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Image by david_shankbone via FlickrCentral Asia: An Exception to the “Cute Cats” Theory of Internet Revolution
January 9, 2012 at 9:55 am
Really interesting post, Sarah, and very useful to place Zhanaozen in the context of similar events in recent years in Central Asia.I absolutely agree that political culture matters – I would go further to say that after being initially unprepared, the government has executed a fairly deft communications strategy relying on their grasp of two different political cultures: the international community’s, and the domestic audience’s.
Internationally, the government has managed the narrative effectively without making meaningful concessions: announcing they intend to invite international experts, but not formally inviting them; announcing there may be criminal investigations of police for shootings, but verbally acquitting the police in preliminary statements; making a show of firing officials, but replacing them with trusted inner circle figures.
All of these show a sophisticated understanding of Kazakhstan’s limited place in international awareness. So long as the government can keep the narrative from becoming wholly condemnatory (as happened with Andijon), what little attention there is will drift away. It’s all about alleviating the token pressure Western governments are obliged to exert by certain domestic constituencies, as none of those governments actually want to confront Kazakhstan. Even with the election coming up, it appears the government has navigated this period successfully.
Meanwhile what matters domestically most of all is maintaining physical control of Mangystau and the information there. This both helps the government control the dispersal of unpleasant facts (that there has only been one truly incriminating video is important), and demonstrates the futility of opposition – a very relevant message for those who might be disturbed by what they’ve seen and heard but are reluctant to take sides if they think there might be negative consequences. The extremely hostile online environment, perhaps aided by paid commenters and bloggers, reinforces that message of intimidation: being openly threatened for discussing Zhanaozen in anything other than official terms is a good way of letting people know the Internet is not a consequence-free space. Domestically the government’s message remains, “We are in control, and don’t you doubt it.”
As I said a couple weeks ago here, I think Zhanaozen matters a great deal because it reveals the depth of social alienation around the country, and sharpens domestic awareness of those conflicts. But until the state’s ability to monopolize access to information diminishes, I don’t see it contributing to any directed social movement, just to more localized conflict.
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Interview 451 – Andrew Gavin Marshall on the High-Tech Police State
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A Giraffe Hunter in a Ditch is Worth Two in the Bush. Or Something.
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WORLD TRUTH TODAY There are no unread articles. mark these articles as read
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Notification
This blogs entries have been moved to http://worldtruthtoday.wordpress.com/ I will no longer post anything here, although site will remain open for a while. Thanks Grace
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Bits and Pieces - January 16, 2012
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IPS Inter Press Service Earth Alert: Confront... 13 unread articles mark these articles as read
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Twenty top predictions for life 100 years from now.
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Tonight we spend the first half of the broadcast going over news and headlines from around the world, including the faux-outrage of the warmongers over video of Marines urinating on corpses, the other legislative threats to internet freedoms, and a debunking of the “14000 US deaths from Fukushima” study. On the second half of the broadcast we talk to James Evan Pilato of FoodWorldOrder.com to go o
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Remembering MLK: Why my daughter should have MLK day off
The fact that my daughter's Islamic school does not take MLK day off bothers me. All Islamic schools, except perhaps those established by African-American Muslims, have been built by Muslims who have immigrated to this country from abroad. They, even more than many African-Americans themselves, have benefited from the struggles of the civil rights movement. But for brave Americans like Dr. Martin
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The temperatures plummeted to sub-zero in Anchorage, Alaska, in November 2011, but that did not deter the protesters who had gathered to occupy Town Square. They stayed, rotating shifts to ensure that their encampment was never left unoccupied. In the city of Fairbanks, members of the Occupy movement who stayed stalwart even as temperatures dipped to minus 40 insisted that they had to remain to sh
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When I was a kid, I - like millions of other children across America - ardently believed in Santa Claus. The problem? That persnickety detail that I'm Muslim. Oh, and that I happened to be living in Saudi Arabia at the time. There I was, in a desert nation, mere miles from Mecca, the birthplace of Islam, captivated by mistletoe, turtledoves, Christmas lights, and outlandish accounts of reindeer wi
“What a year that 2011 was!” by Nkwazi Mhango
December is a time when writers, editors, analysts and all who make news what it is, are busy researching on what to write to wind up the year. Likewise, all media houses and outlets are busy hunting for a sound summary of the year. This is what this article is all about today. Truly, the year 2011 was a year that empowered hoi polloi against hoit toity in many countries, especially in Africa. Tim
The multitude of vista problems that is included in the house windows landscape structured home pc will be embarassing in order to
Been looking to get a Windows Vis repair? Can’t bring your personal computer to the go shopping for expensive fixes and updates? People really plunk lower thousands with the idea to fix their computers or even buy a new when they start getting Windows problem messages. Nevertheless, you can maintenance Vista complications a much better way.There will probably be a number of things built wrong so a
Smoking Marijuana Won’t Hurt Your Lungs: New Medical Report
One more anti-marijuana scare tactic takes a hit with a report out of all places, the University of Alabama that taking bong hits isn’t going to harm lung functions. In fact the researchers found that multiple measures of lung function actually improved slightly at least up to a couple thousand lifetime joints. The new data come from a long-term study of more than 5,000 young adults in Oakland, C
touchscreen mp3 player
The 8GB Samsung Mp3Either mp3 players are evolving in storage space or style and functionality. The 8Gb Samsung Mp3 takes a turn by incorporating a large 3 inch widescreen (16×9) display that doubles as a touchscreen for navigating through the interface and choosing songs. This display makes it great for watching movies in their full vibrant colors or checking out some HD quality photos. The touch
Service masini de spalat Indesit
Service masini de spalat Indesit Asiguram servicii complete pentru Service masini de spalat Indesit. Firma noastra este specializata in repararea masinilor de spalat Zanussi. Toate lucrarile de reparatii sunt garantate.
