Hu Jintao meets the free press

Posted by , 20th January 2011

Hu JintaoDana Milbank
1/20/2011

American reporters had a unique opportunity on Wednesday to question Chinese President Hu Jintao directly on his country’s human rights record. The very first question at the state dinner press conference addressed the matter and Hu Jintao attempted to deflect by claiming difficulty in translation. But a persistent press corps forced him to address the matter, however mildly, in a way that would have been plainly impossible in any other circumstance.

Milbank writes about political theater in the nation’s capital.

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WikiLeaks provides the truth Bush obscured

Posted by , 30th November 2010

Julian AssangeRichard Cohen
11/30/2010

While abhorrent in many respects, this week’s Wikilinks leak serves as a stark contrast and counterbalance to President Bush’s book, “Decision Points.” The war with Iraq predictably handed influence in that country to Iran and thereby rearranged the region’s political balance. The various Arab governments and our own remain involved in a far messier debate over how to proceed than is evidenced in the former president’s memoir, which strains credulity in the harsh light of day.

Cohen is a weekly columnist for The Post, writing on domestic and foreign politics.

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Pretty Good for Government Work

Posted by , 17th November 2010

Warren E. Buffett Warren E. Buffett
11/17/2010

Buffett writes an open letter to the American government to thank it for working so hard and efficiently to save the economy from meltdown in 2008. He gives a nod to Ben Bernanke, Hank Paulson, Tim Geithner, Sheila Bair, who worked courageously, as well as President George W. Bush, who led through the crisis before the election of President Obama. Buffett notes that the crisis followed a bubble and now there is a fog of panic. People are second-guessing the government’s actions, yet the government was remarkably effective in that dark time.

Buffett is the chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway, a diversified holding company.

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Communication and “citizen journalism” in the Twitter era

How to use the Web 2.0 to strengthen democracy

Posted by , 26th March 2009

twitterlogo2.JPGWill we use this new access to information through tools like Twitter to create a more open and deliberative democracy, or simply to play gotcha games with politicians?

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Communication and electoral campaigns: 12 advantages to carrying out political marketing

Positioning candidates, knowing your audience and much more

Posted by , 26th March 2009

politing.JPGI ride with the reins taut, holding back, for the important thing is not to arrive alone, or even first, but together and on time.

León Felipe

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The secret to Barack Obama’s success

Naturalness, humbleness and heart: three basic keys to reaching the public

Posted by , 12th March 2009

obamahablando.jpgIf you want to improve your oratory skills, the president of the United States is a great person to learn from. Read on to discover why.

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The Other Side of the Arab-Israeli Conflict

When Palestinian television neither informs, nor educates, nor entertains

Posted by , 10th April 2008

mickeypalestino.jpgIn spite of the conciliatory tone of the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, other types of anti-Semitic messages reach the Palestinian population through the media. This is a direct problem for Israel, but, above all, it is a worrying phenomenon for the Palestinian society that claims it deserves an independent state. An independence that should include the managing of a good education system, maintains the author.

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Social networks and the Facebook phenomenon: a reflection of a country’s modernity?

Technology can help bridge the digital gaps

Posted by , 6th March 2008

facebook.JPGWhile some proclaim that the Internet has brought knowledge to within everyone’s reach, there are others who believe that technology has amplified the distance between the rich and the poor, between the digitally literate and the citizens without access to the knowledge that the Internet makes available. Be that as it may, the author believes that social networks like Facebook allow for interaction and the spread of knowledge and access to more information, and they constitute a valuable opportunity to bridge the digital gaps.

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The influence of think tanks in cyber-democracy

New bridges between knowledge and politics, and the State and society

Posted by , 20th February 2008

thinktanks.jpgThe origin and expansion of think tanks on a global level: does it have to do with civil society’s greater level of involvement in governmental duties, or, on the contrary, is it a response to the crisis of representation in political parties? Do they act as bridges between the rulers and the citizens, or as a new, elitist model where the experts substitute those politicians branded as demagogues and populists that are in power. To follow: the first part of an analysis of the impact and transcendence of think tanks in current cyber-democracies.

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