Controversies Surrounding The 2024 Paris Olympics

 

The Paris 2024 Olympics have begun with controversy. France cleared the streets of migrants and homeless. It was July 25, when migrants and homeless were forced onto buses. Police took them to temporary lodging areas. The concern is that the migrants and homeless are going to be trapped in these areas. The migrants that were forcibly removed were mostly of African descent. Migrants are from Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, and Guinea. These were former colonies of the French Empire.  The racist overtones cannot be ignored. If these were European migrants or refugees they would be treated better. Some also are questioning why France is hosting the Olympics. The economic challenges and demonstrations make the country tense. Hosting the Olympics might not generate economic prosperity. A boost in tourism can help, but it is temporary. Construction of sports venues and stadiums contributes to pollution. The Olympics are following a consistent pattern. The term for this is known as social cleansing. Removing those who are oppressed and struggling is a way to make a country look better. France cannot hide its poor and its anti-immigrant sentiment. The athletes are competing in high temperatures. All have to sign waivers prior to competing. The IOC should be responsible for the safety of the athletes. All these controversies are mounting and it will continue with future Olympic games. Some are debating the relevance of the Olympic games and why they should continue. The Olympics still generate profits and a  large fan following. The IOC must change policies and nations must ensure that hosting the games does not result in displacement of the vulnerable.    

Global IT Outage

 

A global IT outage has effected various businesses and facilities. This is probably one of the biggest IT malfunctions on a large scale. CrowdStrike claims that the outage was a result of a bug. What it revealed was the vulnerability of information technology networks. Cybersecurity should not just focus on viruses or hackers. It should examine malfunctions and vulnerabilities in technology. The world is very dependent on IT. Many individuals and companies are also dependent on Microsoft. What becomes even more precarious is personal data security. An IT outage could also put personal data at risk. Banking, healthcare, and various payment systems were impacted by the IT outage. When it comes to airline travel it caused much disorder. Flights had to be cancelled, because IT handles scheduling. Although CrowdStrike says it is fixing the issue, concerns remain. It could be time for Microsoft to reconsider using third party companies for IT protection. Companies are going to have to hire more IT and cybersecurity professionals. Updates to software should not result in technical difficulties. IT is too important to be managed in an undisciplined way. Shipping and payment transactions are done more with IT. The IT global outage effected up to 8.5 million Windows devices. This was based on Microsoft's findings. The incident proves that more companies need to be active, rather than have reliance on CrowdStrike. 

Kamala Harris Endorsed By President Joseph Biden As The Democratic Nominee

 

President Joseph Biden announced he will drop out of the presidential race. Mounting pressure after the first presidential debate grew. The choice to exit could have been due to declining polls, growing concerns  and concerns related to the Israel-Gaza War and  his cognitive health. President Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. Harris when she ran in 2020 was not polling well. As Vice President Kamala Harris was tasked to confront issues related to immigration and police brutality. None of these campaign promises materialized. The Democratic Party is losing the working class and taking the African American vote for granted. Selecting Kamala Harris as the nominee appears to be an effort to create an Obama like figure. Much has changed since 2008 and 2012. The middle class continues to shrink in size, while political centrists become more distant from the general public. The Democratic Party now has to select a nominee for president with the election just a few months away. There could be an open convention. These developments indicate that the Democratic Party might suffer major losses in the upcoming election cycle. Donald Trump still maintains a good chance of returning to the presidency. Kamala Harris does not have a list of accomplishments that can be used to bolster her image. Her career as a prosecutor also draws scrutiny among those concerned about the abuses of law enforcement. The Biden administration has failed to return the US to a state of calm. Unless Kamala Harris offers a more progressive solution, she will not obtain the presidency.  

Paul Kagame Retains The Rwandan Presidency

 

President Paul Kagame has won 99.18 % of the vote. This was based on provisional results. Many opposition political figures were not allowed to participate. Based on the election results from 2017 he won by a larger margin. Paul Kagame is not getting more popular. This is more of an indication of suppression of other political parties. Now 66 years old it appears President Kagame is becoming a president for life. At first presidential terms were seven years. Through constitutional amendment it was reduced to five in 2015. The question remains what happens after 2034. President Paul Kagame has not evaded controversy. The alleged  involvement with the M23 rebels   in the DRC, military operations in Mozambique,  and Rwandan migrants to the UK are pressing issues. The RPF party still maintains a majority. While the country does have a high GDP, most of the population has not seen an increase related to income. President Paul Kagame has been president since the year 2000. The youth have only known one president and for some it was the first time voting. The desire for change might be growing. The National Electoral Commission clearly favors President Paul Kagame and the RPF. This makes it difficult for opposition parties to operate. They barred eight candidates from running in the 2024 election. While the government could be transforming into a more authoritarian system, some progress related to infrastructure has been made. Hospitals and roads have increased in number. Paul Kagame could  attempt to be a president for life. Assuming the 2015 referendum is discarded at some stage it becomes a possibility.     

