Showing 1 - 8 of 8
Congo: Where the tail is still wagging the dog
News, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 26/03/2025
» 'Joseph Kabila boycotted the election and is preparing an insurrection because he is the AFC," said President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo last October, and lo! It is coming to pass just as he predicted. But you can't tell the players without a programme, so a little bit of explanation first.
Beware of rogue presidents (this time in Korea)
News, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 07/01/2025
» Turning yourself from a democratically elected president into a dictator is a tricky operation, and most people who try it fail. It's called a "self-coup", from the Spanish auto-golpe, and to try it without first gaining the support of the armed forces is sheer lunacy. Yet, from time to time, an elected president tries to do exactly that.
Sahel coups are just another 'Great Game'
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 01/08/2023
» If you are a democratically elected leader in one of Africa's Sahel countries -- let's say, Niger -- and you suspect that the army is plotting to overthrow you, what's the best countermeasure? Should you:
Vulnerability marks 100 years of the CCP
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 30/06/2021
» The Chinese Communist Party is celebrating the centenary of its foundation tomorrow and most people in China accept the origin myth that justifies its dictatorial rule. China was a horrendously impoverished and unequal society in 1921, the official line says, and owes its current prosperity and freedom from foreign rule to the Communist revolution of 1949.
HK and China: One country, one system
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 18/11/2020
» One Hong Kong lawmaker, Claudia Mo, said it was "the death-knell of Hong Kong's democracy fight". But she was part of it: one of the 15 remaining pro-democracy members of the Legislative Council (Legco) who resigned last Thursday in protest at the expulsion of four other democratically elected members of the pseudo-parliament.
Mohamed Morsi: A death foretold
News, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 21/06/2019
» Egypt's first and last democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsi, died on Monday, lying on the floor of the courtroom where they were trying him on yet more charges. (He was already serving several life sentences.) It was probably a heart attack, but according to witnesses they left him lying there for 20 minutes before medical help arrived.
Yemen: Saudi Arabia's even bigger lie
News, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 26/10/2018
» While Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) frantically tries to scrub Jamal Khashoggi's blood off his hands like a Middle Eastern Lady Macbeth -- "Here's the smell of blood still. Not all the sweet perfumes of Arabia will sweeten this hand" -- could we have a word about his war in Yemen too?
'Croc' makes Zimbabwe broke again
News, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 20/10/2018
» "Zimbabwe is open for business" was the slogan of President Emmerson Mnangagwa aka "The Crocodile" in the July election that was supposed to show a long and destructive reign of dictator Robert Mugabe, overthrown late last year, is now a thing of the past. The country has been getting steadily poorer for decades now, but this election would be the turning point.