Foreign Digest: Hungary and Venezuela

Hungary: There were mass protests last week against the far-right authoritarian Hungarian government after the leaking of an audiotape that incriminates government officials in corruption. The public revelation by a public official comes after the resignation of the Vice President over the scandalous pardon of a criminal who had been convicted of abusing a minor. Authoritarian governance is often corrupt because of the diminishment of checks and balances, transparency and dissent. Venezuela: The popular opposition Venezuelan presidential candidate was barred by the Socialist dictatorship from holding office for 15 years, which violated a deal mediated between the government and opposition I had posted about. The center-right candidate continued to campaign, but resigned as the nominee in favor of noted philosophy professor, until her candidacy was challenged by the regime’s election officials. At the last moment, the opposition filed the required paperwork for a new opposition presidential candidate by the deadline, a former provincial Governor. In another example of the undermining of the integrity of the elections in Venezuela, the 5.2 million Venezuelans abroad are experiencing difficulty in registering to vote, which has led to protests at some of Venezuela’s diplomatic missions. Also, after several opposition leaders sought diplomatic sanctuary in Argentina’s embassy, Venezuela cut off the embassy's electricity. There were more demonstrations in favor of the release of political prisoners, joined in the call by scores of non-governmental organizations. Their release is one of the chief goals of the opposition. The Socialists took power in the South American State in 2004 through elections, but became increasingly authoritarian. Like Russia and Turkey, the oppressive regime has not permitted fully free and fair elections, but only enough of a process of voting to give the dictatorship a false appearance of legitimacy

Happy Easter! Thoughts on Religious Persecution and Freedom of Religion

Happy Easter! Today, we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ that saves us and gives us Hope in eternal Paradise. As many of Jesus’ disciples were martyred, so Christians around the world have continued to sacrifice their lives to give witness to their faith. There has been persecution of Christians by non-Christians particularly in the Old World, as well as of the practitioners of other religions, but there is also persecution of Christians practicing their faith even in the New World. I have been posting about the repression in Nicaragua by the Marxist Sandinista regime against political opponents, civic and religious organizations, especially the Catholic Church, and how Bishops and Priests have been arrested or drive into exile. This Easter, for the second consecutive year, because of the intolerance by the dictatorship for the freedom of religion, there will be no public Easter processions. In Communist Cuba, there has been an increase in religious persecution, including preventing dissidents from attending Sunday Mass. A particular target for this crackdown on protestors I had posted about earlier this month is the women who demonstrate in favor of the release of political prisoners. Freedom of religion is fundamental to liberty, as it is the basis for all other freedoms for people to have the liberty to practice morality by expressing opposition to evil and support of good. And it is upon the natural law belief, as expressed in the American Creed in the Declaration of Independence that God created everyone equal and free, that the liberty of everyone depends. Freedom of religion is therefore a threat to tyrants or the powerful who are immoral, and a safeguard for those who oppose them. But like any freedom or right, it must not be used by the people like the jealous populist crowd who demanded the Roman Procurator of Judea free another prisoner over Jesus or for any other unjust reason, but used responsibly in a just manner.

Another Increase in American Defense Is Enacted

The President of the United States, Joe Biden, signed into law a bipartisan temporary funding bill for several key departments, particularly Defense, to avert a shutdown after the expiration of congressional authorization to spend money. Although a liberal Democrat, Biden has consistently signed increases in defense spending, including pay raises for servicemen and retirees. The bill passed both Republican-led chambers of Congress with support of most Republicans and Democrats, with significant opposition from libertarians who oppose every spending measure and fiscal conservatives because of the overall spending level, thereby risking a fiscally and politically costly government shutdown. A critical bill that passed the Senate for defensive aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan remains held up in the House because of opposition from GOP leader Donald Trump and pro-Russian far-right members after the majority rejected a bipartisan-negotiated tough but fair border security reform. Republicans had insisted on an even more rigid border policy than under current law in exchange for support for Ukraine, but far-right Trumpist rejected the deal not only to prevent a political victory for Biden during an election year, but because of nativism and demagoguery about migrants, despite the economic need for more workers because of the labor shortage that has contributed to inflation, and the benefit of refugees seeking asylum from persecution because of their greater appreciation for freedom. Furthermore, unfair restrictions on legal migration incentivize irregular migration, instead of a more reasonable approach that balances freedom, security and economic benefit, which was proposed by the bipartisan negotiators. As I have noted, Trumpism, a populist mix of protectionism, nativism and isolationism, is anathema to conservatism.

