The crushing of dissent
responsible power in the Middle East; his dearest ambition is that western leaders will soon be able to say in public: "This is a man with whom we can do business." In fact he is a Machiavellian who reckons that no politician can really afford to be in sympathy with the people. Popular consensus is simulated thanks to a self-censoring press and, as the trial of three Al Jazeera journalists made abundantly clear, through the threat of a prison cell for anyone who dares tell a different story. Egypt’s sad shift into a dystopian 1984 is illustrated by a group called FactCheckEgypt, which demands that correspondents change their stories to conform with the government line. There is only one truth and for the most part it wears an army uniform. Even the British ambassador to Cairo has come in for a pasting for "unacceptable" criticism of the latest verdict in the Al Jazeera case. Looking at Nato member Turkey, and Putin bigging himself up at Bric summits, Sisi probably feels he is in good company. Turkey is holding two British reporters for covering Kurdish unrest in the southeast of the country. Since Erdogan was elected president last year, 236 people have been investigated on charges of insulting him. Prosecutors are now looking into Ertugrul Ozkok, a columnist on the leading Hurriyet newspaper, in connection with the same offence, as well as a senior TV reporter. Social media, says the Turkish leader, thrusts "the knife into the hands of a murderer".
Putin’s security service spooks, meanwhile, have proposed banning all access to public property registers - to block bloggers who were revealing the details of swish villas owned by the elite. These leaders have turned their countries into securocracies, squeezing the oxygen out of the media on the grounds that journalists give aid to the enemy. They say they are making their people safer by disciplining journalists. In fact they are making themselves safer. Erdogan tried to suspend Twitter as soon as it carried allegations that he was involved in corruption. It is in the nature of securocrats that they want to rule for ever. Both Erdogan and Putin, largely untroubled by a critical press, are already breaking records in political longevity. Sisi is still the new kid on the block but all the betting is that he wants to stay in power for years to come. We cannot hope to convert either Putin or Erdogan but there may still be a chance of influencing Sisi. Not by appeasing him in the hope of picking up contracts, but by breaking the western silence about his repressive policies.
The great divide today is not, as it was in my Cold War days, between a notional free world and communism but between those leaders who understand the limits to their power, and those who do not. There’s an argument that we should keep Sisi out of this country until he at least begins the serious task of reforming Egypt’s vengeful and chaotic courts. That’s not going to work. Let’s invite him to No 10, tear a strip off him and ensure that the word gets back home. North Palmerston, really I’m tired of every half baked funny man thinking they only have to mention PN to get a laugh. PN is a best kept secret. Too late to change its image without a new name, I’m for Manawatu City To M. Fryer, re the TPPA. I don’t know why you should think John Key is the only one being secretive about deals in trade! All trade deals in the past have been done this way, I would have thought most people would know this fact including yourself. Penny-pinching well off texter (14/9) can afford $5,000 rates and insurance and drive to shop in Feilding but will not pay parking in Palmerston North - where is the logic?