Tanzania's Political Upheaval

 

Post election violence and discord has swept Tanzania. The circumstances surrounding the election questioned the legitimacy of the political process. The opposition parties were prohibited from participation. President Samia Suluhu Hassan won 97% of the vote due to the suppression of other political parties. The Chama Cha Mapinduzi Party has been the dominant force in Tanzania's politics for decades. CCM was created out the merger of the Tanganyika African National Union and Afro-Shirazi political parties. The merger was done in 1977 and like other African national liberation political parties remain in power. At the time, these political parties were revolutionary yet now they are promoting de facto one party authoritarian governments. The Samia Suluhu Hassan government responded to protests with more violence by law enforcement. Now demonstrations are banned and to participate would be charged as attempting a coup. Tanzania is aware of the fall of Mali, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Niger, and Chad. President Samia Suluhu Hassan does not want to create a Madagascar situation. This would result in President Hassan being exiled or  the  military  seizing power. The violence is not coming to an end. The police and military were unleased to inflict harm on demonstrators. Certain patrols were present just to intimidate protesters. The threat of violence and  a deterrent for  other citizens joining protests.       

Attempted Military Coup In Benin

 

Benin thwarted an military coup. Military coups are becoming more common across West Africa. The interior minister has reported that President Patrice Talon was safe. President Talon's exact location remains unknown. The administration did provide a statement. The coup plotters were condemned for disturbing the peace. A response from ECOWAS was to deploy soldiers. Forces from Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and Sierra Leone are coming to support Benin's military. The concern with this relates to Benin's sovereignty and independence. Beninese are going to view such actions as occupation of their country. ECOWAS does not want governments like Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Africans are questioning institutions like ECOWAS, who at times as more of  an alignment to Europe and North America. All the coups of the 2020s are not revolutionary movements. Chad's coup was the assertion of the power of the Deby family. Little is known about the coup plotters. The name they give themselves is the Military Committee for Refoundation. This coup plot makes some more suspicious of the Beninese Armed Forces. Certain soldiers could be sympathizers with the Military Committee for Refoundation. Instability can cause intervention from neighbors and EU interference. The coup plot should be a reminder to the Beninese government to confront discord and corruption. Those grievances become the catalyst for military coups in African countries.      

Netflix Set To Purchase Warner Bros.

 

After being purchased by Discovery, and then separating Warner Bros. is going into a new phase. Netflix is set to purchase Warner Bros. for an estimated $72 billion. Concerns have been raised about the problem of too much media amalgamation. Consumers are trying to figure out what the status of HBO Max will be. The fear is that it will be shutdown and Netflix has one less streaming competitor. Discovery buying Warner Bros. was more of a spiral. Warner Bros. operated as its own company since 1923. The 2022 merger with Discovery was an error. Subsidiary companies are at the will of the parent companies. Meaning, they could be terminated or sold to another corporation. As movie theaters struggle, the concern is that Netflix is leading the charge to make them relics of the past. Entertainment production is becoming more of a monopoly. Corporate  avarice also comes at the expense of creativity and filmmaking. Netflix insists that it will continue to allow Warner Brothers to release films in theaters. The wise choice would be to maintain streaming services and do theater releases. Simultaneously, combining various resources produce more content. Netflix would diversify catalogues of entertainment. There is a benefit to making coproduction projects with Warner Bros. film studios. A number of popular franchises could expanded with this business model. Warner Bros is no longer a parent company and might never get that status back. Warner Bros. has existed for 102 years and it is not disappearing anytime soon. Netflix was only been a company since 1997. Starting in 2007, the DVD rental service began streaming. Having the Warner Brothers intellectual properties and a popular streaming service could be a success, if managed correctly.      

