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The Hell-Hole Spectator
The Worst of the Worst
A new report from Freedom House on the world’s most repressive societies in 2012.
(Page 2 of 2)
Although the Cuban government released some political prisoners in an agreement with the Catholic Church, Havana also detained a number of human rights activists in advance of the Pope’s visit. The government separately has relaxed some economic restrictions.
Equatorial Guinea long has been one of Africa’s most oppressive nations. The country held a fraudulent constitutional referendum. When it hosted the 2011 African Union summit, the government launched a crackdown, with “security forces reportedly detaining hundreds of suspected dissidents,” reported Freedom House.
Eritrea is another state known mostly for its brutal repressiveness. The rulers have never held elections in the almost 20 years since the country’s successful secession. Unfortunately, “The Eritrean government’s suppression of the basic political rights and civil liberties of its citizens continued.” Independent media is not simply restricted; it is banned.
Laos remains a communist throwback in which there is no political or media freedom. Libya, in contrast, improved with the overthrow of Moammar Gaddafi, though the country’s ultimate fate remains to be decided.
North Korea probably is the most repressive, misgoverned nation on earth. So far the death of dictator Kim Jong-il has led to no relaxation of the regime’s totalitarian controls. The only reform might be the issuance of designer hand-cuffs in prison. The North is an issue for more than its own oppressed people because it is developing nuclear weapons and threatening South Korea with war.
Saudi Arabia is a totalitarian Muslim state. Supposedly an important U.S. ally, Riyadh grew more repressive with “new restrictions on the media and public speech as well as the severe treatment of religious minorities, including crackdowns on Shiite Muslim protests.”
Somalia may be the closest example of anarchy on earth today. Noted Freedom House: “The Somali state has in many respects ceased to exist, and there is no governing authority with the ability to protect political rights and civil liberties.”
South Ossetia has declared independence from Georgia but has not implemented democracy. Rather, the outgoing president “jailed and threatened opposition figures and changed legislation to prevent the registration” of opposition candidates.
Sudan has never been a free society. Unfortunately, there was “a surge in arrests of opposition political activists and leaders, the banning of a leading political party, the violent response to public demonstrations in Khartoum and other cities, and a crackdown on the activities of journalists.” The situation could worsen with the potential of conflict after the secession of South Sudan.
Syria saw a significant deterioration with increased government repression and the slide into civil war. Beijing continued to maintain its harsh rule in Tibet. Turkmenistan “took greater repressive measures against human rights activists inside and outside the country.”
Uzbekistan is another Central Asian dictatorship. That nation’s government “suppressed all political opposition and restricted independent business activity.” Moreover, “the few remaining civic activists and critical journalists in the country faced prosecution, hefty fines, and arbitrary detention.”
Western Sahara, the former Spanish colony conquered by Morocco, saw a decline in liberty “due to the inability of civil society groups to form and operate, as well as serious restrictions on property rights and business activity.” Unfortunately, native “Sahrawis continued to be denied basic political, civil, and economic rights.”
It would be comforting to believe that the world was steadily and inevitably moving toward greater liberty. However, while there are moments of great progress—such as the collapse of communism—there also are moments of great despair.
Some day freedom may come to the Worst of the Worst. However, so far repression has proved to be brutally resilient. While the U.S. cannot turn into a crusader state attempting to liberate all these peoples by force, Americans and other people of good will around the world should do what they can to embarrass and challenge regimes which oppress.
About the Author
Doug Bandow is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute. A former Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan, he is the author and editor of several books, including The Politics of Plunder: Misgovernment in Washington (Transaction).
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Al Adab| 12.31.12 @ 11:15AM
How can we explain the gross hypocricy of the American Left in its support of tyranical and totalitarian states of the left while excoriating those of the right? Is it because they assume those to the left, despotic and barbaric though they be, are assumed to express the longings of the people for better lives although it is often those of the right which prosper more. Every leftist revolution and dictator finds favor and excuse while any rightist, even a prosperous and stable one, finds only judgement and opposition. Apparently, "They mean well" and "Its the right thing to do" excuse all manner of horror.
JmsA| 12.31.12 @ 12:40PM
Eloquently stated. Thank you.
Liberty4x4| 12.31.12 @ 7:52PM
You left out Iran.
JD| 1.1.13 @ 4:38PM
The "Right" is definitionally a system in which government has less power and does less controlling and micromanaging of a society. Tyranny is definitionally opposite this. There is no such thing as right-wing dictatorship.
That repressive Middle-Eastern societies are "far-right" is just another left wing lie.
