U.S. President-elect Trump has tasked billionaire businessman Elon Musk with making the government cost-efficient. That may be an admirable objective, but the ideology driving it is wrong-headed… and dangerous.
Tag: politics
Feminists want male allies in the fight to advance women’s rights. Yet many men who claim to be allies have shown that they do it for the wrong reasons.
Profanity is a kind of national sport in Turkey. But it can also be risky business, sometimes leading to lawsuits or even death. One political scientist researching Turkey’s unique way of conjuring curse words explains what the country’s inventive slurs reveal about its fears and prejudices.
For Neapolitans, electoral success isn’t just a win — it’s a step up.
Updated October 31, 2024 at 12:30 p.m. Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two Sikh security guards on this day in 1984. Who was Indira Gandhi? Indira Gandhi was an Indian politician and the first woman to serve as the Prime Minister of India. She held the office of Prime Minister from 1966 […]
Updated Oct. 28, 2024 at 12:40 p.m. Italian fascists led by Benito Mussolini marched on Rome and took over the Italian government on this day in 1922. Who was Benito Mussolini? Benito Mussolini, known as “Il Duce,” was an Italian politician and the founder of Italian fascism. He played a central role in organizing and […]
Updated Oct. 24, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. Salvador Allende was elected President of Chile on this day in 1970. How was Salvador Allende elected? In the presidential election held on September 4, 1970, Salvador Allende ran as the candidate of the Unidad Popular (Popular Unity) coalition, which was a coalition of left-wing and socialist parties. […]
Updated Oct. 23, 2024 at 11:25 a.m. The Hungarian Revolution started on this day in 1956. What was the Hungarian Revolution of 1956? The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 was a spontaneous nationwide uprising against the Soviet-backed government of Hungary that began on October 23, 1956, and lasted until November 10, 1956. It was a pivotal […]
Updated September 26, 2024 at 10:50 a.m. On this day in 1988, The National League for Democracy was founded in Yangon, Myanmar. How did the NLD come into existence? In 1988, Myanmar‘s pro-democracy uprising, known as the 8888 Uprising, began. Citizens took to the streets to protest against the authoritarian rule of the military junta. […]
Critics are right to denounce crooked politicians or elected leaders for undermining the democratic system of checks and balances. But defending those checks and balances is not the key to restoring democracy — because people’s pervasive distrust and discontent with politics is a much deeper problem to address.
This giant chicken will attract tourists! Let’s honor Queen Elizabeth with a statue that looks nothing like her! And other very visible bad ideas around the world…
The two candidates for the U.S. presidential election presented two visions of the role of American power in the world. For Europeans, the choice of Kamala Harris may be more reassuring, but the fate of course is in the hands of the American people.
In both Algeria and Tunisia, societies were on the move to demand change. In two presidential elections scheduled so close together, on Saturday in Algeria and next month in Tunisia, the powers that be made sure that nothing would change.
French President Emmanuel Macron’s choice of new prime minister isn’t without irony. Michel Barnier negotiated Brexit’s terms with the British, who were as divided at the time as the French are today.
? Ahoj!* Welcome to Thursday, where Boris Johnson faces rising calls to resign, an ex Syrian colonel is convicted in a landmark torture trial, and the U.S. finds loopholes in the Gruyère cheese label. We also mark 10 years since the Costa Concordia disaster off the coast of Tuscany. [*Czech] SIGN UP This is […]
Tim Walz speaks Mandarin. But don’t expect to hear Kamala Harris’ running mate deploying his Chinese language skills on the U.S. election campaign trail.
Updated August 20, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. The Soviet Union led Warsaw Pact troops in an invasion of Czechoslovakia on this day in 1968. Why did the Soviet Union invade Czechoslovakia? The Soviet Union, along with other Warsaw Pact countries, invaded Czechoslovakia to suppress the reforms of the Prague Spring. The Prague Spring was a […]
The Hungarian prime minister has long been known for his conflictual relationship with the European Union. But Viktor Orbán’s recent diplomatic world tour, together with his proximity to Donald Trump, shows that he should not be underestimated.
With wars around the world arousing political strife and affecting the personal lives of many athletes, it seems the Paris 2024 Games could be overrun by geopolitics. Polish journalist Radoslaw Leniarski, an 11-time Olympic Games correspondent, explains what is, and isn’t, different this time.
