Democracy building in post-Saddam Iraq : 'historical memory' and 'primitive democracy'

Iraq’s long and complex past has played a particularly poignant role in establishing and legitimating the various political movements that have ascended to power since the nation state was first created by the British in the early 1920s (Davis, 2005b). For example, the installed Hashemite monarchy that ruled Iraq until the 1958 revolution utilised their ancestral connection to the Prophet Muhammad to legitimate their claim of being the rightful legatees of the Arab lands, while later Saddam Hussein invoked the power of Iraq’s Mesopotamian past to build nationalism and unite the people against ancient enemies such as during the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s.What is problematic about these examples of ‘historical memory’ in Iraq is that they have also been used to justify a series of autocratic and despotic regimes that have attempted to quash Iraq’s civil society and curtail any semblance of democratic reform. However, this paper argues that such ‘historical memories’ may well be useful in reinvigorating the Iraqi public sphere and enabling the transition from despotism to democracy. To do this, this paper focuses on the ancient Mesopotamian practise of ‘Primitive Democracy’ and argues that reinvigorating such histories may serve to legitimate and promote democratic governance within Iraq.

Mediated hegemony : interference in the post-Saddam Iraqi media sector

The toppling of Saddam in 2003 brought with it the re-emergence of the free press in Iraq. This has seen Iraq shift from only a handful of state media outlets that served as propaganda machines, to a vast array of Iraqi-owned newspapers, radio stations and television channels which are being fervently produced and avidly consumed across the nation. As is to be expected, there are several problems that have accompanied such a divergent, ad-hoc and highly volatile media landscape. Leaving aside important issues such as the dangers faced by Iraqi journalists and the lack of appropriate press laws, this paper focuses instead on the influence of both foreign and domestic political bodies on the post-Saddam Iraqi media sector. Among the foreign influences are Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United States, all of which fund, control and manipulate various Iraqi media outlets. Not surprisingly, the United States has been the most active, using both overt and clandestine propaganda methods as well as forced closure to control the Iraqi media sector. Unfortunately, such measures are not limited to those governments which exist outside Iraq’s borders, with both the Iraqi government and the Kurdish regional authority having used similar means to control and even silence Iraq’s nascent public sphere. This paper concludes by noting the irony of limiting press freedoms in Iraq during this crucial phase in its transition from despotism to democracy.

The post-Saddam Iraqi media : reporting the democratic developments of 2005

The toppling of Saddam in 2003 brought with it the re-emergence of the free press in Iraq. This has seen Iraq shift from only a handful of state media outlets that served as propaganda machines, to a vast array of Iraqi-owned newspapers, radio stations and television channels which are being fervently produced and avidly consumed across the nation. This paper therefore reviews the developments in Iraq’s post-Saddam media sector and finds that it has been central to the return of an Iraqi public sphere which has openly debated and discussed the issues surrounding the nation’s shift from despotism to democracy. This is perhaps best evidenced by the role that the Iraqi media played in hosting a rich tapestry of debate, discourse and deliberation from a panoply of political, religious and ethno-sectarian factions throughout the elections and the referendum held across the nation in 2005. Despite their respective biases and particular persuasions, the net effect of such a rich media sector has been an Iraqi populace who are both concerned and informed about the nuances of democratic governance.

Manufacturing consent in Iraq : interference in the post-Saddam media sector

The toppling of Saddam Hussein in 2003 saw Iraq's media sector shift from a handful of state-run media outlets that served as propaganda machines, to a vast array of Iraqi-owned newspapers, radio stations and television channels which are being fervently produced and avidly consumed nationally. Not unexpectedly, several problems have accompanied this divergent, ad-hoc and highly volatile mediascape. Although recognizing important factors, including dangers faced by Iraqi journalists, and the dearth of appropriate press laws, this article focuses instead on attempts by certain key foreign and domestic political bodies to manufacture consent in Iraq via their interference in the post-Saddam media sector. These foreign influences are Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United States, each of which funds, controls and manipulates different Iraqi media outlets. Not surprisingly, the United States has been the most active in this respect, utilizing both overt and clandestine propaganda techniques as well as forced closures to control the Iraqi media sector. Unfortunately, measures such as these are not limited to foreign governments: both the Iraqi government and the Kurdish Regional Government have used similar means to control and silence Iraq's nascent public sphere. The article concludes by noting the irony of limited press freedom in Iraq during this crucial phase of its transition from despotism to democracy.