Tom Kyba| 12.31.12 @ 11:53AM
Your list seems to include all of the Democrats favorite countries.
Arnie| 12.31.12 @ 12:15PM
It's actually the left fighting for rights and freedoms in those countries you moron.
Actually there seems to be more favorites of the right on this list. Most of those are theocratic states, oil states working with big American oil companies, a libertarian state in Somalia, military huntas, and the free market explosion in China that the American right loves, because for the American right, the free market and money is more important than human rights.
The countries that are to the left of American conservatism are in Europe. Those are considered the most free and democratic nations in the world, and those countries are the favorites of the left.
Petronius| 12.31.12 @ 1:17PM
Europeans are Not Free. They are tax slaves and serfs for Their leftist governments. Conservatives want economic liberty and social autonomy. Liberals want a world which does not require anything from or of them to get what they want. There is No place where there is room for both.
PolishKnight| 12.31.12 @ 1:36PM
Having been to Europe, I would say it's not entirely a bad place but it's also not the fantasy they make it out to be or sustainable. Let's tie that in with leftist dogma about "sustainable energy." That's a myth of course since it takes more gasoline to make a windmill than a windmill produces electricity to offset it. But it sounds nice and gets jobs for their corporate fascist cronies. Western Europe is similar. It's not really sustainable either, as it is, since their economies are ponzi schemes in the midst of collapsing, culturally rotting from within (due to embracing the "diversity" poison the left is selling in the states to win elections), and subsidized by the USA (Obama was beloved on his apology tour of Western Europe because they hoped for some US taxpayer and FED cash.) Good luck with that. The European healthcare system is dependent upon American pharmaceuticals because their own elite, highly educated scientists don't have an economic incentive to make their own medicines!!! Their defense is via NATO which is US taxpayer funded. Heck, I say let the fiscal cliff happen and move out of Western Europe.
Liberty4x4| 1.1.13 @ 1:30PM
Exceptionally astute insight...especially concerning the U.S. military providing Europe's defense. Most people do not realize that the reason Europe can afford national health care and their other generous entitlements is because they do not have to finance large militaries. We defend them from major invasions. If we stopped providing for their defense they would have to, and, their house of entitlement cards would come tumbling down. Aren't we ever so compassionate?
Bob K| 1.1.13 @ 4:18PM
Throw Canada into that mix too! A nation of takers!
Arnie| 12.31.12 @ 2:36PM
Actually, the heart of American conservatism is the white, christian slave owner who wants his big house and profits at the expense of cheap, or free labor. Hence the historical conservative opposition to labor rights activists, and corporate regulation. It also explains Dick Cheneys's Halliburton and the Republican parties oil and Walmart lobby that works with these oppressive states to bring cheap gas and oil and clothes made in Walmart factories in Asia with child labor. So sorry, you're wrong buddy. The American right owns this shit.
fmm| 1.1.13 @ 8:29AM
You have been completely brainwashed - watch out for the queen of hearts.
JD| 1.1.13 @ 4:43PM
Arnie is a fine representative of Leftism. Rather than comprehend the possibility of actually addressing what the Right believes, he has set up for himself a Straw Man that he calls "The Right". This straw man resembles him more than us, for it could hardly resemble us less.
In his extreme arrogance, he insists that he is a better judge than us of what we believe.
Crassus| 1.1.13 @ 5:17PM
Damn, dude, you're still using cliches from 2007. Change the tape. Please.
spike59| 1.2.13 @ 5:49AM
I hope, for your sake, you checked the expiration date on those talking points you bought from Kos; i believe they expired YEARS ago
PolishKnight| 12.31.12 @ 1:30PM
In response to both Tom and Arnie, simultaneously. Those repressive countries are "favorites" of the left because the illiterate populations are their future race entitlement immigrant voters. And their socialist utopias in Western Europe are also going to be little different than Mexico and Kenya in a few decades... The ideology of the left apparently isn't really to move forward to green energy and get off of oil (their subsidized Prius's still burn gasoline albeit at a lower rate) but rather simply want to win elections at all costs. Kind of like die-hard Penn State fans who ignore what's going on in the showers. They want to win elections. Period. Who cares what the end result is?
With the Republicans, it's a bit different. They truly don't care about winning elections as is evident with the last one. They care about abortion, gay marriage, and keeping tax rates low for the rich and to hell with everything else. Almost admirable in that they at least have an ideology they stick to.
C. Vernon Crisler | 12.31.12 @ 12:13PM
For some reason, I cannot get myself to care. People get the government they deserve.