A day after former U.S. President Donald Trump was shot in the ear at a political rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Professor of Criminology and Justice Studies at the University of Massachusetts Arie Perliger says the attempt, however unsurprising, exposes the depth of America’s political fault lines.
France’s presidential regime epitomize a Caesar-like power, endlessly replaying the missed encounter between “a man and a people.” Macron should end those powers to allow the emergence of parliamentary coalitions and to rediscover the democratic virtues of deliberation in France.
In the second round of elections, France’s far-right National Rally failed to secure a victory. But in a largely unnoticed revelation, the party announced that they are teaming up with the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the European level. Thus the French far-right joins a plan to weaken the European Union from within.
At just 18-years-old, Daria Kozyreva sits in a pre-trial detention center. She is facing five years for “repeatedly discrediting the Russian army.” Here is her letter to all Russians, trying to convince people of good will to denounce the Kremlin regime.
Tehran seems to be paving the way for a moderate to become the country’s next president. But the regime’s goal is not to make life better for Iranians, but to leave him with the daunting task of handling a second Trump administration.
Updated July 3, 2024 at 11:30 a.m. On this day 10 years ago, a military coup led to the overthrow of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi. The coup was orchestrated by the Egyptian military, led by General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who later became the President of Egypt. Why was there a military coup against Morsi? The […]
The same nostalgia and same fear of the future seem to animate the two countries that have made exceptionalism their trademark
Unless there is a last-minute twist, the only real issue in the second round is whether the far-right party will have an absolute majority or not. The left seems unaware that its ideas are largely in the minority.
While the party of India’s Prime Minister came on top on the general elections, it failed to win an outright majority at the lower house. This means Modi will have to form a coalition government for the first time and learn how to work with others.
As South Africa goes to the polls, Nelson Mandela’s African National Congress party is facing disillusionment among its voters, and risks losing its absolute majority in parliament. Corruption, crime and persistent social inequality are at the root of this disenchantment — and the memory of the liberation struggle is fading.
Literary scholar and fiction writer Mykhailo Nazarenko discusses the would-be cast of characters of fantasy writer JRR Tolkien in Ukraine’s war against the Russian invaders.
Politics has always been associated with image. This is especially true in Latin America, where white men in suits have dominated the field for years. But a new generation of women are shaking up politics — as well as how female politicians are expected to dress.
For decades, feminists have accused Marxism of not addressing women’s specific struggles. With presidential elections in Mexico approaching in June, an interesting experiment may happen, as two female candidates are in the race. A vision for how Marxism and feminism, together, can help change Mexican society — with a woman at the helm.
For the past 30 years, the number of wolves has steadily increased in France — great news for biodiversity but not for farmers, who are accusing the predator of attacking and killing their livestock. The topic, which has become explosive, is symbolic of a very contemporary divide in the country.
The American billionaire and founder of Tesla and SpaceX is increasingly openly supporting the ideas of the radical right and Donald Trump. Long gone are the days when Silicon Valley voted Democrat: Elon Musk is the embodiment of this openly self-assured “tech right”.
Recent changes in Syria’s security apparatus are yet another step in President Bashar al-Assad’s years-long effort to escape the shadow of his father and predecessor, Hafez al-Assad, more than two decades after his death.
Latin American governments have barely denounced the Russian attack on Ukraine, partly for lingering distrust of the United States. But there is also a regional misperception of Russia as a new Soviet Union and friend of “lesser nations” struggling for betterment.
Ukrainian drones that struck nine Russian provinces on Tuesday while armed Russian dissident soldiers launched a ground attack against Moscow’s troops in the Bolgorod region, bordering Ukraine. It’s a reminder to the Russian people that the war is on them, and won’t be ending anytime soon.
A former member of the Hungarian Parliament warns the U.S. about the potential re-election of Donald Trump, which could mirror Hungary’s slide toward authoritarianism under strongman Viktor Orbán, as the two meet in Florida.
The fact that the Ukrainian army has been forced onto the defensive is mainly due to sluggish support from the West. However, there is another factor at play that is contributing to the dangerous situation: the leadership approach of President Zelensky is being increasingly called into question.
Prabowo Subianto’s campaign team has heavily promoted him as a baby-faced cute grandpa on the internet, overshadowing the former army general’s dark authoritarian past and potential intent to dismantle Indonesia’s fragile democratic system.