Oiled wildlife death toll is ‘tip of the iceberg’
Wellington, New Zealand - The number of oiled wildlife reported dead is a tiny fraction of the true figure killed by the Rena oil spill, WWF-New Zealand said today. The conservation organisation said that the tragedy should act as a wake up call for Government, yet its recent proposed legislation for New Zealand’s offshore environment does little to protect wildlife from future oil spills. Mar
Rhino poaching deaths continue to increase in South Africa
Despite increased law enforcement efforts, rhino poaching accelerated in South Africa last year. The country lost 448 rhinos to poaching in 2011, official government statistics reveal. The total includes 19 critically endangered black rhinos, of which fewer than 5,000 remain in the wild. In 2010, 333 South African rhinos were killed by poachers, nearly three times the number killed in 2009.
“Future We Want” proposals are not the future we need: WWF
Gland, Switzerland – The first negotiating draft for the Rio+20 summit on sustainable development has the direction right, but the magnitude wrong, global environmental organization WWF said today. “The Future We Want” Zero Draft acknowledges the need for poverty eradication, food security, and measures of progress towards sustainable development, but has few practical measures to enable the worl
“Future We Want” proposals are not the future we need: WWF
Gland, Switzerland – The first negotiating draft for the Rio+20 summit on sustainable development has the direction right, but the magnitude wrong, global environmental organization WWF said today. “The Future We Want” Zero Draft acknowledges the need for poverty eradication, food security, and measures of progress towards sustainable development, but has few practical measures to enable the worl
WWF congratulates Pacific Islands for certification of major tuna fishery
Gland, Switzerland: A skipjack tuna fishery managed by eight Pacific Island nations has been certified as sustainable to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard, a move WWF says will promote the future health of tuna stocks in the region, bring major benefits to the fishing industry, and have positive repercussions for consumers around the world. The certification has been awarded conditi
Environment jeopardised by economic bail-out plans, warns WWF
Gland, Switzerland/ Brussels, Belgium/Athens, Greece – WWF has stressed the urgent need for sustainable solutions to the ongoing global financial crisis, to preserve the natural capital that underpins successful economic activity, in letters addressed to International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde and European Commission President José Manuel Barroso. In the letters, sent on J
Republicans Across The U.S. Are Trying To Disenfranchise Voters – What Are You Going To Do About It?
In case you haven’t been paying attention, Republicans in some state legislatures have been trying valiantly to make it harder for people to vote by chipping away at long-standing policies that have traditionally made it easier to vote and sneaking in policies that the Federal government thought they abolished long ago. The introduction of ID requirements, shortening early voting windows, taking
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Years of Living Dangerously
Happy New Year! There have been five particularly horrific years of living dangerously in the nuclear age. The first was, most jarringly, 1945, when the Bomb made its spectacular appearance. No advance in the history of warfare was more jarring than a city-killing weapon that could be delivered by surprise for which there was no defense. The second period of maximum danger was 1949-1950, when the
Lyric Contest Results
The contest to pick the best lyric about the Bomb and best adapted lyric about the Bomb generated so many superb entries that our distinguished panel of judges had great difficulty selecting winners. Truth be told, in both categories we have split decisions. In the best lyric category, Josh Pollack’s strong preference was “Crawl Out Through The Fallout” by Sheldon Allman (1960), but nobody submit
Iran’s Quest for the F6 in its UF6
In the old days before the first Gulf War, most nuclear export controls were pretty cut-and-dried: Exporters checked for items on a short ”trigger list” that could be used for making nuclear bomb fuel. But after they learned what Iraq had secretly been up to for about a decade before 1991, the Nuclear Suppliers Group came up with a second list, Infcirc/254/Part 2, and it got into the tricky busine
Broken Arrows
Consider this long post a crude proselytizing effort in this holiday season for those who doubt the existence of God, angels, guardians, guides, benevolent spirits, or deities of any kind or persuasion. One way to get religion is to have two near-death experiences and three surgeries in a year. I do not recommend this. Another is to read about US nuclear weapon-related aircraft accidents that coul
aplogroup U – Are We More United And Similar Than We Think? – By EHSANI
The Syrian crisis was always going to be different than what we all witnessed in Tunisia, Egypt and Yemen thus far. Every country has its own nuances that render it a unique case. One of the glaring characteristics of the current Syrian conflict is to do with its sectarian fault lines. Syrians like me have always been apprehensive about discussing our sectarian and religious differences. Indeed
“When is the Financial Crisis Coming?” by Ehsani
I will be traveling to the Middle East for a week and will be unable to post or moderate. Joshua. Ehsani Writes: The Syrian economy will soon suffer from what I will call a “financial crisis”. This will occur as credit write offs mount. The banking system will soon be hit with a wave of defaults at both the corporate and retail levels. The former will come about as the larger companies decide not