France's Leftist Coalition

 

A coalition of leftist parties was able to stop a right-wing victory in France's parliamentary elections. The representative body remains fractured. No single party won a majority. There are demands to form a government. Three major political factions are fight for power. The New Popular Front is the leftist coalition becoming a popular political force. The National Rally represents the conservative and far-right elements of French politics. The centrists who are mostly allied to President Emmanuel Macron expected to gain a majority. This was an error on President Macron's part. Calling for elections with the domestic and wider problems in Europe was not a calculated decision. The bigger question is if  La France Insoumise, Greens, and Socialists can actually govern. Political factionalism is on the rise in France. The objective should not be solely to oppose the far-right. New policies must be implemented related to labor, pensions, and foreign policy. President Emmanuel Macron seems hesitant to allow a new prime minister to be head of government. This procrastination is related to being displeased about election results. President Macron has three years left in his presidential term. The new members of parliament will make if difficult for him if he does not negotiate . The National Assembly can block legislation. The challenge is keeping the leftist coalition together. Making an attempt to capture 289 seats must be a long term goal. Leftists do seek alliances and solidarity with other groups. However, France Insoumise needs to be powerful enough that it will not require other parties. 

Viktor Orban Urges Ceasefire In The Russia-Ukraine War

 

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban travelled to Ukraine to promote a ceasefire. Prime Minister Oban has not visited Ukraine since the conflict broke out in 2022. There have been attempts to make peace, but all have failed. President Volodymyr Zelensky has constantly asked for more aid from the European Union. One topic that was mentioned in the meeting was the ethnic Hungarians that reside in Ukraine. Tension exists with the Roma and ethnic Russian population. The discussion was related to the rights of the 100,000 Hungarians. Other bilateral matters were mentioned. After visiting Ukraine, Prime Minister Orban went to the Russian Federation. This did draw criticism from some EU countries, but seeking peace or an end to the war should not be condemned. Talking with President Vladimir Putin would help deescalate tensions. There is a possibility that these meetings will not produce any results. Hungary's motivations are not all altruistic. Seeking a ceasefire may be a means of preemptively stopping the chance of Ukrainian  refugees entering Hungary. Prime Minister Orban does not favor immigration to his country. When the war ends,  other EU nations are going to seek more influence in Ukraine. Hungary might be seeking to invest in Ukraine. Details and motivations remain unclear. If Viktor Orban was able to obtain a peace settlement that would elevate Hungary's diplomatic status. 

Crisis In Bolivia

 

Bolivia almost had another coup. Compounded by economic challenges it has not maintained stability. This has been the case since 2019. The overthrow of Evo Morales left Bolivia subject to a far-right turn in politics. Although the attempted coup was thwarted, questions remain. These events are going to have an impact on the 2025 presidential election. The coup attempted has been traced to general Juan Jose Zuniga. Others have accused President Luis Arce of trying to do a self coup. This is not new to South America. President Alberto Fujimori of Peru did this in 1992.  So far, there is no evidence to prove this claim. The biggest concern is the growing split in the Movement for Socialism. Evo Morales wants to run for office once more, but the Constitutional Court is barring him. The motivation is a political one. The changes made under former president Jeanine Anez remain in place. The election of Luis Arce was a sign of a return to normalcy. Inflation and other economic concerns are the center of attention. The average Bolivian is being harmed by slow economic growth. Arce only presented the illusion of a return to a stable nation. Bolivia is experiencing a shortage of US dollars, a decrease in foreign reserves, and a fiscal  deficit. One reason general Zuniga attempted a coup was that he accused the government of impoverishing Bolivia. President Luis Arce was an economist and was appointed economic minister in 2006 by Evo Morales. The assumption was that he would be able to solve Bolivia economic hardship. Bolivia is rich in natural resources and should be able to generate more business. Slow economic growth contributes to coups and political factionalism in MAS. If these concerns are not address Bolivia could lapse into greater instability.