Politics, press and military participation in the abdication of d. Pedro I

This work seeks to contribute to a better understanding of the Abdication, analyzing how and why sections of the army joined the liberal groups against the emperor, focusing on the period that immediately preceded this event. The argument is that the alliance between sections of the army and the liberal groups in 1831 was possible because the expansion of the "public space" in the city of Rio de Janeiro, a process in which newspapers such as "O Republico" played a key role as they became a privileged locus for political disputes. The article shows that that newspaper helped to build a political identity based on the defense of Brazilian interests against Portuguese despotism, giving momentum to internal conflicts around this subject that were already taking place among sections of the army and hence triggering the process that would lead to the Abdication.

Para onde caminha a ciência politica?

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the challenges to Political Sciences at the moment when many authors emphasize the usage of democratic paradigm as the only way to the rational building of speech in pluralist societies. At the end of one century of the consolidation of modern liberal thought, both in right and left versions (Wallerstein, 1995), the democracy as research tradition(Ball, 1987) fades away its ethical meaning, based upon equality and freedom, and lacks room for discussions about rules for implementing it. The analytical method seeks to historically rebuild the different levels of modern state-nation upbringing and the consolidation of competitive party democracy in the 20th century, which is the explanation key for the political organizational phenomenon of globalized societies. The result of this analysis opens new perspectives to Political Sciences advance in discussing the nature of democratic paradigm since it needs to face challenges to survive, such as: the fight against the structural violence of our society; the fight against despotism; and the adjustment to the meaning of the word freedom. The facing of the mentioned challenges may open explanation keys that will lead to a change in Political Sciences ways.

Outros olhares de Eros: sobre a ficção homoerótica portuguesa contemporânea

From the reading of contemporary Portuguese fiction, after the Carnation’s Revoluction, in 1974, we can observe an opening in the literary and academic ambiences to the treatment of themes, silenced before for the New State despotism. Considering the postmoderns proposals of reviewing the canon, we mark the necessity of a homoerotism inclusion as one of the most fundamental theme for the comprehension of the actual literary production in Portugal.

Rescatando del Leteo crítico a Juan Crisóstomo Lafinur

A menudo la diosa Crítica argentina se empecina en sumergir en el río del olvido a no pocas figuras literarias de nuestro país del siglo XIX. Se podrían ofrecer como excusas, en algunos casos, el despótico paso del tiempo (mientras más nos alejamos del presente más difícil es indagar sobre talo cual autor); en otros, la escasa información biográfica; o la condición paupérrima de ciertas ediciones; o el estado a veces inabarcable de hombresorquesta de estos individuos (son poetas, guerreros, filósofos, etc. y esto sin descuidar ninguno de sus oficios), y así seguiríamos enumerando hasta el hartazgo. Pero así como existe una tendencia a lograr una moderna historiografia argentina de la mano de estudiosos como Tulio Halperin Donghi, revisando los hechos a la luz de sus desencadenantes ideológicos, también se debería proponer un buceo histórico-literario para sacar a la luz varias perlas literarias, engarzadas en sus correspondientes ideologías. Este trabajo se propone ser la ayuda virgiliana que rescate del olvido a Juan Crisóstomo Lafinur, sobre todo su labor poética, ya que de la filosófica todos sabemos de su importante trascendencia. Para esta última sólo tenemos que recordar las palabras de Roberto F. Giusti: "La historia de la evolución mental argentina quedaría incompleta si en ella no hiciésemos un lugar a Lafinur".

Antigas memórias bélicas sobre Javé em Juízes 5,3-5.9-13.19-22.23 e em Habacuque 3,3-6

