Friday, January 14, 2011

On Cause And Effect...


If we are to believe that right-wing talk radio can cause a person to attempt political assassination, can left-wing "free speech" cause violence and political unrest in Tunisia?

From the Business Insider:

Tunisia's government has collapsed, partially due to food price inflation and unemployment, but also because of Wikileaks.

One of the US government cables released by Wikileaks exposed the corruption of Tunisia's President's family, its reach into business in the country, and the ability to transcend the rule of law. President Ben Ali's family was called "The Family" throughout the leak. The government attempted to block access to Wikileaks earlier this month.

Some of the highlights of the June 2008 leak

On the power of the President's family:

Whether it's cash, services, land, property or yes, even your yacht, President Ben Ali's family is rumored to covet it and reportedly gets what it wants.

Often referred to as a quasi-mafia, an oblique mention of "The Family" is enough to indicate which family you mean. Seemingly half of the Tunisian business community can claim a Ben Ali connection through marriage, and many of these relations are reported to have made the most of their lineage. Ben Ali's wife, Leila Ben Ali, and her extended family - the Trabelsis - provoke the greatest ire from Tunisians.

What would Krugman think?

1 comment:

Corsica said...

From Kuwait: There is no mention of Wikileaks as being the cause of this event on any news channel or newspaper in the region, including Al Jazeera (arguably the best news source here). But its entirely plausible. Tunisia has been on the verge of being unstable for years according to locals. Term Limits is a good thing no matter which form of government you happen to live under I suppose.

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