Arnie| 12.31.12 @ 12:18PM
I actually kinda agree with your statement.
The local populations need to rise up and demand change. But on the American side, we could demand that our companies don't work in these countries and definitely crack down on the bribing that our companies do with their leaders.
PolishKnight| 12.31.12 @ 1:41PM
We already have our own corporate fascism going on here. The Obamacare bill was full of various payouts and earmarks. Even as the left decries "WalMart" and "outsourcing", they secretly buy Chinese made clothes at Pentagon City but just pay a slightly higher mark up to shop amongst each other rather than "red state losers" at WalMart. But it's the same stuff.
The difference between our corporate fascist system and the beloved leftist paradigm of the former USSR was that here you don't have to wait in line to buy a limited selection of poorly made goods. Here's the goods are a-plenty and cheap. For now. While the currencies hold and the Chinese fascists provide them at rock dollar prices. And even as the left bellyaches about evil oil, they pump them into their priuses or their NIMBY oil fired power plants to keep their PC's and other gizmos going.
JmsA| 12.31.12 @ 1:56PM
Birds of a feather will flock together.
JmsA| 12.31.12 @ 1:57PM
Birds of a feather will flock together.
JmsA| 12.31.12 @ 1:59PM
The posts above were meant for Arnie's comment: "I actually kinda agree with your statement."
Dave Williams| 12.31.12 @ 2:03PM
Thanks to previous commenters who've brought up the unspoken but, sadly, very true point that the good old U S of A is headed DOWNward on that list, in a very significant way. Any government who thinks it's ANY of their business legislating what kinds of light bulbs or toilets I have in my house, or what kind of food I can put into my body, has got its tentacles in places they DO! NOT! BELONG! Time to break out the axe and start lopping off a few...oh, wait, the stupid masses are FOR those tentacles, in the mistaken belief that they'll get something for nothing from King Zero. Sad.
Occam's Tool| 12.31.12 @ 2:41PM
Note how many of those countries have a problem with their peoples getting their EYE SLAMmed. I will leave it to my friend Dave Williams to explicate further (and Happy New Year, sir) why this is so, and Cheesehead Jack (Packers Suck!) to apologize for the child rapists.
Job| 12.31.12 @ 2:44PM
this human weather report is always the same: " man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upwards"
the freedom house's list of most repressive regimes might as well be Carlins weather report: Weather forecast for tonight: dark. Continued dark overnight, with widely scattered light by morning.
Albert Constantine Jr.| 12.31.12 @ 5:01PM
I believe Mr. Carlin gave the credit for the weather report to "Al Sleet, the Hippy Dippy Weatherman".
I am uncertain if he wished to give Bill Ayers credit, as well.
Job| 12.31.12 @ 10:52PM
i stand corrected, thanks and happy new year and to Al Sleet, to Al C, and to All a good night.
Dimitry_Aleksandrovich| 12.31.12 @ 8:29PM
Jesus Christ once said that before one picks at the splinter in his brother's eye he should remove the beam from his own eye. I am an American and I love my country, but while we criticize other nations we are allowing our national security apparatus to completely trample upon our constitutional liberties here at home. It has been a long time headed in this direction, but Patriot Act's I and II and the NSA's carnivore program have given the government powers that even the KGB didn't have (due to technology not for lack of trying). The government now has the right to tap your phone, hack into your email, review all your financial accounts and God knows what else with barely a peep out of the "conservative movement' that was once the champion of such issues during the Clinton Administration. Now except for Ron Paul and a hand few of other libertarian minded constitutionalists and constitutionalist minded liberals there hasn't been a peep out of mainstream Republicans or Democrats.
In the past decade we have seen the indefinite detention of Islamic militants, even those with U.S. passports and natural born citizenship all though no official war has been declared and very few of these men have ever been tried for the crimes for which they are accused. Who's to say that in the near future that any American citizen who disagrees with the policies of the federal government won't also find themselves locked up for an indefinite stay in a military detention camp?
Dimitry_Aleksandrovich| 12.31.12 @ 8:29PM
Last but not least I will mention the drone strikes being carried out by the U.S. military throughout the world basically killing anyone the U.S. government deems to be Al Qaeda even if those targets are not Al Qaeda or even if those targets are American citizens. We have now allowed our government to become the judge, jury and executionor of anyone deemed to be a threat to the national security of the United States and there is no constitutionally declared war. How long until drones are targeting sights of supposed militants within the United States as well?
