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2011-02-27 Africa Subsaharan

Africa eyes Arab revolts with hope as dictators squirm

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Posted by Fred 2011-02-27 00:00|| || Front Page|| [4 views ] Top

#1 If you waiting on Obama to demand that Robert Mugabe or Jaboc Zuma to "step down" as he has Kadofi and others, you may have a long wait in store. They think alike, act alike, and share a common samevoeging, a bond and belief.

Posted by Besoeker 2011-02-27 01:51|| 2011-02-27 01:51|| Front Page Top

#2 Anyone with half a brain - dictator or not - can only come up with one set of lessons for aspiring leaders from recent news reports. 1) Oppress any mass demonstrations FAST and hard, with live ammunition. 2) Shut down any avenues of communication in the following order: a) Twitter, b) Facebook, c) the Internet at large, d) cell phone carriers, e) other telephone lines.

But then I've never read Machiavelli. He may have already covered all this.

Posted by Scooter McGruder 2011-02-27 02:44|| 2011-02-27 02:44|| Front Page Top

#3 You forgot "get nukes", Scooter.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2011-02-27 03:21|| 2011-02-27 03:21|| Front Page Top

#4 #3 - 'Get nukes' is the #1 priority for insane dictators, but not many can afford them. Machine guns & grenades are cheap.

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2011-02-27 06:40|| 2011-02-27 06:40|| Front Page Top

#5 I reside in a Sub-Saharan nation and do not see this type of revolt as likely or probable in this region. First - most of the educated people have left. There is a leadership vaccum and folks here tend to rally behind a person - not an idea. Second - lack of interwebs connection. Mobile phones alone won't get 'er done. Third - ethnic/tribal (yeah I said it - tribal) divisions. Fourth - regime preservation is job one for the intel/security services. They can focus all of their efforts in crushing any movement before it gets going. Most people here can't spell revolution let alone put one together.

Posted by Bangkok Billy 2011-02-27 08:45|| 2011-02-27 08:45|| Front Page Top

#6 ...but not many can afford them.

You just have to convince the foreign 'intelligence' agencies that you may have some. Has the same effect with less mess.

Posted by Procopius2k 2011-02-27 11:06|| 2011-02-27 11:06|| Front Page Top

#7 That can lead to unexpected side effects, P2k. Just ask Saddam.

Posted by lotp 2011-02-27 20:34|| 2011-02-27 20:34|| Front Page Top

#8 actually Machiavelli covered how a "prince" ought to act when beset on all sides by potential enemies and intrigue w/in his own kingdom. Machiavelli was actually for individual rights, hated the ruling Medici family and dispised the use of mercenaries (the condottieri)...discourses on Livy was his treatise on republicanism. He is often the most misunderstood political philosopher of all time. The left always invoke him as a dictator - most have no fucking clue what he actually thought.

Posted by Broadhead6 2011-02-27 21:04|| 2011-02-27 21:04|| Front Page Top

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