Possible Revolution in Belarus after Rigged election

[Exalted Inquellian State]

It’s completely rigged.

That's my point. Of course voting won't fix anything, but there's another country this applies to as well...

Who?

[Novus America]

CNN opinion, but actually pretty much true.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.co ... index.html

There is simply not much we can realistically do here. Except wait. Some sanctions maybe, but as it points out those would largely be symbolic, the Belarusian leadership does not rely on US or the EU.
We have no real leverage.

[Shofercia]

Good. Its time that these people learn that actions against the state have consequences.

Yeah who cares if it’s a dictatorial one party state. Just shut up and accept the election was rigged and you have no rights

Do you view any single party state as a dictatorship?

Lumen, I can understand you, but it's over.

Sadly. Maybe when Lukashenko leaves office Belarus will become a democracy like Albania when Hoxva died.

And sponsor unrest in a neighboring country?

Good. Its time that these people learn that actions against the state have consequences.

What exactly did she do “against the state”. She criticized the leader sure, but why should the be illegal? And it appears she was arrested for refusing to be rendered stateless (exiling your own citizens from your country is a huge violation of international law BTW).
She actually did a very brave thing, willing to risk her life and freedoms for her beliefs.

Would you do the same?

The thingy that led to her expulsion. Typically, when people claim that an election was rigged, they call for another election. In this case, part of the opposition is essentially saying that they like totes won, and long term president, with at least a third of the population backing him, with the armed forces on his side, must go. What did they think was going to happen?

CNN opinion, but actually pretty much true.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.co ... index.html

There is simply not much we can realistically do here. Except wait. Some sanctions maybe, but as it points out those would largely be symbolic, the Belarusian leadership does not rely on US or the EU.
We have no real leverage.

News organization that largely ignores Saudi atrocities in Yemen, that was one of the key cheerleaders in the Iraq War, and major mismanagement that created ISIS, that supported War in Libya, the very war that led to open air slave markets and actual ethnic cleansing in Tawargha, continues to rediscover "Human Rights" when the alleged abuser is someone they don't like, and pretend that nothing's happening when it's someone that aligns with their financial interests? No way!

[Cordel One]

That's my point. Of course voting won't fix anything, but there's another country this applies to as well...

Who?

I was referencing San Lumen's opinions on how to fix corruption in the United States.

[The New California Republic]

Rofl: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-europe-54281304

[Dresderstan]

Rofl: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-europe-54281304

The media is gonna try and find anything to milk this story dry.

[Shofercia]

Rofl: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-europe-54281304

That's one epic escape!

Rofl: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-europe-54281304

The media is gonna try and find anything to milk this story dry.

I think they moved on. Even the COVID-19 scaremongering was interrupted by BLM protests and a few riots, and with election approaching, coverage will be sporadic at best. If this happened in 2019, then it'd be different, and the media would be milking this story dry.

[Shazbotdom]

Those are some dumb cops...

[Sharania]

Trump cuts aid for pro-democracy groups in Belarus, Hong Kong and Iran

The Open Technology Fund (OTF) has had to stop all its operations in Belarus, and many of its activities supporting civil society in Hong Kong and Iran, because a congressionally-mandated grant of nearly $20m has been withheld by a new Trump appointee, Michael Pack.

The OTF is a small non-profit organisation that develops technologies for evading cyber-surveillance and for circumventing internet and radio blackouts imposed by authoritarian regimes. It provides daily help to pro-democracy movements in installing and maintaining them, with the aim of staying at least one step ahead of the state.

The chair of the OTF board, Karen Kornbluh, said the end of funding from the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which Pack has been running since June, would mean that activists living under repressive regimes were at increased risk.

“They are more vulnerable,” Kornbluh told the Guardian. “It means from a US perspective, it’s really undermining this core tool that we have for protecting democratic values and protecting those who are seeking their freedoms overseas.”

She added the freeze also meant that the populations in those countries will find it harder to listen to the Voice of America, the USAGM’s flagship broadcaster, and USAGM-funded stations like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia, because it would be more difficult to overcome state jamming methods.

