se verront diagnostiquer un cancer au cours de leur vie, et beaucoup de propriétaires ne commencent à se soucier de leur régime que lorsqu'ils sont déjà malades. » De nouvelles recherches restent à mener pour prouver que le régime cru améliore la santé des animaux. Tyler Nyquvest, « Millennials boost premium pet-food business », 18 avril 2017. Le parti de l'intelligence

Dans un article consacré au « culte que voue la gauche aux élites intellectuelles » et à leurs aveuglements, Rick Perlstein rappelle un arrêt quasi unanime de la Cour suprême de 1927 en faveur duquel deux piliers de l'intelligentsia progressiste, Oliver Wendell Holmes et Louis Brandeis, pesèrent de tout leur poids.

Dans cette décision historique, la Cour jugea constitutionnelle la stérilisation chirurgicale d'une femme nommée Carrie Buck. La loi de l'État examinée lors de l'affaire Buck v. Bell indiquait, comme Holmes le résuma, que « la santé du patient et le bien-être de la société peuvent être améliorés dans certains cas par la stérilisation des débiles mentaux ». Et cela parce que, « dans ses diverses institutions, la Virginie subvient aux besoins de personnes déficientes qui deviendraient une menace si elles étaient rendues à la vie civile mais qui, si elles étaient incapables de procréer, pourraient retrouver la liberté en toute sécurité et devenir autonomes au bénéfice de tous ». Buck était « la fille d'une mère faible d'esprit dans la même institution, et la mère d'un enfant illégitime faible d'esprit ». « Trois générations d'imbéciles, ça suffit ! ». « Outsmarted », The Baffler, mars 2017. L'art du rectificatif

Avec son mordant proverbial, Jeffrey St. Clair ironise sur les manies du New York Times.

Alexander Cockburn avait coutume de dire que le New York Times publie deux ou trois rectificatifs par jour afin de persuader ses lecteurs que le reste du texte imprimé dans le journal est vrai. Comme celui-ci : « Rectificatif, 5 avril 2017 : du fait d'une erreur d'édition, une version précédente de cet article identifiait Ivanka Trump comme la femme du président Trump. Sa femme est Melania. Ivanka est sa fille. » « Roaming Charges : Metaphysical Graffiti », Counterpunch, 7 avril 2017.

(Own report) - In Southeast Europe, Berlin and the EU are facing a setback in their power struggle with Russia. The Republic of Moldova, once the EU's "model for Eastern Partnerships" - that has been officially associated with the EU since July 1, 2016 - is slowly fading away from Berlin and Brussels' influence. Once pro-Russian President Igor Dodon assumed office, in December 2016, the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) granted observer status to this small southeastern European country. According to recent polls, Dodon's pro-Russian party could expect a clear majority in next year's parliamentary elections. The perspective of a comprehensive rejection of the EU and full admission to the EAEU would no longer be ruled out. This development is the result of Berlin and Brussels' having relied on despised oligarchs, to insure their influence in the Moldovan Republic. One of these, currently in control of the government, seeks to maintain power by changing the voting laws.

In the latest display of Beijing’s growing naval prowess, Chinese officials last month celebrated the launch of the country’s first home-built aircraft carrier. While the ship will not enter active service until 2020, the lavish ceremony surrounding the launch sent a clear message to the world that China’s burgeoning naval defense industry is becoming increasingly sophisticated.

Once fitted out with the latest seafaring technology and maritime weaponry, the ship will join a repurposed Soviet-era carrier China bought second hand from Ukraine and launched in 2012.

Together, these vessels will help Beijing boost its presence on the increasingly overcrowded waters in and around the South China Sea, where neighboring countries continue to squabble over natural resources, islands and shipping routes.

While the two carriers will be no match for those operated globally by the U.S. once they are both in active service, they will provide China with a distinct advantage over regional rivals. No other littoral country involved in the South China Sea territorial disputes is able to project a similar degree of force.

The U.S. still outweighs China’s navy with its 10 aircraft carriers currently in operation, but analysts have suggested the two vessels will allow Beijing to go toe-to-toe with the American navy in the Asia-Pacific region, owing to the fact that the U.S. has military responsibilities elsewhere in the world that consistently tie-up its resources. Lessons learned from the construction of its first aircraft carrier will likely help China build others, making the process of bringing future vessels to combat readiness in a shorter space of time much easier.

In a move that further augmented Beijing’s power projection capability, China also recently completed work on three major military bases on artificial islands in the South China Sea, allowing Chinese military aircraft to operate over all of its waters. However, for Chinese military experts these efforts are not nearly enough.

According to local media, the military is calling for at least six aircraft carriers and 10 bases across the globe to cement China’s foothold in other regions of the world and execute missions in tune with becoming a naval superpower. These bases would be located in regions were the Chinese have “concentrated interests”, such as Pakistan.

Yet thus far, Beijing has found only one country willing to allow the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to use its land for this purpose. China built its first military base abroad in the small African state of Djibouti, securing access to the Indian Ocean, and allowing the Chinese military to better protect the growing investments Beijing continues to make in a number of African nations.

The base represents the PLA’s move away from homeland defense to the protection of Chinese interests overseas, and is very much a symbol of things to come. When the base was confirmed, China’s regional rivals were quick to voice concerns that the development looked more like an aggressive military build-up, rather than the construction of a “logistics and fast evacuation base,” as claimed by Beijing.

Far from being a strategic outpost with little geopolitical significance, the building of China’s Djibouti base has pitched Beijing directly against the U.S, which has its own naval facility in the small African state.

Djibouti’s autocratic ruler Ismael Guelleh welcomed the building of the Chinese base after the Chinese government invested billions of dollars into his country, which helped him pay legal bills from pursuing a political rival abroad. Beijing also committed to pay $20 million annually for use of the site, while Guelleh forced the US to leave one of its naval facilities.

