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Post Annapolis: A Road Ahead?

Rene Wadlow December 3, 2007 Rene Wadlow

There was a high level of scepticism - not to say cynicism - concerning the outcome of the November 27th conference on Israel-Palestine in Annapolis. There were a few photo-ops but no memorable photos that I have seen. All the chief actors in this play had different motivations and different interests to advance. If the aim of the meeting were really a settlement of the key final status issues between Israel and Palestine and the creation of a Palestinian state, a trip to Washington and a car ride to Annapolis would have been unnecessary.

Evo Morales, Photo: ABI

New Politics in Old Bolivia: Public Opinion and Evo Morales

Benjamin Dangl November 28, 2007 Benjamin Dangl

Evo Morales, Photo: ABI
Nearly two years into the presidency of Evo Morales, government officials and leftist social organizations are determined to break with the past and transform the nation. The opposition calls it a civil war. The government calls it a revolution. Other Bolivian activists and analysts call it business as usual. A look at public opinion and recent conflicts in Bolivia exposes the challenges facing Bolivia's first indigenous president.

Walden Bello

Shock Doctrine: Power, Passion, and Neoliberalism

Walden Bello November 28, 2007 Walden Bello

Bello
Naomi Klein's The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism is very impressive indeed. This is, however, not immediately evident, a sense that is confirmed by Joseph Stiglitz' review of the book. Even before I read it, I was certain that the Nobel laureate would highlight Klein's attempt to make a connection between the electric shock experiments performed by the notorious McGill University psychologist Ewen Cameron who was on contract with the CIA and the economic shock approach developed by Milton Friedman at the University of Chicago.

Protests in Nepal

Citizen Journalism in Nepal

Bhumika Ghimire November 27, 2007 Bhumika Ghimire

Citizen journalism is a growing movement in Nepal. Although half of the nation lives below the poverty live, without access to clean drinking water, health care and education, there has been a significant rise in level of political consciousness among the people. This is largely due to the ten year long Maoist insurgency and emerging ethnic tensions which are both fostering the growth of citizen powered media.