“We have these agencies and we’re kneecapping them,” said Kornbluh, a former US ambassador and now director of the digital innovation and democracy initiative at the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

Pack had agreed over a month ago to appear before the House foreign affairs committee on Thursday, but cancelled with a few days notice and then ignored a committee subpoena to attend.

Since taking over USAGM in June, Pack – an ally of the rightwing ideologue and former Trump adviser Stephen Bannon – purged all the top management and boards of the broadcasters under its control, froze spending, and elevated the profile of pro-administration comment in relation to news.

Hey, remember how a month ago Pompeo was saying something about punishing Lukashenka and supporting the democracy? Well, these are not words - these are deeds. Deplorable deeds.

Trump chose to side with fellow autocrats over the people. Wow. What a shocker.

[Washington Resistance Army]

Trump cuts aid for pro-democracy groups in Belarus, Hong Kong and Iran

The Open Technology Fund (OTF) has had to stop all its operations in Belarus, and many of its activities supporting civil society in Hong Kong and Iran, because a congressionally-mandated grant of nearly $20m has been withheld by a new Trump appointee, Michael Pack.

The OTF is a small non-profit organisation that develops technologies for evading cyber-surveillance and for circumventing internet and radio blackouts imposed by authoritarian regimes. It provides daily help to pro-democracy movements in installing and maintaining them, with the aim of staying at least one step ahead of the state.

The chair of the OTF board, Karen Kornbluh, said the end of funding from the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which Pack has been running since June, would mean that activists living under repressive regimes were at increased risk.

“They are more vulnerable,” Kornbluh told the Guardian. “It means from a US perspective, it’s really undermining this core tool that we have for protecting democratic values and protecting those who are seeking their freedoms overseas.”

She added the freeze also meant that the populations in those countries will find it harder to listen to the Voice of America, the USAGM’s flagship broadcaster, and USAGM-funded stations like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia, because it would be more difficult to overcome state jamming methods.

“We have these agencies and we’re kneecapping them,” said Kornbluh, a former US ambassador and now director of the digital innovation and democracy initiative at the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

Pack had agreed over a month ago to appear before the House foreign affairs committee on Thursday, but cancelled with a few days notice and then ignored a committee subpoena to attend.

Since taking over USAGM in June, Pack – an ally of the rightwing ideologue and former Trump adviser Stephen Bannon – purged all the top management and boards of the broadcasters under its control, froze spending, and elevated the profile of pro-administration comment in relation to news.

Hey, remember how a month ago Pompeo was saying something about punishing Lukashenka and supporting the democracy? Well, these are not words - these are deeds. Deplorable deeds.

Trump chose to side with fellow autocrats over the people. Wow. What a shocker.

Good. The last thing the world needs is another Iraq or Libya.

[Pope Saint Peter the Apostle]

Rofl: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-europe-54281304

Am I the only one that wonders what happened to the cameraman? They were about to charge him.

[Kingdom of Mooshland]

I WANT A CHEESEBURGER

[Shofercia]

https://www.axios.com/belarus-protests-election-933b5fa4-c2fa-4132-b10d-568e542393a6.html

A possible revolution is underway in Belarus after incumbent Alexander Lukashenko blatantly falsified results in his bid for sixth term. He has ruled the country with an iron fist since 1994. The main opposition candidate says she has proof she won in a landslide.

Huge crowds are making their way through the capital of Minsk and other cities and their are clashes with police.

I really hope this leads to his ouster and Europe’s last dictator finally falls.

Your thoughts NSG?

Inevitable.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/10/ ... ve-with-eu

Gitanas Nauseda, the president of Lithuania, where Belarus’s main opposition leader is in exile, said he expected that the meeting “will be the tipping point for the decision on sanctions against Belarus authorities.” The EU promised in August to impose sanctions on Belarus for alleged fraud in its August 9 election and for human rights abuses since, but Cyprus, one of its smallest members, has proved an obstacle. Cyprus has maintained it will not agree to the Belarusian sanctions unless the EU also puts sanctions on Turkey because of a separate dispute about Turkish drilling for oil and gas in the eastern Mediterranean.