Unsurprisingly, U.S. officials are worried the close proximity of China’s base to its own Camp Lemonnier facility will allow Beijing to monitor U.S. counterterrorism operations in North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

For its part, Beijing insists the PLA’s expansionist behavior is merely defensive, and that the building out of its military capability and search for naval outposts serves the protection of China’s national sovereignty and interests overseas.

Despite this, developments within the military speak another language. It is becoming increasingly clear that China’s military is broadening its mission as China is no longer downplaying the role of its Djibouti camp as logistical and anti-piracy base, but hinting at roles beyond anti-piracy.

Simultaneously, the PLA is boosting its rapid deployment marine corps from 20,000 to 100,000 as part of a push to increase its military presence in the Indian Ocean. The move is one aspect of a wider plan to refocus the PLA’s resources away from land forces to specialized units able to respond to a range of security threats.

While it will likely be decades before China fulfills its ambition of rounding out its aircraft carrier fleet to at least six vessels and creating more overseas naval bases, the scale of its plans indicate that Beijing is behaving more and more like a confident great power.

By expanding its land reclamation activities in the contested waters of the South China Sea and rapidly improving the PLA’s global clout, China is reinforcing its claim to the title as the most powerful and influential nation in the Asia-Pacific. Make no mistake: this is but a prelude of things to come.

The post With Its Second Aircraft Carrier, China Extends its Global Reach appeared first on Foreign Policy Blogs.

In the latest display of Beijing’s growing naval prowess, Chinese officials last month celebrated the launch of the country’s first home-built aircraft carrier. While the ship will not enter active service until 2020, the lavish ceremony surrounding the launch sent a clear message to the world that China’s burgeoning naval defense industry is becoming increasingly sophisticated.

Once fitted out with the latest seafaring technology and maritime weaponry, the ship will join a repurposed Soviet-era carrier China bought second hand from Ukraine and launched in 2012.

Together, these vessels will help Beijing boost its presence on the increasingly overcrowded waters in and around the South China Sea, where neighboring countries continue to squabble over natural resources, islands and shipping routes.

While the two carriers will be no match for those operated globally by the U.S. once they are both in active service, they will provide China with a distinct advantage over regional rivals. No other littoral country involved in the South China Sea territorial disputes is able to project a similar degree of force.

The U.S. still outweighs China’s navy with its 10 aircraft carriers currently in operation, but analysts have suggested the two vessels will allow Beijing to go toe-to-toe with the American navy in the Asia-Pacific region, owing to the fact that the U.S. has military responsibilities elsewhere in the world that consistently tie-up its resources. Lessons learned from the construction of its first aircraft carrier will likely help China build others, making the process of bringing future vessels to combat readiness in a shorter space of time much easier.

In a move that further augmented Beijing’s power projection capability, China also recently completed work on three major military bases on artificial islands in the South China Sea, allowing Chinese military aircraft to operate over all of its waters. However, for Chinese military experts these efforts are not nearly enough.

According to local media, the military is calling for at least six aircraft carriers and 10 bases across the globe to cement China’s foothold in other regions of the world and execute missions in tune with becoming a naval superpower. These bases would be located in regions were the Chinese have “concentrated interests”, such as Pakistan.

Yet thus far, Beijing has found only one country willing to allow the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to use its land for this purpose. China built its first military base abroad in the small African state of Djibouti, securing access to the Indian Ocean, and allowing the Chinese military to better protect the growing investments Beijing continues to make in a number of African nations.

The base represents the PLA’s move away from homeland defense to the protection of Chinese interests overseas, and is very much a symbol of things to come. When the base was confirmed, China’s regional rivals were quick to voice concerns that the development looked more like an aggressive military build-up, rather than the construction of a “logistics and fast evacuation base,” as claimed by Beijing.

Far from being a strategic outpost with little geopolitical significance, the building of China’s Djibouti base has pitched Beijing directly against the U.S, which has its own naval facility in the small African state.

Djibouti’s autocratic ruler Ismael Guelleh welcomed the building of the Chinese base after the Chinese government invested billions of dollars into his country, which helped him pay legal bills from pursuing a political rival abroad. Beijing also committed to pay $20 million annually for use of the site, while Guelleh forced the US to leave one of its naval facilities.

Unsurprisingly, U.S. officials are worried the close proximity of China’s base to its own Camp Lemonnier facility will allow Beijing to monitor U.S. counterterrorism operations in North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

For its part, Beijing insists the PLA’s expansionist behavior is merely defensive, and that the building out of its military capability and search for naval outposts serves the protection of China’s national sovereignty and interests overseas.

Despite this, developments within the military speak another language. It is becoming increasingly clear that China’s military is broadening its mission as China is no longer downplaying the role of its Djibouti camp as logistical and anti-piracy base, but hinting at roles beyond anti-piracy.

Simultaneously, the PLA is boosting its rapid deployment marine corps from 20,000 to 100,000 as part of a push to increase its military presence in the Indian Ocean. The move is one aspect of a wider plan to refocus the PLA’s resources away from land forces to specialized units able to respond to a range of security threats.

While it will likely be decades before China fulfills its ambition of rounding out its aircraft carrier fleet to at least six vessels and creating more overseas naval bases, the scale of its plans indicate that Beijing is behaving more and more like a confident great power.

By expanding its land reclamation activities in the contested waters of the South China Sea and rapidly improving the PLA’s global clout, China is reinforcing its claim to the title as the most powerful and influential nation in the Asia-Pacific. Make no mistake: this is but a prelude of things to come.

The post With Its Second Aircraft Carrier, China Extends its Global Reach appeared first on Foreign Policy Blogs.

In Da Nang, a coastal city in the center of Vietnam, locals and tourists alike flock every night to Be Anh, one of the city’s most popular seafood restaurants. Many diners are oblivious to the toxic waste spill last April which killed over 100 tons of fish along a 200-kilometer coastline just north of the city.