Foreign Digest: Russia, Cuba and the Gaza Strip

Russia: The United States, Canada and most European States denounced the Russian presidential elections as illegitimate because they failed to meet the standard for being free and fair. A Russian human rights organization, whose leader is imprisoned, like many critics, described it as the most fraudulent in Russian history. Ukraine and the Ukrainian council of churches condemned particularly the forced votes in the areas of eastern Ukraine annexed by Russia. Cuba: Despite an intolerance by the Communist regime of Cuba for the freedom of expression, there have been more protests by Cubans as the socialist Cuban economy faces severe supply shortfalls. The dictatorship has been arresting more dissidents. Gaza Strip: I ignored protestors demonstrating in support of a ceasefire to prevent the overthrow by Israel of Hamas, the Iranian-backed terrorist organization that rules the self-governing territory of the Gaza Strip, as I passed by them to conduct my official business at Reading’s City Hall. If they or the professional media had asked my opinion, I would have said that I stand with those Gazans who oppose Hamas and the other terrorist organizations based there that are sponsored by the Islamic Republic of Iran, the worst state sponsor of terrorism in the world. Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the al-Aqsa Brigade launched attacks targeting Israeli civilians in October 2023 that killed over a thousand people, including Americans and other Westerners, injured thousands more, and took hundreds hostage. They and Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shi’ite terrorist organization, have been firing missiles indiscriminately at Israel since then. Hamas and the other terrorists based themselves in civilian areas deliberately to use them as human shields or to blame the Israelis for civilian casualties as Israel conducts operations to destroy Hamas. The United States and its allies support Israeli self-defense against Hamas and the other terrorists.

Russian Supporters of Liberty Protest the Russian Presidential Elections

The Russian presidential elections took place this weekend, but they were not free and fair amidst an intolerance of freedom of expression and of any significant competition. Ex-Soviet intelligence officer Vladimir Putin, who has ruled Russia tyrannically since 1999, either as president or prime minister, is assured of another six-year term, after constitutional changes he proposed ended term limits. The Kremlin-controlled Russian electoral commission, which had barred two serious opposition candidates from standing for president, will count the votes and, as they have a history of doing, will ensure that the totals only show a large win for Putin, with only a token opposition to provide a false sense of democratic legitimacy. Ballot stuffing and multiple voting are two methods the regime uses to ensure itself a large vote total. A victory for Putin has thus been pre-arranged, with the result not the significance of the election, but only the propaganda value of a large margin of victory. Only parties and candidates that do no criticize Putin are allowed to stand for office or get elected. But the liberal opposition took advantage of the opportunity to stage a brilliant form of protest that could not subject them to arrest, unlike any other peaceful protest. Different factions of the opposition offered various suggestions for demonstrating their disapproval of Putin, either by boycotting the election or by showing up to vote at the same time today, which thousands of Russians did across the Russian Federation and also at Russian diplomatic missions abroad where Russian citizens could vote. The protestors opted to spoil their ballots by voting for more than one candidate, or writing in the name of late Russian liberal leader Alexei Navalny or anti-Putin or anti-war slogans, or voting for one of the three Kremlin-tolerated opposition candidates. There were also numerous incidents of vandalism of polling stations. Navalny had approved the plan before the opposition leader was killed by the Putin regime in an arctic prison last month on political charges. But the Putin regime could not hide the long voting lines today and the photographs Russian voters took of their spoiled ballots. The protest was also intended to reassure Russians, despite the repression of dissent that has fragmentated the opposition, with many opponents in prison or exile, that they are not alone in their desire for liberty and representative government.