A imagem de Javé em Juízes 5 constitui-se nas primeiras impressões que o Israel antigo teve do seu Deus. Ela desenha a saída de Javé de sua antiga morada no Sinai para adentrar na terra da Palestina, a fim de lutar por seu povo contra a opressão cananéia. O período tribal foi o momento formativo desse antigo conceito de Javé no Antigo Testamento. Grupos israelitas reformularam o conceito de Javé promulgado pela tradição do Sinai, afirmando, assim, que Javé não é mais o Deus estático e teofânico, morador de uma montanha, mas é o Deus de Israel . E a migração da divindade de um monte para um campo de batalha não representa meramente a caminhada dessa divindade, mas representa o caminhar dos vários estágios em que Israel conceituou seu Deus. Decisivo nessas novas articulações teológicas foi o campo de batalha, que foi o moto da celebração à Javé ressalvada em Juízes 5. Javé é celebrado por seu agir histórico! A história é a mediadora entre Javé e seu povo. Ela é a via pela qual se pronuncia sobre Javé. Assim, as novas conjunturas históricas requerem novas formulações sobre Deus. A antiga memória bélica de Javé contida em Juízes 5 perpassa a história da religião de Israel, podendo ser observada também em Habacuque 3,3-6. Esse é um texto do século VII a.C. Assim, detectamos uma memória corrente na história da religião de Israel, que começou nos momentos antecedentes à da formação da monarquia (Juízes 5) e ainda pode ser notada em Habacuque, no século VII a.C. Nesse desenrolar da religião de Israel, a memória bélica sobre Javé esteve sujeita a várias mutações. Mas, essencialmente, manteve sua proposta: tornar os sujeitos da opressão promulgada pelos impérios em agentes de transformação social. O conceito bélico de Javé patrocinou as revoltas contra o despotismo social, sendo, portanto, uma forma de resistência dos grupos desprestigiados da sociedade, em Israel e Judá

Antigas memórias bélicas sobre Javé em Juízes 5,3-5.9-13.19-22.23 e em Habacuque 3,3-6

A imagem de Javé em Juízes 5 constitui-se nas primeiras impressões que o Israel antigo teve do seu Deus. Ela desenha a saída de Javé de sua antiga morada no Sinai para adentrar na terra da Palestina, a fim de lutar por seu povo contra a opressão cananéia. O período tribal foi o momento formativo desse antigo conceito de Javé no Antigo Testamento. Grupos israelitas reformularam o conceito de Javé promulgado pela tradição do Sinai, afirmando, assim, que Javé não é mais o Deus estático e teofânico, morador de uma montanha, mas é o Deus de Israel . E a migração da divindade de um monte para um campo de batalha não representa meramente a caminhada dessa divindade, mas representa o caminhar dos vários estágios em que Israel conceituou seu Deus. Decisivo nessas novas articulações teológicas foi o campo de batalha, que foi o moto da celebração à Javé ressalvada em Juízes 5. Javé é celebrado por seu agir histórico! A história é a mediadora entre Javé e seu povo. Ela é a via pela qual se pronuncia sobre Javé. Assim, as novas conjunturas históricas requerem novas formulações sobre Deus. A antiga memória bélica de Javé contida em Juízes 5 perpassa a história da religião de Israel, podendo ser observada também em Habacuque 3,3-6. Esse é um texto do século VII a.C. Assim, detectamos uma memória corrente na história da religião de Israel, que começou nos momentos antecedentes à da formação da monarquia (Juízes 5) e ainda pode ser notada em Habacuque, no século VII a.C. Nesse desenrolar da religião de Israel, a memória bélica sobre Javé esteve sujeita a várias mutações. Mas, essencialmente, manteve sua proposta: tornar os sujeitos da opressão promulgada pelos impérios em agentes de transformação social. O conceito bélico de Javé patrocinou as revoltas contra o despotismo social, sendo, portanto, uma forma de resistência dos grupos desprestigiados da sociedade, em Israel e Judá

The war of Ormuzd and Ahriman in the nineteenth century.

The Holy alliance.--The conspiracy of Laybach and Verona.--The revolt of France and Poland against the holy conspirators.-- The revolt of Europe in 1848 against the holy conspirators. Germany.--The revolt in Europe in 1848 against the holy conspirators. Hungary.--The dictatorship of Russia in Europe.--The relations of American and English librty to the Russian dictatorship.--The American republic and the last war of freedom and despotism.

The origin of tyranny,

Arguments in favor of the view that the earliest tyrannies were founded on wealth.

Die Tyrannis in ihren beiden Perioden bei den alten Griechen : dargestellt nach Ursachen, Verlauf und Wirkungen /

Mode of access: Internet.

Friends in council : a series of readings, and discourse thereon : a new series : reprinted from the English edition.

Mainly in form of dialogues.

The history of Hindostan;

It is not a translation, but an original work of Dow's. cf. "Advertisement" (in which he also gives a list of authorities) following table of contents.