Opposition Fails to Unify; More Calls for Intervention; The Arab League; First Political Defections
The Syrian Opposition tried to further unify its ranks this past week, but failed. Instead the various factions of Syrian National Council – the main opposition front that has met most frequently with Western government officials – fell into recriminations. The problems started with the announcement of an agreement to unify both the NCB [sometimes call NCC] – National Coordination Body for Democr
Arab League Enters Syria as Violence Rises. Syria’s Deficit Spending Explodes but Government Hangs On
Arab League monitors are visiting a number of restive Syrian towns and cities, including Hama, Idleb, and Deraa. Though Syria has made some concessions to the monitors since they began work Tuesday, government forces have at the same time been pressing ahead with attempts to put down peaceful protests in Hama, Homs and other parts of the country. Activists said at least 39 people have been killed
2011: a year of change in a decade of change
2011 was a year of change in a decade of change. The UK It’s been obvious since before the 2010 general election that the coming decade was likely to involve big constitutional changes in Britain: Scotland might leave the UK, the UK might leave the EU, the electoral system for the commons might change, or the House of Lords would be elected using a PR system. The probablility of each of these chan
Bits and Pieces - January 16, 2012
If you read only one thing about Iran today, make it Gary Sick's analysis of the Obama administration's approach.And, speaking of the Obama administration, Sick's analysis dovetails with Andrew Sullivan's broader analysis. Which has some similarities to my analyses that I can't immediately find links for.Speaking of getting it wrong, here's a good analysis of what far too many people get wrong abo
Martin Luther King Day - Lyndon Johnson's Speech on Civil Rights
It's almost half a century now. This speech was made in 1965. There is so much win in it - read the whole thing. In our time we have come to live with moments of great crisis. Our lives have been marked with debate about great issues; issues of war and peace, issues of prosperity and depression. But rarely in any time does an issue lay bare the secret heart of America itself. Rarely are we met wit
A Warning to Israel? - Updated 1/15/12
The latest assassination of an Iranian scientist took place a day or so after American Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton released a statement condemning the Iranian Government’s decision to begin enrichment operations at its Qom facility but also calling for a return to negotiations. One interpretation of the assassination is that it was intended to disrupt the possibility of negotiating.T
Bits and Pieces - January 12, 2012
The United States no longer has heavy-duty icebreakers, and the delivery of fuel oil to Nome, Alaska, couldn't take place before the sea froze because of an unusual monster storm. So now Russia is helping us out, but it's touch-and-go for the people of Nome.A Nordic-Baltic bloc is forming in the EU. It's been an obvious move for influencing Germany for some time, but it seems to be firming up. And
Bits and Pieces - January 10, 2012
I don't want to be able to search Google+. Or Facebook. Possibly Twitter. What I write on Google+ and Facebook (Facebook more than Google+) is mostly trivial. If I write something there that I think is worthy of further distribution, I'll write it here or at Nuclear Diner. So give this up, Google!This is a longish article, the large middle part of interest mostly to air-power wonks. But the beginn
The Pentagon and R&D
One of my longer-range projects, which may never get done, is to write up some of the history of research in government laboratories, as seen from my perch at Los Alamos. It would be a broader history of something that was felt to be important in the 1950s and 1960s and got whittled away by any number of factors after those plummy days. The 1970s weren't too bad, and we even got some good stuff do
Melting Ice Makes Arctic Access a Hot Commodity
China, Brazil and India want seats on the Arctic Council as global warming creates new opportunities for shipping and resource extraction in the vast Arctic region.
Rio+20: The Moment When Everything Changed?
Humanity is driving Earth's climate and ecosystems towards dangerous tipping points, requiring radical new forms of international cooperation and governance, experts say.
BOLIVIA: Artificial 'Islands' to Protect Cattle from Annual Floods
Small-scale dairy farmers in this remote area of Bolivia's northeastern Amazon region of Beni have a new hope for protecting their livestock from the fierce annual floods that start in December.
BANGLADESH: Farmers Bet on Climate-Proof Crops
With floods, droughts and other calamities battering deltaic Bangladesh regularly, farmers need little prompting in switching to climate-resistant varieties of rice, wheat, pulses and other staples.
Shale Gas Turns the Tables on Petroleum Powers
Countries that have always depended on imported oil and gas, like Chile, Paraguay, Poland or Ukraine, and especially heavy consumers such as the United States and China, could become self-sufficient in natural gas in the near future and even start exporting it.
JAMAICA: Hazard Mitigation Funds to Rescue Tourist Mecca
In the latest efforts to mitigate the hazards associated with climate change, the Jamaican authorities are turning their attention to Negril, where decades of unplanned development is destroying the local ecosystem and eroding the famous beach.
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