India’s descent into dictatorship
General elections will be held in India from April 19, 2024 to June 1, 2024 to elect the 543 members of the 18th Lok Sabha. The BJP is on Mission…
Deepening the Zia dictatorship
In my last article, ‘Remembering 1977’ (Aug 29), I highlighted how the year 1977 became a turning point in Pakistan’s history. Within 40 days after his military coup on July…
Crisis of dictatorship – Part II
It is noteworthy that in 1922 Belarus was one of the four units that formed the Soviet Union. And in 1991 three of the four units – Russia, Belarus and…
Crisis of dictatorship: Part – I
Exactly 30 years ago, towards the end of 1990, one of the two superpowers of that time – the Soviet Union – was facing an existential crisis. Though the Soviet…
Military dictatorship vs civilian rule
In a recent interview, former military dictator General Pervez Musharraf claimed that the country made progress only under military rule and civilian governments mostly "let the nation down." These of…
On the path to dictatorship
Dictators always need to justify the concentration of power within themselves. Josef Stalin, for example, argued that because political power belonged to the Soviet proletariat and that the Communist Party…
China activists push limit with demands to end ‘dictatorship’
Their banners have urged an end to China's "dictatorship", scorned the regime as "rogue" and dared leaders to disclose their assets as a step against graft - all dangerous calls…
Brazil 2014 to be run by ally of former dictatorship
Next year's World Cup in Brazil is in the hands of an octogenarian politician of fiery temperament closely tied to the former military dictatorship. Jose Maria Marin, 82, assumed control…
Democracy and dictatorship
Our rulers still firmly believe that “the worst democracy is better than the best dictatorship.” But ground realities are different. There have been examples in recent times where dictators have…
Failure of dictatorship & democracy
HOW would you feel if you lived in a poor neighbourhood and your neighbours started getting rich while you became poorer? Angry, envious, depressed, suspicious? Pakistanis have experienced these emotions…