 

Guinea-Bissau Falls To Military Rule

 

Guinea-Bissau has become another African nation to fall under military rule. The military coup was induced when disputes over the presidential election were escalating. The military asserted the coup was launched to prevent a deterioration of security. Election results were not announced. The error of opposition candidate Fernando Dias and President Umaro Sissoco Embalo was to claim victory before all votes were tabulated. Besides internal political discord, Guinea-Bissau struggles with foreign interference. Guinea-Bissau is a transport area for illicit drug trafficking. Drugs coming from South America are smuggled into the country and make their way to Europe. A series of coups continue to occur across West Africa and Central Africa. Corrupt governments and failures of liberal democracy have pushed militaries to act. All the coups are not revolutionary acts or objections to neo-colonial imperialism. While the coups in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Gabon were welcomed Guinea-Bissau is a different case. A number of  government institutions  are suspended and the electoral commission has done nothing to confront the junta. A prime minister has been appointed, but real administrative power rests with General Horta Ina-A. The military junta claims it will release the election results, but this could be a means of deflecting unconstitutional actions. Dias and Embalo are no longer in Guinea-Bissau. Fernando Dias accused President Embalo of inducing a self-coup. Little evidence exists of this claim and the junta made no further statements. Guinea-Bissau had military coups in 1980, 2003, and 2012. More coups could happen if  transition of power, electoral process, and the public are not respected. 

The Epstein Files Are Set To Be Released

 

After protests and political contention, the Epstein files are going to be released. The motivation for keeping the files hidden relates to who was complicit or guilty of crimes. Various political figures, celebrities, academicians, and other public figures made contact with Jeffery Epstein. Members of  both the Republican and Democratic Party were known to be associated with the disgraced financier. Even as the files are being prepared for release, redactions will be made. This means certain individuals part of the Epstein network will never be arrested or stand trial. After must research, it has been found that Jeffery Epstein was involved with intelligence. Epstein's connections to the Mossad are gradually being uncovered. The Justice Department has a month to make the documents public. President Trump's vacillation related to the release of the files cause a rift amongst the conservative movement. Previously, President Trump refused to push for release of the documents. The reversal of the past position was either out of pressure or the hope the documents would contain damaging information related to his political opponents. The speculation was that President Donald Trump was involved in the abuses on Epstein's estates or was helping him with criminal activities. Another possible explanation is the White House wanted to use the Epstein files as method of extortion against members of  the US Congress. So far these speculations have not been proven. What is known is that criminality and corruption are operating at the highest levels of society.      

Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Sentenced To Death

 

Three judges on the International Crimes Tribunal issued a verdict related to the former prime minister. Sheikh Hasina is to be sentenced to death. The problem with this is that there was no trial and Hasina has been in exile in India. She does not have legal defense organized or representation. The charges assert that Sheikh Hasina was responsible for murders by law enforcement  during the 2024 protests. The demonstrations became so intense that her government collapsed. The Awami League Party was forced from power. Demands are growing for her extradition. India has not plans to send her back to Bangladesh. Accusations of extrajudicial killings, use of drones, and massacres have been made. Indications are present that there is a political motivation for the verdict. The Awami League is prohibited from participating in next year's elections. Capital punishment can polarize the public. The 1975 military coup resulted in her fathers assassination. This resulted in her first exile. The first exile was a political motivation and the government criminalizing political opponents. Sheikh Hasina's experiences molded her politics and ideology. A strong government would have to come at the expense of  democratic institutions. This was for the unity of the country, but was undermined by nepotism. Sheikh Hasina may never be able to return to Bangladesh. Complicating relations with India over the matter of extradition need to be considered. More violence could breakout if the former prime minister is executed. 

Edward Said on The Claims To Palestine (2003)

 

As Israel continues to violate the ceasefire and colonize land, history must be revisited to understand the violence. Edward Said (1935-2003) was a literary critic and activist who provided insight into Israel's abuses.  The basis of Zionist colonization is that they are the only people who claim to that land. The Israelites based on history and archeological examination, had dominance for only two centuries. Edward Said explained that was only 250 years. The ancient Israelites are not the Zionist settlers of the present. Palestine was inhabited by Canaanites, Philistines, Jebusites, Moabites, and many other people as Said explained. The Arabs have a greater claim to the land than the European Jews who came after 1947. The only way Zionist colonization can justify violence is to say God mandates it. Edward Said expresses this is not a rational argument. Now that Israel is expanding influence into Syria, it becomes a weaker claim. The Jewish settlers are from Poland, Russia, UK, US, and other nations of Europe. They identify more with the West, than with the Middle East. This is explains why a number of Israelis returned to Europe when the Israel-Gaza War broke out. Zionist settlers are being used to impose an imperial design on the entire region. Europe's support is not out of concern for Jewish security, but to ensure a subordinate Middle East. Said's analysis contributed to the development of post-colonial studies. Israel  is an example of the abuses of neocolonial imperialism and the mechanisms of an oppressive system .