Those are my questions and concerns for this evening and a very Happy New Year to all.
Occam's Tool| 1.2.13 @ 5:21PM
Dmitry: when the Islamic "militants" kill your kids, please get back to me on their rights. As someone whom only fate spared from being killed by one of those "militants" currently standing trial (I had a psychiatry job offer at Fort Hood for $290K/yearly---turned it down), I have a somewhat different view from yours, similar to your different view on unions.
In short, screw those bastards. If they had had their way, my kids would be without their dad.
Dimitry_Aleksandrovich| 1.3.13 @ 9:58PM
I'm talking about the slippery slope Occam. How much freedom are you willing to sacrifice as an American citizen to feel safe? Also when we get to the point where the federal government can detain indefinitely or kill American citizens without recall then what makes us any different from the above mentioned nations on the list of tyrannical regimes? What if the United States government decided that "Jewish Americans" or "Russian Americans" were potential militant and could and should be detained indefinitely. It happened before. Italian-Americans, German-Americans, Japanese-Americans. Internment camps during WWII.
Dimitry_Aleksandrovich| 1.1.13 @ 6:02PM
I've spent quite a bit of time in the former Soviet Central Asia, in one of the countries that is mentioned above. If there's anything I can say about their inclusion on this list its that since the fall of the Soviet Union these overwhelmingly Muslim Central Asian Republics (or dictatorships however you would like to categorize their governments) have been at the forefront of fighting the spread of militant Islamism in the region. As we have seen in Egypt, Libya and Gaza democracy suits Islamists just fine. A democratic Syria would mean a Sunni Islamist Syria where the rights of non-Sunni Alawites, Druze and Christians are disregarded at the very best if such communities even exist once Assad is toppled (because they could very easily be ethnically cleansed). Trying to or even wishing for the spread of democracy in places like Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan is like wishing for someone to have a weak immune system when the next plague hits. Sunni Islamism is a plague mind you and my rather liberal Soviet Muslim relatives in Central Asia would not fare well under a Salafist/Wahhabist caliphate. That's why even if they hate the dictator there (which many do) they fear even more what would happen in the absence of a secular dictatorship.
Occam's Tool| 1.2.13 @ 5:22PM
I happen to agree that Islam is not compatible with decent human societies or freedom.
Dimitry_Aleksandrovich| 1.3.13 @ 10:05PM
It's the Salafist/Wahhabist strain of Islam that is not compatible with decent human societies. Unfortunately that means that when one must choose between a secular dictatorship or the caliphate I would suggest one choose the secular dictatorship. I love Uzbekistan and the peoples and cultures of the former Soviet Republics of Central Asia, but I know that Western style democracy in those nations at this point in time would be inviting an Islamist takeover. An overwhelmingly number of people I met in the region don't want an Islamist government, but the Islamists are well organized and skilled in coercion and propaganda. If the Islamists ran in an election in Central Asia and lost they would probably declare the elections to be fixed and start an armed rebellion in protest. Probably one that would find Western backers.
Nixonfan| 1.1.13 @ 6:55PM
NK is clearly in a class by itself. People can live normal lives in Cuba, China, Belarus, etc. NK is a Stalinist nightmare almost beyond Orwell's imagination.
MacWell™| 1.1.13 @ 9:59PM
Back in 86, the first time I tapped into the internet, I thought to myself, this is going to change the world.
I have to believe that it's inherent in human beings to be free. The people in these countries probably dream of being free. Of course not the elite, for they have a seat at the table that the common man cannot imagine. In the future I see a time when we the people of the world unite under a banner of freedom. Try as they might, the leftists cannot kill the spirit in man. God has given mankind the ability to understand right from wrong, that was the trade off in the garden, and to this day, people who wish to be rulers know that what they're doing is wrong, they just don't care.
Yes folks, this here internet thingy will change the future for all mankind. It will take time, and many will still die, and be tortured, and starved until such time when we the people rise up and reclaim the earth.
Dimitry_Aleksandrovich| 1.2.13 @ 12:00AM
I disagree MacWell. That's wishful thinking that borders on utopianism. In many parts of the world people just want to live life with some notion of safety and security. Why do you think Syrian minorities (Christians, Alawites and other non-Sunnis) support the Baathist regime of Bashar al Assad in Syria.
Michele San Pietro| 1.6.13 @ 9:40AM
I hope freedom will come soon for the countries who are still under a dictatorship. Nothing is eternal, and nobody would have expected communism to collapse in Europe just five years before. Let's always give freedom and democracy a chance!