Category Archives: Regimes

Andrew L. Urban China’s Communist Party fears a democracy movement arising from its own people far more than it fears any Western commentary. The more afraid of such a break out, the tougher its repressions, notably in Hong Kong, which … Continue reading →

Andrew L. Urban. Angered and afraid, Hong Kong rose up last week and told China’s communist bullies to shove their extradition plans up their red flag. It would have diminished Hong Kong freedoms and curtailed democracy. The bad news is … Continue reading →

Andrew L. Urban. It’s not over yet, but I feel this is a crucial moment in the evolution of the story about the shocking death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Let’s take stock of what we know – and ask … Continue reading →

By Andrew L. Urban. America’s current (June 2018) crisis over illegal immigration, family separations and border policies generally, have highlighted and exacerbated the nature of America’s unfolding socio-political tragedy. Watching America rip itself apart – needlessly – is the greatest … Continue reading →

By Andrew L. Urban With the gratuitous opening sentence, “Keep your eyes on North Korea’s Kim Jong-un.” The Australian’s veteran Foreign Editor Greg Sheridan signals his credential superiority, but soon drops his guard. “ … so far, in relation to … Continue reading →

Back in the UK after 16 months travel, David Sergeant is aghast at the drastic changes to freedom of speech, expression and association, all squeezed by laws. Yes, in the UK. (This is an extract from his report in Spectator … Continue reading →

The moment is right for fresh thinking in order to dispatch the old and stale Palestinian-Israeli conflict, writes Daniel Pipes.* With Arabs focused on other issues – the Iranian nuclear weapon build-up, civil wars in Libya, Yemen, Syria, and Iraq, … Continue reading →

By Andrew L. Urban. What does young Kim of North Korea want? That’s what political junkies and politicians around the world are wondering, as are columnists and journalists, in the long lead up to the proposed May 2018 meeting between … Continue reading →

By Andrew L. Urban ‘In the United States, President Donald Trump would like to establish his own mafia-style state but cannot, because the Constitution, other institutions, and a vibrant civil society won’t allow it.’ That’s the third sentence in an … Continue reading →

Edited extracts from The Economist, July 15, 2017, with commentary by Andrew L. Urban. Liu Xiaobo, who died on July 13, was hardly a household name in the West. Yet of those in China who have called for democracy, resisting … Continue reading →