Save Time (and Money) and Improve Health and Safety by Abolishing Wasteful Daylight Saving Time

Daylight Saving Time should be abolished, and with it the wasteful, in terms of time and money, semi-annual changing of the clocks, with its disruption of the circadian rhythm for sleep, harmful health effects, and increase in automobile accidents. Although some people appreciate the earlier light in the afternoon after the switch to DST and even propose to remain on DST permanently as a solution to the problems caused by having to change the clocks, they forget that no law can alter daylight by changing the revolution of the earth around the sun and thus increase the total amount of daylight whatsoever. The tradeoff for an hour more of sunlight in the afternoon, therefore, is an hour less of it in the morning and thus an increase of accidents, including for pedestrians, especially for students on the way to school. Remaining on standard time, in synchrony with the sun, would be the healthiest and safest solution.

Latest Updates on Russia, Ukraine and Moldova

Russian War Crimes: The World Criminal Court issued arrest mandates to two Russians for war crimes committed in Ukraine as part of the Russian aggression against the former Soviet Republic. The Court has already issued an arrest warrant for Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin, the ex-Soviet intelligence officer who is trying to restore the Soviet Union/Russian Empire. Meanwhile, the Bishop who is the head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church made a pastoral visit to the United States, where there are many Parishes in the Eastern Rite Church, which is in full Communion with the Catholic Pope. He pleaded for more American aid to Ukraine to defend itself against the Russians. The Bishop reported the killing and imprisonment of Priests and the destruction or damage of hundreds of churches and other spiritual structures in the territories occupied by the Russians, as Russia deliberate target religions other than those Ukrainian Orthodox churches loyal to the Russian Orthodox Church, which is loyal to Putin. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is the largest church in Ukraine. It had split from the Russian Orthodox Church before the full-scale Russian invasion. The second largest church is the Catholic Church, mostly Latin Rite, but also Eastern Rite. The Ukrainian Catholic Bishop also noted the lack of religious freedom not only for Catholics, but Protestant Christians, Jews and Muslims in Russian-occupied Ukraine. Russia has been conducting genocide against Ukraine to destroy its culture, as “Czar” Putin falsely claims Ukrainians do not have a separate identity from Russians. Before it was part of the Soviet Union, Ukraine, like all former Soviet Republics and much of the Russian Federation, had been part of the Russian Empire. but with its own language, history and culture. Russian Intimidation of Exiles: Russia has labeled Garry Kasparov, the greatest chess player in history who is a conservative Russian opposition leader living in exile in America, a “terrorist.” As I have posted, dictatorships label any opponent as “terrorist,” including not only guerillas who attack government targets, as opposed to targeting innocent civilians to cause mass terror, which is the definition of terrorism, but even those who simply exercise their freedom to express criticism. And as I have also posted, Russia charges exiles with crimes and even assaults or murders them on foreign soil, including with radioactive and chemical weapons. Russian Interference in Moldova: Moldova, a former Soviet Republic, accuses Russia of interference in local elections, funding anti-government protests, engaging in disinformation and even bribery of voters. Russia maintains troops in a breakaway part of Moldova next to the Ukrainian border against Moldova’s wishes. Russia is trying to discourage the approval of a Moldovan European Union membership referendum later this year. In the meantime, like much of Europe, Moldova has weaned itself off Russian energy to become more independent, after Russia had hiked prices to bully it, as well as increased its defense spending. Although constitutionally neutral, Moldova and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization have an official partnership. Like other former Soviet Republics and Soviet Satellite States in Eastern Europe, Ukrainians and Moldovans prefer liberty and representative government and to trade with the West, instead of being dominated by a Russia imperialist “czar.”

Update: Sweden Has Joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

After a policy of neutrality during the Cold War, dating back even to before the Second World War, Sweden has joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the most successful defensive pact in history, as its membership has been formally accepted by NATO. Although Sweden had long been a strategic partner of NATO because of threats from the Russian Federation, the full-scale Russian aggression against Ukraine prompted the shift in Swedish policy, just as it did in neighboring Finland, which had also been neutral since the start of the Cold War in the post-Second World War period, as Finland shares a long border with the Soviet Union and its Russian successor. Sweden has a small border with Russia, but also shares the waters of the Baltic Sea. NATO, which has 32 members, is led by the United States. Its strength relies on its provision that obliges support from each of the other members if any one member were attacked. The only time it was invoked was by the U.S. after the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks by the Islamist al-Qaeda terrorists. Through this mutual pledge of defense of allies, the Soviet Union and Russia have thus been deterred from invading NATO members since its founding in 1949, which has kept the peace in Europe, enhanced American security by deterring aggression and thus keeping Russian conventional and nuclear forces from getting any closer, and encouraged transatlantic trade that has fostered prosperity.

