The Death of Ayatollah Khomeini (1989)

 

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini died in 1989. After intestinal bleeding and  cardiac arrest his decade long rule came to an end. This did not mean the Islamic Republic disappeared. A new process was made in selection of the leadership. Iran's senior clerics selected a new Supreme Leader. Ali Khamenei was selected for the post. Reports stated at the time the Supreme Leader position was going to be made ceremonial. The office was the most powerful one in the Islamic Republic. The post of president was won by Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. The presidential office was tasked with the actual running of government. Iran's system of succession explains why the targeted assassinations of the leadership in 2026 did not result in regime change. Khomeini's death caused grief among those in Lebanon and Shia Muslims in other West Asian countries. The news report mentions the Iran-Iraq War and how it harmed Iran's economy. What was omitted was that Saddam Hussein was armed by the West in an attempt to remove the theocratic government. The Iran-Contra affair revealed that the US was arming both sides of the war.  Former President Jimmy Carter acknowledged that Ayatollah Khomeini was seen as a heroic figure. This was because the Pahlavi monarchy was deposed by the Iranian Revolution. The West at the time had a desire to work with more moderate forces in Iran. After the support for the Pahlavi monarchy and Baathist Iraq, Iran was not willing to have diplomatic relations.    

The End of The Viktor Orban Hungary

 

After 16 years, Prime Minister Viktor Oban was defeated in an election. During his administration, xenophobic nativist nationalism was embraced. While his racism was documented prior to becoming prime minister, the European Union's disdain of him was due to diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation. Having dialogue with Russia should not be considered an offense. The Russo-Ukrainian War has divided Europe. The election of Peter Magyar does not mean dramatic political change. Magyar was at one time a member of Orban's Fidesz Party. Magyar expressed a desire to end corruption in government and improve public services. These are mere promises and it appears that new economic policies would result in more harm to the public. Hungary refused to stop using Russian energy. A shift to more Western European political direction is taking place. The new government is centre-right, which is suitable to the EU liberal establishment. The desire to stop the rise of right-wing nationalist  populism makes the political establishment embrace conservatives that are their enemies. The project to force European integration generated a backlash. If Peter Magyar fails to solve domestic concerns or foreign policy matters, Hungary could elect another far-right leader. Hungary's population was struggling with a declining economy. The European Union releasing funds is not going to be enough to solve these challenges. At some stage Viktor Orban was going to lose. Being prime minister for years, winning elections become more difficult.    

Japan's Anti-Militarization Protests

 

A total of 30,000 Japanese citizens have expressed concerns about revisions to the pacifist Constitution. The demonstrations are occurring outside the National Diet Building. These protests could only grow as a more conservative government takes a more militarist foreign policy direction. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is seeking to deploy long range missiles and increase spending on defense. The pivot to anti-China and anti-foreigner sentiments have also been expressed. Japanese conservatives are trying to remove Article 9 for creating a more powerful military force in Asia.  The argument is that North Korea and China are threats to Japan. There is no indication of possible military attacks coming from these countries. Japan cannot afford to be involved in unnecessary conflict. Soldier deaths would reduce even further a shrinking population. The youth are not going to tolerate getting drafted. The loss of life and economic damage would be devastating. The attack on Article 9 has created a new wave of anti-war organizations. We Want Our Future is becoming prominent in the cause to stop militarization. An armed force should be for defense, not starting conflicts overseas. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is trying to complete what Shinzo Abe wanted to do. The Liberal Democratic Party wants to export weapons abroad and participate in various conflicts. The Japanese Self-Defense Forces without Article 9 might be deployed to West Asia, Africa, or other parts of East Asia. The fear is that Japan could be reviving a militarist government similar to the 1930s and 1940s.   

  

Gabon Imposes A Social Media Ban

 

Gabon has imposed a social media ban . The reason cited was that social media platforms were spreading disinformation and creating division. When national security is used as an excuse, it is a euphemism for suppression of free speech. The High Authority for Communication does not support a free press or the basic right of Gabonese to free expression. With the end of the rule of the Bongo family, there was hope reforms would come. Now Gabon seems to be falling into a similar pattern of authoritarian practices. Ali Bongo and his family are now in Angola. The Bongos most likely will not return to Gabon due to the new military government and the embezzlement charges. Questions are being asked about why the former president and his family were allowed to select exile. Another reason for the social media ban is to stop discussion of the release of the Bongo family. The African Union called for the Bongos to be freed from house arrest. President Brice Oligui  Nguema  came to power through the military coup. He won the presidential election in 2025, but wants to consolidate power. Banning social media prevents organizing protests and political opposition. The social media ban does have negative consequences beyond the press and public. This can harm businesses in terms of e-commerce and advertising. The Bongos are in some way still a force in politics. President Brice Oligui Nguema is a cousin to Ali Bongo. This explains why the former president and his family will never face trial. Discussion and dissent are hindered with social media bans.   