The release of chemicals, including cyanide, phenols and iron hydroxide was eventually blamed on a steel mill waste pipeline in Hà Tĩnh owned by Taiwan’s Formosa Plastics Group. The steel mill was later cited for more than 50 violations, with the company promising to pay $500 million in compensation.

Vietnam’s environmental ministry has stated it will take at least a decade for the region to recover from the spill.

Others diners are mindful of the effects, but insist the pollution does not extend into Da Nang’s waters and the seafood they eat, as tourists flocked to the beaches over the holiday celebrating Vietnam’s Reunification Day (April 30) and International Workers’ Day (May 1). Still others have not forgotten, and continue the protests which rocked major cities throughout Vietnam in April and May of last year.

Marking the first anniversary of the spill, protesters in the town of Kỳ Anh blocked the country’s main highway the first week of April. Some 100 Vietnamese used fishing nets, bricks and heavy rocks to block the highway, reportedly delaying thousands of vehicles. Vietnam’s government promised to identify and prosecute protesters for “causing public disorder”. In Ho Chi Minh City, the streets were quiet that same week with few security personnel on guard.

While Vietnamese government officials promise to prosecute instigators of protests, such as Nguyễn Văn Hóa, a 22-year-old resident of Kỳ Anh (arrested for using a flycam to record and publish protests), they also punished four high-ranking government officials for their lack of supervision over environmental safety.

Nguyễn Minh Quang, the former environmental minister, was rebuked and two of his deputies were fired.  Võ Kim Cự, the 60-year old party chief secretary of Hà Tĩnh province, was also fired and has offered his resignation as a delegate of the lawmaking National Assembly, citing “health reasons.”

While the threat of punishment may help deter future environmental disasters and increase oversight, Vietnamese officials are also responding to citizens’ concerns over future pollution. Starting in April, officials in Ho Chi Minh City are installing a network of 53 outdoor LED boards throughout the city which will allow residents to monitor air and water quality in real time. The LED boards will display levels of nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide, as well as the water quality of rivers and canals, and levels of noise pollution.

The U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City already publishes air quality readings from its own monitor on this website, as Vietnam experiences worsening air pollution, resulting in a rising number of Vietnamese being hospitalized for respiratory illnesses.

The city’s efforts to improve citizens’ access to information regarding their quality of living is laudable, but more effort needs to be done in other cities and poorer provinces to ensure local officials at the provincial level pay heed to environmental laws. Vietnam is growing quickly, drawing in manufacturing from many countries, including China, and will need strict vigilance to assure its residents that this developing country will not repeat the mistakes of its neighbor in the north.

The post One Year On From Vietnam’s Worst Environmental Disaster appeared first on Foreign Policy Blogs.

In Da Nang, a coastal city in the center of Vietnam, locals and tourists alike flock every night to Be Anh, one of the city’s most popular seafood restaurants. Many diners are oblivious to the toxic waste spill last April which killed over 100 tons of fish along a 200-kilometer coastline just north of the city.

The release of chemicals, including cyanide, phenols and iron hydroxide was eventually blamed on a steel mill waste pipeline in Hà Tĩnh owned by Taiwan’s Formosa Plastics Group. The steel mill was later cited for more than 50 violations, with the company promising to pay $500 million in compensation.

Vietnam’s environmental ministry has stated it will take at least a decade for the region to recover from the spill.

Others diners are mindful of the effects, but insist the pollution does not extend into Da Nang’s waters and the seafood they eat, as tourists flocked to the beaches over the holiday celebrating Vietnam’s Reunification Day (April 30) and International Workers’ Day (May 1). Still others have not forgotten, and continue the protests which rocked major cities throughout Vietnam in April and May of last year.

Marking the first anniversary of the spill, protesters in the town of Kỳ Anh blocked the country’s main highway the first week of April. Some 100 Vietnamese used fishing nets, bricks and heavy rocks to block the highway, reportedly delaying thousands of vehicles. Vietnam’s government promised to identify and prosecute protesters for “causing public disorder”. In Ho Chi Minh City, the streets were quiet that same week with few security personnel on guard.

While Vietnamese government officials promise to prosecute instigators of protests, such as Nguyễn Văn Hóa, a 22-year-old resident of Kỳ Anh (arrested for using a flycam to record and publish protests), they also punished four high-ranking government officials for their lack of supervision over environmental safety.

Nguyễn Minh Quang, the former environmental minister, was rebuked and two of his deputies were fired.  Võ Kim Cự, the 60-year old party chief secretary of Hà Tĩnh province, was also fired and has offered his resignation as a delegate of the lawmaking National Assembly, citing “health reasons.”

While the threat of punishment may help deter future environmental disasters and increase oversight, Vietnamese officials are also responding to citizens’ concerns over future pollution. Starting in April, officials in Ho Chi Minh City are installing a network of 53 outdoor LED boards throughout the city which will allow residents to monitor air and water quality in real time. The LED boards will display levels of nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide, as well as the water quality of rivers and canals, and levels of noise pollution.

The U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City already publishes air quality readings from its own monitor on this website, as Vietnam experiences worsening air pollution, resulting in a rising number of Vietnamese being hospitalized for respiratory illnesses.

The city’s efforts to improve citizens’ access to information regarding their quality of living is laudable, but more effort needs to be done in other cities and poorer provinces to ensure local officials at the provincial level pay heed to environmental laws. Vietnam is growing quickly, drawing in manufacturing from many countries, including China, and will need strict vigilance to assure its residents that this developing country will not repeat the mistakes of its neighbor in the north.

The post One Year On From Vietnam’s Worst Environmental Disaster appeared first on Foreign Policy Blogs.