Updates on Russia, Ukraine and Moldova

The Russian opposition: A Russian dissident who is the co-founder and co-leader of the Memorial Foundation, a 2022 Nobel Peace Prize-winning organization, was sentenced to prison last week for criticizing Russian aggression against Ukraine. The Nobel Committee accused the Russian Federation of attempting to silence critics. Longtime Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin is an ex-Soviet intelligence officer who is trying to restore the Soviet Union/Russian Empire. Although only a few were allowed in the church for the funeral Mass yesterday for Alexei Navalny, the center-right leader for the cause of liberty and representative government in Russia who died under harsh imprisonment for his political opposition, thousands of Russians gathered outside the church, in the Russian winter and amid heavy police presence, after the Kremlin had warned that protesters would face prosecution. The mourners chanted that Russia would be free and other anti-Putin statements. There were relatively few arrests there, but across Moscow and another 18 cities, there have been over a hundred arrests, as the freedom of peaceful assembly is not tolerated. Many Russians are continuing to pay their respects at Navalny’s grave. As I had posted, over 400 Russians were arrested after protesting the death of Navalny, the biggest protests since the first six months after Russia’s aggression against Ukraine two years ago. Thousands were prosecuted and given harsh prison sentences after those protests. As I have posted, Putin will allow only non-critical opponents in the upcoming presidential elections, but the Russian opposition is a witness to the Kremlin’s oppression gives hope and honor to the Russian people. Israeli support for Ukraine: Israel announced last week that it is supplying defense aid to Ukraine. Israel has grown concerned about Russia’s closeness to Iran, which exports Islamist revolution and is the worst state sponsor of terrorism in the world, including Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, who murdered over a thousand Israelis in October. Russia is allied with Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese terrorist organization, in support of the tyrannical Assad regime of Syria’, Iran main ally. The United States, Canada, most European States, and several East Asian States have imposed sanctions on Russia and many have supplied humanitarian or even defense aid to Ukraine. Russian aggression was widely condemned around the world, including overwhelmingly through the United Nations, but most States try to maintain diplomatic neutrality. The shift in Israel’s position toward a more pro-Ukrainian stance is encouraging. Russian attacks on the West to influence elections: Italy’s intelligence agencies issued a report accusing Russia of being the most active actor in hybrid attacks against Italy and the West, using espionage, cyberattacks, disinformation, and the manipulation of migratory flows, particularly aimed at influencing the upcoming European parliamentary elections. Russia has particularly been trying lately to undermine Western support for Ukraine. Release of Ukrainian children kidnapped by Russia: A Vatican envoy who is the head of the Italian Bishops Conference was able to get Russia to release many children kidnapped from Ukraine, one of many documented war crimes committed by the Russians. Thousands of children, as well as adults, remain in Russia. The papal envoy has been trying to mediate an end to the war. The return of kidnappees has been a priority of the Holy See, in addition to the ending the war. Russian interference in Moldova: The Russian speaking separatists in the breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria, on the border with Ukraine have request diplomatic recognition as a show of support from Russia. Russia maintains troops there against Moldova’s wishes. The U.S. and its allies support Moldovan sovereignty. Moldova, which, like Ukraine is a former Soviet Republic, is concerned about a Russian invasion, as Putin claims a right to protect Russian-speakers as an excuse to restore the Soviet Empire. Moldova seeks membership in the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Foreign Digest: Communist China, Papua New Guinea and Iran

Communist China and Papua New Guinea: Papua New Guinea last week rejected a Communist Chinese proposal to station police on its soil. Peking uses the presence of police on foreign soil against exiles. The United States, which had signed a security agreement with Papua New Guinea last year that I had posted about, had discouraged the move. The U.S. has been trying to counter growing Communist Chinese influence in the Pacific. Iran: There was record-low turnout in the parliamentary elections in the Islamic Republic of Iran yesterday, as opponents to the theocratic Islamist regime urged non-participation to deprive the elections, which are not free and fair, of legitimacy. The tyrannical Iranian theocracy only permits candidates who do not oppose Islamism, and do not permit basic freedoms.