The IOC Bans Transwomen From Olympic Competition

 

The IOC has announced that transwomen can no longer compete in the Olympics. The IOC reasoning behind the new policy was to protect the female category and ensure fairness. These claims lack credible support for a number of reasons. Transwomen do not hold Olympics records. There are no cases of cisgender being harmed by transwomen during competition. Other women with difference in sexual development are being targeted. Intersexed women are not even transgender. The new eligibility criteria is nothing more than discrimination. No plans have been made to include a transgender category . Cisgender women will also feel the effects. Female athletes could be subject to SRY gene screening. What is happening is the revival of sex testing, which was a humiliating practice done to female competitors. The IOC states it will not be applied to any recreational or or local sports programs. It remains unclear if these programs will remain open to transwomen. The new rules are not basing this on any exercise science, rather an anti-trans bias. After sexual reassignment surgery transwomen do not retain their previous  physical fitness levels. Trans athletes were allowed to compete in the Olympics since 2004. It was only with the rise of anti-trans sentiment in the 2010s did attitudes become more negative. Transwomen are being pushed out of sports based on bias, prejudice, and at extremes hatred. Ultimately, women as a whole are going to face more barriers. The reappearance of sex testing, means women face more mistreatment and discrimination in professional sports. The Olympics is struggling to maintain viewership and negative publicity does not help. The Olympic Games are going to be held in 2028. That leaves little time to challenge the new  policy.    

The Increase of Home Ownership Among Single Women

 

There is a widening gap in home ownership. Single women are gradually surpassing men in home ownership. The United States is seeing this shift, yet it should not be interpreted as progress. Housing is a concern in the US, with homelessness increasing in a number of cities. Men make up the majority of the homeless based on current data. The increase in home ownership among women also relates to inheritance and a growing number of widows. Husbands do not get much of a benefit from being a widower. The spike has been explained by older women getting houses. Seniors are more likely to own a home compared to the younger generation. The general public interprets this as a triumph of women's rights and independence. Rather it ignores how gaps can fuel gender antagonism and the negative consequences of neoliberal capitalism. As housing gets more scarce, competition for living space will increase. Single men and women are going to fight one another for homes. The baby boomer generation continues to hold onto multiple properties. Simultaneously, private equity firms are buying apartments which increases rents. The economic consequences are damaging, yet the social changes can be as well. These single women are going to be a group that collaborates with a system of economic inequality. Single men who are struggling are going to seem them as an enemy. An oppressive economic system is dividing men and women in ways never thought imaginable. The single woman home owner development will continue assuming there is not a housing crash or global financial meltdown. Changes in gender roles and new attitudes are going to cause difficulties. Women used to seek men with resources and property. Now that can be obtained by their own efforts, there is no reason women should demand men be providers. The goal should be to have both sexes own homes, not a gender gap.   

The Condition of The Netanyahu Government

 

Benjamin Netanyahu's government is facing wars in Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, and Iran. This also includes the conflict with the Houthi rebels. Israel was not able to defeat Hezbollah in 2006 and the conditions are not favorable now. The effort for the Likud Party to expand into West Asia are having devastating effects. The Iran War might be a distraction to the Israeli public, but that does not mean Netanyahu's criminal charges are dropped. Extended periods of warfare are going to harm the Israeli economy. Considering the precarious state of the world market, a large regional war exacerbates concerns. After the October 7th 2023 Hamas attacks, Israel made war crimes government policy. Schools, hospitals, and residential areas were bombed in Gaza. The violence never stops with annexation underway in the West Bank. Netanyahu is able to maintain power by forming coalition governments. Attempts at changing the judiciary creates a growing concern about Israel becoming more authoritarian. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to remain in power as long as possible. A prime minister for life would make the Middle East more dangerous. The movement for a Greater Israel is underway and the Israeli public passively accepts it. Journalists are being targeted by the IDF for their reporting and leftist opposition supports Zionist doctrine. Israel and Turkey are competing for control over Syria. The Netanyahu government is going down a path of collapse. If enough military operations result in attrition and domestic unrests mounts Netanyahu could be removed from public office. Policies of expansion possibly could result in the end of the Zionist state itself.