Venezuelans block a street in the capital Caracas in protest of President Nicolas Maduro and his increasingly autocratic rule. Protesters are demanding that open elections be held soon, although the regime is resisting this. (Marco Bello/Reuters)

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro continues to crack down on opposition and protests to his increasingly authoritarian government. As pressure mounts both inside and outside the country amid widespread protests and violent outbreaks, citizens continue to suffer as Maduro clings to power. The government also continues to try to delay holding elections, likely out of concern (and it is valid concern) that they might actually lose.

I wrote about the origins of the present unrest on April 13th. The country’s Supreme Court tried to assume powers of the National Assembly, and the regime declared a major opposition figure–Henrique Capriles, considered a front-runner in the next presidential election–ineligible to run for office. In the time since, marches and protests have become ever-present. Maduro regularly dismisses them as baseless efforts to foment violence and topple his government. Marchers are typically cut off by government-backed security forces. Also, Maduro has directed the Caracas subway system to be closed when protests are planned in order to make it more difficult for participants to gather.

The overwhelming majority of international response has been in support of the opposition. On April 19th, 11 Latin American countries issued a joint statement urging the Venezuelan government to set a timeframe for holding elections in order to “allow for a quick solution to the crisis that Venezuela is living through.”

Antagonism with the U.S. grew further on April 20th when General Motors announced it would be ceasing all operations in Venezuela. The move resulted from government authorities seizing control of GM’s auto manufacturing plant in the city of Valencia, along with bank accounts and other assets. This high-profile rebuke of a major American business is likely to have repercussions in both countries. GM employs almost 4,000 people in Venezuela, mostly at car and truck dealerships. On the same day, protests raged in Caracas and were met by tear gas and rubber bullets.

Shows of discontent against the Maduro regime continued on April 24th, when thousands of protestors in Caracas and other cities gathered on highways and other main streets, sitting down in the middle of roads and refusing to move, bringing traffic to a standstill. Violent encounters with security forces continued, bringing the total of Venezuelans killed since this wave of protests began to 23. The protests and ensuing violence have only increased in intensity in the month since the Supreme Court attempted its takeover.

By April 28th, the death toll rose to 29, as protests shifted in a different direction. On that day hundreds marched to the jail holding Leopoldo Lopez, a highly regarded opposition leader who was arrested in 2014 for instigating violence. Of course Lopez’s supporters maintain he is a political prisoner convicted on bogus charges. While state police blocked access to the prison, those supporting Lopez held a rally outside, shouting “Leopoldo” and holding signs saying “No to Dictatorship.”

***

While the violence perpetrated by government forces is deplorable and debilitating, it does like the opposition is gaining momentum. Protests show no sign of slowing down, and international support is largely on the side of the resistance. Plus according to Reuters, the opposition coalition in the National Assembly now has “majority support.”

Yet many challenges remain. Maduro seems unwilliing relinquish any power, and has done everything he can to prevent Capriles from running against him in the next election. Change will not be easy.

But it seems Venezuelans think change is worth fighting for. A presidential election must be held within a reasonable time, with support of independent monitors to ensure fairness. If the present is allowed to continue, it is hard to see how Venezuelans’ life will be able to improve.

The post Venezuela: Tensions High as Showdown Looms appeared first on Foreign Policy Blogs.

Venezuelans block a street in the capital Caracas in protest of President Nicolas Maduro and his increasingly autocratic rule. Protesters are demanding that open elections be held soon, although the regime is resisting this. (Marco Bello/Reuters)

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro continues to crack down on opposition and protests to his increasingly authoritarian government. As pressure mounts both inside and outside the country amid widespread protests and violent outbreaks, citizens continue to suffer as Maduro clings to power. The government also continues to try to delay holding elections, likely out of concern (and it is valid concern) that they might actually lose.

I wrote about the origins of the present unrest on April 13th. The country’s Supreme Court tried to assume powers of the National Assembly, and the regime declared a major opposition figure–Henrique Capriles, considered a front-runner in the next presidential election–ineligible to run for office. In the time since, marches and protests have become ever-present. Maduro regularly dismisses them as baseless efforts to foment violence and topple his government. Marchers are typically cut off by government-backed security forces. Also, Maduro has directed the Caracas subway system to be closed when protests are planned in order to make it more difficult for participants to gather.

The overwhelming majority of international response has been in support of the opposition. On April 19th, 11 Latin American countries issued a joint statement urging the Venezuelan government to set a timeframe for holding elections in order to “allow for a quick solution to the crisis that Venezuela is living through.”

Antagonism with the U.S. grew further on April 20th when General Motors announced it would be ceasing all operations in Venezuela. The move resulted from government authorities seizing control of GM’s auto manufacturing plant in the city of Valencia, along with bank accounts and other assets. This high-profile rebuke of a major American business is likely to have repercussions in both countries. GM employs almost 4,000 people in Venezuela, mostly at car and truck dealerships. On the same day, protests raged in Caracas and were met by tear gas and rubber bullets.

Shows of discontent against the Maduro regime continued on April 24th, when thousands of protestors in Caracas and other cities gathered on highways and other main streets, sitting down in the middle of roads and refusing to move, bringing traffic to a standstill. Violent encounters with security forces continued, bringing the total of Venezuelans killed since this wave of protests began to 23. The protests and ensuing violence have only increased in intensity in the month since the Supreme Court attempted its takeover.

By April 28th, the death toll rose to 29, as protests shifted in a different direction. On that day hundreds marched to the jail holding Leopoldo Lopez, a highly regarded opposition leader who was arrested in 2014 for instigating violence. Of course Lopez’s supporters maintain he is a political prisoner convicted on bogus charges. While state police blocked access to the prison, those supporting Lopez held a rally outside, shouting “Leopoldo” and holding signs saying “No to Dictatorship.”

