Freedom's Fire, Brightly Burning: Bolivia moves left; Malaysia moves...toward talibanism?

Thursday, December 22, 2005

Bolivia moves left; Malaysia moves...toward talibanism?

Truly worlds apart. In South America, Bolivia has elected the country's first indigenous president, Evo Morales, a left-leaning activist with goals far afield of Washington: some nationalization of the energy industry; and divorce from the US "War on Drugs". As the BBC notes,

An Aymara Indian and coca farmers' leader, Mr Morales is a close ideological ally of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Evo Morales is against US-backed coca eradication programmes and seeks some form of national control over Bolivia's huge gas reserves - the second largest in the region. However, analysts say he will face serious obstacles, as his programme is bound to provoke opposition from Washington and Bolivia's business sector.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, the ~~unthinkable~~ all too thinkable is happening... a country is actually passing new laws that increase women's subjugation to men, rather than increasing equality under the law:

Row over Malaysian family laws (BBC, 12/22/05):

An Islamic family law, making it easier for men to have polygamous marriages and take more of wives' property, is expected to be passed in the Senate.

Women senators from the governing coalition, who hoped to oppose the bill, have been ordered to support it.

For the record, the CIA World Factbook lists Malaysia as a "constitutional monarchy" - same as it describes the UK.

I wonder if there will be any condemnation of the Malaysian government's antidemocratic behavior from anyone in the U.S. government? Or will our "leaders" be too busy figuring out how to stop Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales from spreading too much liberty for their liking in South America?

Permalink posted by MH : 8:06 PM