Egypt’s military cracked down on non-governmental pro-democracy groups today. The move is puzzling since the military must have known that the international reaction to such a move would be profoundly negative, and that the action would dishearten the liberal sectors of Egyptian society. It appears as if the move is designed to protect the position of the military in any new government.
China’s rise to world power has been relatively smooth, compared to similar historical power changes. But 2011 was a somewhat contentious year, as many of China’s neighbors began to bristle at some of China’s activities. Such difficulties are not unusual, and one should not blow them out of perspective. There is an added complexity since many of China’s neighbors are US allies and look to it as a counterweight to Chinese power. The US must navigate these waters carefully so that China is not persuaded that the Americans are boxing it in.
A great article by Paul Wood of the BBC on the protests in Syria. It is both insightful and quite revealing about what is going on in that country.
World Politics News 
Leave a comment