***

While the violence perpetrated by government forces is deplorable and debilitating, it does like the opposition is gaining momentum. Protests show no sign of slowing down, and international support is largely on the side of the resistance. Plus according to Reuters, the opposition coalition in the National Assembly now has “majority support.”

Yet many challenges remain. Maduro seems unwilliing relinquish any power, and has done everything he can to prevent Capriles from running against him in the next election. Change will not be easy.

But it seems Venezuelans think change is worth fighting for. A presidential election must be held within a reasonable time, with support of independent monitors to ensure fairness. If the present is allowed to continue, it is hard to see how Venezuelans’ life will be able to improve.

The post Venezuela: Tensions High as Showdown Looms appeared first on Foreign Policy Blogs.

Cette recension a été publiée dans le numéro de printemps de Politique étrangère (n°1/2017). Dhafer Saidane propose une analyse de l’ouvrage de Yassine Essid, La face cachée de l’islamisation. La banque islamique (Éditions de l’Aube, 2016, 176 pages).

Laurent Weill, fondateur et responsable scientifique de l’Executive MBA « Finance islamique » à l’université de Strasbourg, classe les individus qui s’intéressent à la finance islamique selon la règle des « 3 C » : les curieux, les croyants et les cupides.

Le livre de Yassine Essid évacue de son champ d’analyse les deux premières catégories pour se focaliser principalement sur la dernière : les « imposteurs ». Ce ne sont donc pas les chercheurs « curieux » de comprendre ni les « croyants » à la recherche d’un sens qu’il incrimine, mais plutôt certains « économistes […] qui ne cessent de colporter des idées fausses qui contribuent puissamment à une imposture […] ».

Sous le titre de l’ouvrage, c’est donc une analyse critique de la finance islamique qui se cache puisque deux chapitres sur les cinq que compte l’ouvrage sont consacrés directement à la notion de riba (intérêt et usure), notion déjà condamnée par Aristote dans l’Éthique à Nicomaque. Ce dernier précise : « L’intérêt est de l’argent issu d’argent, et c’est de toutes les acquisitions celle qui est la plus contraire à la nature. » Or la finance islamique est définie par la charia, loi canonique musulmane régissant la vie religieuse, politique, sociale et individuelle. Ses préceptes interdisent de recevoir et de verser un intérêt, car le débiteur supporterait seul la totalité du risque associé à un projet d’investissement. La charia interdit également les transactions déconnectées de l’économie réelle et menées à des fins purement spéculatives. Toute transaction financière doit donc être adossée à un actif tangible. La charia prohibe l’investissement dans des activités non éthiques ou considérées comme haram, c’est-à-dire illicites. Il en résulte que la finance islamique vise à servir avant tout les hommes, acteurs et parties prenantes d’une économie réelle tangible, à travers des contrats dont la règle est le partage des profits et des pertes.

Est-ce cette finance islamique que dénonce Yassine Essid ? Celle que le prophète Mohamed a développée entre 571 et 632 de l’ère chrétienne ? Visiblement, ce n’est pas celle-ci qu’il condamne, ni celle des Khoulafa (632 à 1923), qui s’apparente davantage à une finance publique avec la gestion de Beit El Mal (Trésor public). Non. C’est plutôt celle qui naît avec le boom pétrolier des années 1970 et qui n’est autre que la copie presque conforme de la finance conventionnelle à l’origine de la crise de 2008. Ce que condamne l’auteur, c’est cette finance pseudo-musulmane animée par des charia board, en conflit d’intérêts total avec les institutions financières qu’ils servent, et dont la crédibilité est proportionnelle au pourcentage du chiffre d’affaires qu’ils traitent. C’est en effet cette troisième forme de finance islamique qui est discutable, d’autant qu’elle autorise dans la composition des indices islamiques Dow Jones, FTSE ou S&P, négociés sur les places financières internationales, un niveau de revenu illicite secondaire de 5 % au maximum par rapport au revenu total ! Comment peut-on admettre une telle dérive ? Comment peut-on faire du halal (licite) avec du haram (illicite) ?

Le mérite du livre de Yassine Essid est de pointer du doigt cette regrettable dérive d’un champ qui se veut proche de l’investissement socialement responsable. Mais la cupidité de certains hommes en a décidé autrement.

Dhafer Saidane

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(Own report) - In the prelude to Chancellor Merkel's visit to Russia, German business associations and foreign policy experts are urging that the policy of sanctions be ended. They argue that sanctions practically have become ineffective, since Russia's economy has withstood these trade restrictions and is now even recovering. The boycott has also damaged the EU's image and that of the USA in Russia and, even though intended to weaken, it has helped to stabilize the Russian government. Moreover, Russian orders, that German businesses had once expected, were increasingly going to competitors, for example in China - and are ultimately lost. However, German economists still see Russia as a lucrative market. According to an analysis by the Bertelsmann Foundation and Munich's ifo Institute, a free-trade agreement between the EU and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), congregated around Russia, would generate a growth of 45 billion euros. Government advisors recommend that the sanctions policy be gradually ended. This would not eliminate the prospect that Moscow, at any time, could be forced to its knees with an arms race.

“On World Press Freedom Day, I call for an end to all crackdowns against journalists – because a free press advances peace and justice for all.” — António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General(Flickr)

May 3th is World Press Freedom Day. The UN has been celebrating this international day annually since the 1993 proclamation that commemorated the 1991 Declaration of Windhoek. The Declaration of Windhoek is a statement of free press principles, a manifesto written by a group of African journalists. It was an outcome of a UNESCO seminar held in Windhoek, Namibia, calling for the promotion of independent and pluralistic journalism in post-Cold War Africa.

