Anonymous Posted 2009-06-11

The support shown by the principal party of opposition demonstrates quite instructively the way Tunisian democracy functions and the role of the opposition, that is: to support the regime, which in fact has no need of support. The regime relies on an unshakable pillar: the police baton. Yet, Tunisia is refined; it chooses or, rather, designates its opposition and sets a quote for the number of seats it will receive in parliament even before the elections. As such, no one can claim to represent the people as all the parliamentarians were chosen by the regime. We even saw after the introduction of multiparty politics during the presidential election, that the president's opponents used their time on the television to ask the voters to do like them and vote for the president, who, as we know, will never leave. Their faithfulness is - of course - rewarded with a good salary, a car and other extras, particularly the possibility of trafficking influence, which is the best source for revenue in this country of transparency, where the head of state's salary is a well-guarded secret. But, this is just a detail. I wonder if the foreign heads of state have already sent their congratulatory messages to the conqueror of the next elections or if they are in the process of studying the polls taken by their embassies. As for the Tunisians, this is not even a question. Their throats are well lubricated by the olive oil, such that you can get shove anything down there. They will swallow anything: police batons, snakes, boas, crocodiles and maybe even the Airbus that disappeared at deep in the waters of the Atlantic. In fact, why not re-route the submarines sent to Brazil to the giant mouth of Tunisia? Do you hear me, Mr Sarkozy?

Anonymous Posted 2009-06-12

A classical way for playing the devil's advocate in totalitarian regimes is to tickle the chauvinism of the imbeciles in order to intimidate others and prevent complaints about injustice, corruption, lies, nepotism, and violations of human rights. If you don't close your eyes, shut your mouth and block your ears you are a traitor to the nation, an agent of obscure foreign powers, a...a... The last trend is being a terrorist and a fundamentalist. Totalitarian regimes always resorted to the logics of representing their opponents as traitors to the nation. Hitler and his nazi regime did that, Stalin and his communists did the same. In the underdeveloped Third World the list of tyrants who applied the same tactics is too long to be mentioned. But just a few names of thieves and criminals who claimed to be the architects of national unity: Mobutu, Bokassa, the late Bongo, Assad, Saddam, Hassan II, Kaddafi...You won't have any problem in adding names by just looking around you. You will find plenty from the past and the present, and don't forget: The future is underway. What all tyrants have in common is their fear and hatred of the truth because they built their systems on lies. Lies would melt away in the light of the truth. The road to the truth is to ask questions and discuss things instead of shutting your mouth, closing your eyes and blocking your ears. But dictators forbid freedom of expression, free political parties, trade unions and press. Instead of a free press they only have prostituted media. Another trick in despotic regimes to drive the people stupid is to represent the dictator as a mythical figure, divinely inspired, beloved by the people and admired by world leaders who follow closely his performances and send him messages to express their admiration.