From May 1st to 4th, UNESCO and the Indonesian government will co-organize the main and side events of World Press Freedom Day in Jakarta. This year’s themes, titled Critical Minds for Critical Times will explore the ‘Media’s role in advancing peaceful, just and inclusive societies’. Unlike Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the 16th goal of the UN’s post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) recognizes the importance of the role of a free press in promoting inclusive and democratic governance. Reflecting this highlighted function of the free press in actualizing an agenda, the themes will focus on the three essential preconditions that shape the free press as a catalyst for the promotion of peace around the globe.

First, that a legal framework protecting investigative journalism must be built and secured. According to the UNESCO Director-General’s 2016 Report on the Safety of Journalists and the Danger of Impunity, 827 journalists lost their lives while on duty over the last decade, and 8% of these cases remain unresolved. An institutional safety net protecting journalists’ welfare is, thus, in urgent demand. Likewise, as instances of hate speech and violent extremism are increasingly prevalent these days, the implementation of regulatory measures to pre-empt such harmful incidents are more pressing than ever.

Second, journalists must always comply with high ethical standards. They should always impartially convey the reality of conflict situations, free from the political influence of involved parties.

Lastly, tools that enable participatory democracy through Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) should be further strengthened. Online platforms not only provide low-cost access to information, but they also give the opportunity to exercise freedom of expression for netizens, thereby fostering transnational and intercultural democratization.

The fact that the free press’ current situation could be considered grave on a global scale, make it worth following up on the activities of this year’s World Press Freedom Day. According to the recently released 2017 World Press Freedom Index, an annual publication by Reporters without Borders, the global landscape of journalism has entered into a transitional phase in the post-2016 political climate, reaching a dangerous tipping point for the status of the free press.

Instances of state-sanctioned terror against the free press have soared 14% over the past five years, and nearly two out of three countries showed signs of deterioration in the quality of the free press compared to last year’s index. Remarkably, the index shows that the advent of so-called ‘post-truth politics’, fake news and ‘strongman’ leadership have greatly reduced the free press status of established democracies.

The post May 3rd: World Press Freedom Day appeared first on Foreign Policy Blogs.

“On World Press Freedom Day, I call for an end to all crackdowns against journalists – because a free press advances peace and justice for all.” — António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General(Flickr)

May 3th is World Press Freedom Day. The UN has been celebrating this international day annually since the 1993 proclamation that commemorated the 1991 Declaration of Windhoek. The Declaration of Windhoek is a statement of free press principles, a manifesto written by a group of African journalists. It was an outcome of a UNESCO seminar held in Windhoek, Namibia, calling for the promotion of independent and pluralistic journalism in post-Cold War Africa.

From May 1st to 4th, UNESCO and the Indonesian government will co-organize the main and side events of World Press Freedom Day in Jakarta. This year’s themes, titled Critical Minds for Critical Times will explore the ‘Media’s role in advancing peaceful, just and inclusive societies’. Unlike Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the 16th goal of the UN’s post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) recognizes the importance of the role of a free press in promoting inclusive and democratic governance. Reflecting this highlighted function of the free press in actualizing an agenda, the themes will focus on the three essential preconditions that shape the free press as a catalyst for the promotion of peace around the globe.

First, that a legal framework protecting investigative journalism must be built and secured. According to the UNESCO Director-General’s 2016 Report on the Safety of Journalists and the Danger of Impunity, 827 journalists lost their lives while on duty over the last decade, and 8% of these cases remain unresolved. An institutional safety net protecting journalists’ welfare is, thus, in urgent demand. Likewise, as instances of hate speech and violent extremism are increasingly prevalent these days, the implementation of regulatory measures to pre-empt such harmful incidents are more pressing than ever.

Second, journalists must always comply with high ethical standards. They should always impartially convey the reality of conflict situations, free from the political influence of involved parties.

Lastly, tools that enable participatory democracy through Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) should be further strengthened. Online platforms not only provide low-cost access to information, but they also give the opportunity to exercise freedom of expression for netizens, thereby fostering transnational and intercultural democratization.

The fact that the free press’ current situation could be considered grave on a global scale, make it worth following up on the activities of this year’s World Press Freedom Day. According to the recently released 2017 World Press Freedom Index, an annual publication by Reporters without Borders, the global landscape of journalism has entered into a transitional phase in the post-2016 political climate, reaching a dangerous tipping point for the status of the free press.

Instances of state-sanctioned terror against the free press have soared 14% over the past five years, and nearly two out of three countries showed signs of deterioration in the quality of the free press compared to last year’s index. Remarkably, the index shows that the advent of so-called ‘post-truth politics’, fake news and ‘strongman’ leadership have greatly reduced the free press status of established democracies.

The post May 3rd: World Press Freedom Day appeared first on Foreign Policy Blogs.

Dossier du CERI - Politique étrangère de la France : quels défis pour le prochain président de la République ?

Les années 2015-2017 ont été pour la France des « années terribles » sur le plan de la sécurité. Sécurité intérieure d’abord, puisque le pays a été touché par de nombreux attentats en 2015 et 2016, de l’attaque contre Charlie Hebdo et de l’hypermarché cacher (7 et 9 janvier 2015) à l’assassinat du Père Jacques Hamel dans l’église de Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray (26 juillet 2016), en passant par l’attentat contre le Bataclan et le Stade de France (13 novembre 2015) et celui de Nice (14 juillet 2016).Sécurité européenne ensuite puisque plusieurs pays de l'Union ont été touchés par le terrorisme. L’environnement de cette dernière n’est plus aussi sûr qu’il l’était. Au Sud, les soulèvements arabes ont provoqué l’effondrement de plusieurs Etats (Libye, Syrie), une guerre civile internationalisée (Syrie), une forte instabilité (Tunisie, Egypte), de nouvelles vulnérabilités (Jordanie, Liban) et une dissémination des armes et de la violence du Moyen-Orient vers le Sahel. A l’Est, la résurgence des initiatives russes depuis la guerre en Géorgie (2008) à l’annexion de la Crimée et la déstabilisation de l’Est de l’Ukraine depuis 2014 et la nouvelle aventure de Vladimir Poutine en Syrie sont lourds de menaces.Sécurité globale ou internationale enfin. En Asie, on assiste à la montée en puissance de la Chine et les interrogations qu’elle suscite, notamment pour la liberté de circulation maritime dans la très stratégique mer de Chine du Sud. De l’autre côté de l’Atlantique, le nouveau locataire de la Maison Blanche est insaisissable, il tance ses alliés, doute de la pertinence de l’OTAN, multiplie provocations et approximations et divise l’Amérique qu’il voudrait entourer de murs. Enfin, la pauvreté reste importante à travers le monde et source de nombreux conflits, de nombreux Etats se sont effondrés, la cyber-menace s’accroît sans cesse, la criminalité internationale et la fragilité des biens communs, à commencer par l'environnement en période de réchauffement climatique, sont plus importantes que jamais.Nous pourrions en rester à cette typologie classique des défis à la sécurité de la France. Parce que consacrée, elle est finalement familière en dépit de ses nuances sombres. Mais les défis s’interprètent également à la lumière de ceux qui en ont la charge. Nous assistons à une triple crise qui devrait interpeller la prochaine équipe dirigeante de notre pays. La première relève de la décomposition des cercles d’appartenance traditionnels de la France : le cercle européen, le cercle atlantique et celui dit de la francophonie. La deuxième crise découle de la menace qui pèse sur notre instrument diplomatique et militaire qui a urgemment besoin d’être modernisé. La troisième crise et dernière est celle qui pourrait résulter d’un aveuglement intellectuel qui pourrait entraîner d’« étranges défaites » si les approches stratégiques ne sont pas diversifiées.LA CRISE DES CERCLES D'APPARTENANCELa France est un membre influent de l'Union européenne, de l’Alliance atlantique et une puissance globale disposant de relais d’influence, essentiellement en Méditerranée et en Afrique, territoires avec lesquels elle partage une histoire commune. L'Union européenne est aujourd’hui en crise. Crise institutionnelle marquée par des blocages décisionnels ; politique renforcée depuis le Brexit; économique depuis la crise financière qui a commencé en 2008 ; sécuritaire depuis les attaques terroristes qui ont mis à jour les dysfonctionnements et l’absence de coordination entre les Etats membres et depuis les menées russes en Ukraine devant lesquelles les Vingt-huit se sont retrouvés impuissants et enfin crise morale à l’heure où des milliers de personnes trouvent la mort en tentant de rejoindre l’Union ou sont accueillies par des barbelés.

Le cercle d’appartenance atlantique, que la France a choisi de rejoindre en 1949, est lui aussi en difficulté. Il a souffert de la distance d’un Barack Obama, davantage attiré par les défis du Pacifique et qui a pu laisser certains de ses alliés douter de sa détermination à les protéger en cas de crise grave. L’OTAN souffre aujourd’hui des gestes incohérents et des signaux contradictoires envoyés par Donald Trump. L’Amérique met en danger ce qu’elle a elle-même construit à l’heure où la menace russe ressurgit et où le peer competitor chinois s’affirme. Par ailleurs, le pays de la deuxième armée de l’Alliance atlantique, par ailleurs candidate (de moins en moins au fil du temps) à l'Union européenne – il s’agit bien sûr de la Turquie – retrouve des réflexes autoritaires.

Enfin, le cercle de la francophonie a connu de grands bouleversements : les printemps arabes et le développement de nouveaux conflits au Moyen-Orient. Le Maghreb reste fragile et l’Afrique francophone n’est plus celle de Jacques Foccart (ce qui n’est pas forcément à regretter). Elle est complexe comme l’ont montré, entre autres, les épisodes ivoiriens des années 2000 (au moment de l’opération Licorne, et notamment des affrontements entre troupes françaises et foule ivoirienne en 2004), départs massifs de la communauté française installée dans le pays) et s’ouvre désormais à la concurrence, notamment chinoise.

Comment reconstruire ces cercles d’appartenance censés protéger les citoyens des aléas les plus violents de la mondialisation et qui ont mobilisé tant d’énergie depuis la fin de la Seconde Guerre mondiale ? Nous sommes à la fin d’un cycle. La France doit réinventer ses cadres de sécurité. A-t-elle une idée de ce qu’elle veut faire ? Avec quels partenaires souhaite t-elle en priorité ? Et avec quels moyens ?QUEL INSTRUMENT ET QUELS MOYENS ?
Lire la suite dans le dossier du CERI

Article paru dans TheConversation

La question est de Jean‑Luc Mélenchon, dans le débat du 4 avril, et il faut reconnaître qu’elle a sa pertinence. Car les divergences entre les principaux candidats de l’élection présidentielle de 2017 tiennent finalement moins dans le renforcement de l’outil de défense lui-même – tous l’appellent de leurs vœux – que dans l’utilisation qu’ils souhaitent en faire.
Après les attentats de 2015-2016, le consensus sur un renforcement de l’armée et de la sécurité est à l’ordre du jour. Mais après l’élection de Donald Trump et les menées de Vladimir Poutine (en Ukraine comme en Syrie), les visions stratégiques divergent.
Des moyens pour la défenseAprès deux Livres blancs sur la défense et la sécurité en 2008 et 2013, marqués par une réduction du format des armées, le retour du tragique sur le territoire national et dans l’environnement stratégique immédiat de l’Europe a imposé de reconsidérer la question. À la veille du scrutin des 23 avril et 7 mai, l’augmentation du budget est une nécessité reconnue : à 2 % du PIB pour les uns (Emmanuel Macron, François Fillon) ; à 3 % sur un quinquennat pour d’autres (Marine Le Pen, de façon moins certaine Benoît Hamon), tandis que Jean‑Luc Mélenchon refuse de raisonner en chiffres, encore moins avec ceux de l’OTAN (qui fixe la norme des 2 %).
L’idée d’une révision du dispositif Sentinelle est également partagée : la présence massive de militaires sur le territoire national après les attentats n’est pas appelée à perdurer (Macron, Hamon), sans doute à être redimensionnée (Fillon). De la même manière, l’utilité d’un nouveau Livre blanc ou d’une revue de défense nationale après l’élection, exercice devenu consubstantiel de l’ouverture d’un nouveau quinquennat, est largement reconnue. La tâche serait confiée directement au chef d’état-major des armées en cas de victoire de François Fillon.
Même l’idée d’une réintroduction, sous une forme ou une autre, d’un service national, fait son chemin. Si la proposition d’Emmanuel Macron d’un service « de durée courte un [mois], obligatoire et universel » a été la plus commentée, Marine Le Pen (trois mois) et Jean‑Luc Mélenchon (9 à 12 mois) y sont également sensibles.
Des postures stratégiques opposéesUne fois cet hymne à la défense nationale entonné, la feuille de route prend des couleurs différentes. D’une manière générale, la tendance occidentaliste la plus dure – qualifiée parfois, et sans doute rapidement, de « néoconservatisme à la française » – est pratiquement absente du paysage. Comment pourrait-il en être autrement, alors que l’atlantisme a perdu de son sens avec un Président américain sceptique sur l’OTAN, et que Vladimir Poutine fait figure désormais de défenseur à la fois de l’Occident, de l’autoritarisme et de l’intervention militaire ?

Lire la suite dans TheConversation

Article paru dans TheConversation

Plusieurs règles de prudence s’imposent lorsque l’on parle de la future politique étrangère d’un pays, à la veille d’un résultat électoral :

• ce ne sont pas les programmes qui dictent l’avenir d’une relation au monde, mais l’actualité internationale, avec ses drames et ses surprises.
• Dès lors, une partie de ce qui a été dit dans le cadre d’un débat national avant l’élection ne pourra pas toujours être appliquée ensuite ;
• on ne sait rien de ce que sera l’action extérieure d’un pays avant de connaître avec précision (ministres, conseillers…) les équipes qui en auront la charge ;
• dans le cas français, il faudra même attendre les élections législatives pour connaître ces équipes ;
• ce sont aussi les moyens financiers, en plus des volontés politiques, qui détermineront les marges de manœuvre pour agir.

Néanmoins, une certitude peut s’enregistrer dès à présent : à l’issue d’une campagne inédite, le second tour de l’élection présidentielle française verra s’affronter deux visions du monde incompatibles.
Deux visions du monde incompatiblesEmmanuel Macron fut presque le seul candidat à avoir défendu le projet européen, et à vouloir le relancer tout en en admettant les limites ; ses visites à l’étranger en tant que candidat l’ont emmené aux États-Unis dont il ne renie pas l’alliance structurelle tout en se distançant de l’actuel président, en Allemagne qu’il voit en partenaire irremplaçable, au Royaume-Uni où se sont exilés nombre de jeunes Français en quête d’emploi, ou à plusieurs reprises dans le monde arabe (Tunisie, Algérie, Liban, Jordanie).
Il se méfie d’un trop grand rapprochement avec Moscou (qui inquiéterait à la fois les Alliés de l’OTAN et certains partenaires européens de l’Europe orientale), et plus encore d’un choix manichéen entre l’État islamique et le régime de Damas en Syrie.
Marine Le Pen, elle, capitalise depuis longtemps (à la suite de son père) sur le sentiment anti-européen, au point de présenter implicitement les accusations dont elle fait l’objet à propos de son utilisation des fonds européens, en actes de défi vis-à-vis de Bruxelles. Elle dénonce l’OTAN, mais loue régulièrement le nouveau Président américain, et patiente au bas de sa Trump Tower dans l’espoir (non exaucé) d’une rencontre avec lui.
Marine Le Pen reçue par Vladimir Poutine, au Kremlin, le 24 mars 2017. Mikhaïl Klimentiev/SPUTNIK/AFP A Moscou, elle est reçue par Vladimir Poutine pour qui elle ne cache pas son admiration, persistant et signant dans sa volonté de se rapprocher de la Russie, en dépit des accusations de dépendance dont son parti fait l’objet (notamment après l’octroi d’un prêt de 9 millions d’euros par une banque russe). Ses déclarations sur l’Allemagne sont souvent inamicales. Elle a préféré, dans ses visites de campagne, le Tchad d’Idriss Deby au monde arabe, sauf au Liban, où elle a rencontré le nouveau Président Aoun, allié de Damas et du Hezbollah.
Difficile, donc, d’avoir deux candidats plus éloignés en la matière. Il n’y a pas là que des mots, ou des programmes élaborés à la hâte pour les besoins d’une campagne : chacun est bien en cohérence avec sa vision du monde, et, sans doute, avec son électorat.
Faux clichés Lire la suite dans TheConversation

Marking International Jazz Day, the United Nations cultural agency today stressed the power of jazz to unite people and its contribution to peace.

A plane carrying relief items has arrived in Luanda, Angola, to assist over 11,000 people who fled a recent surge violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the United Nations refugee agency said today.

Disturbed by the escalation of violence and subsequent suffering of civilians in South Sudan as a result of the recent government offensive, the United Nations today urged the Government and other warring parties to cease hostilities, uphold their responsibility to protect civilians.

Recognizing that the issue of large movements of refugees and migrants is too vast for any one country to handle on its own, the United Nations convened a meeting of world leaders in September 2016 with the aim of finding durable solutions. At the summit, all 193 Member States came together around one plan, the New York Declaration, expressing their political will to save lives, protect rights and share responsibility on a global scale.

Blues, boogie, bebop or ragtime, no matter what it is called, jazz is a language that translates across cultures and continents, bridging gaps and bringing unity.