...Germany’s foreign ministry said ministers agreed on their “solidarity with Greece and Cyprus” but stressed that constructive dialogue with Turkey was vital to resolve “contentious issues in the eastern Mediterranean”.

Even the sanctions are "buffering" but I'm sure that the coup will be a hit!

[San Lumen]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/ ... r-minister

Belarus police will fire on protesters if necessary, says deputy interior minister. Gennady Kazakevich accuses protesters of anarchy and threatens use of ‘lethal weapons’

I suspect this could enrage people further and it make him lose even more support.

[Post War America]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/13/belarus-police-will-fire-on-protesters-if-necessary-says-deputy-interior-minister

Belarus police will fire on protesters if necessary, says deputy interior minister. Gennady Kazakevich accuses protesters of anarchy and threatens use of ‘lethal weapons’

I suspect this could enrage people further and it make him lose even more support.

Not from people who are relevant.

[San Lumen]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/13/belarus-police-will-fire-on-protesters-if-necessary-says-deputy-interior-minister

Belarus police will fire on protesters if necessary, says deputy interior minister. Gennady Kazakevich accuses protesters of anarchy and threatens use of ‘lethal weapons’

I suspect this could enrage people further and it make him lose even more support.

Not from people who are relevant.

And who are the relevant people. They do this the police and army might abandon him entirely,

[Post War America]

Not from people who are relevant.

And who are the relevant people. They do this the police and army might abandon him entirely,

His praetorian guard, Putin, and a handful of generals. All except Putin are paid very well to support him pretty much to the death.

[San Lumen]

And who are the relevant people. They do this the police and army might abandon him entirely,

His praetorian guard, Putin, and a handful of generals. All except Putin are paid very well to support him pretty much to the death.

and if the police and military dont support him what will the guard do?. Id like to think even some of the guard would start walking away.

[Post War America]

His praetorian guard, Putin, and a handful of generals. All except Putin are paid very well to support him pretty much to the death.

and if the police and military dont support him what will the guard do?. Id like to think even some of the guard would start walking away.

The police and military are generally kept out of areas where they can cause trouble. That's why their loyalty doesn't matter, at least not as much. It is possible that those key supporters defect, but to be quite blunt, the opinions of western liberals, or even the majority of the populace is largely irrelevant as long as they get paid, and their families stay safe.

[San Lumen]

and if the police and military dont support him what will the guard do?. Id like to think even some of the guard would start walking away.

The police and military are generally kept out of areas where they can cause trouble. That's why their loyalty doesn't matter, at least not as much. It is possible that those key supporters defect, but to be quite blunt, the opinions of western liberals, or even the majority of the populace is largely irrelevant as long as they get paid, and their families stay safe.

hopefully key supporters do defect.

[Washington Resistance Army]

The police and military are generally kept out of areas where they can cause trouble. That's why their loyalty doesn't matter, at least not as much. It is possible that those key supporters defect, but to be quite blunt, the opinions of western liberals, or even the majority of the populace is largely irrelevant as long as they get paid, and their families stay safe.

hopefully key supporters do defect.

Hopefully not, we've had enough neolib/neocon supported revolutions totally destroying nations over the past decade to last a long time, lets not have more.

[San Lumen]

hopefully key supporters do defect.

Hopefully not, we've had enough neolib/neocon supported revolutions totally destroying nations over the past decade to last a long time, lets not have more.

Luksehenko is a monster and Belarus would be better off having him gone.

[Washington Resistance Army]

Hopefully not, we've had enough neolib/neocon supported revolutions totally destroying nations over the past decade to last a long time, lets not have more.

Luksehenko is a monster and Belarus would be better off having him gone.

A simple glance at other nations that have done that shows it to not be true.

Speaking of, have you acknowledged Libya yet?

[-Ocelot-]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/13/belarus-police-will-fire-on-protesters-if-necessary-says-deputy-interior-minister

Belarus police will fire on protesters if necessary, says deputy interior minister. Gennady Kazakevich accuses protesters of anarchy and threatens use of ‘lethal weapons’

I suspect this could enrage people further and it make him lose even more support.

How could the free world help Belarus depose this Monarch before he starts killing his own people?

[Post War America]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/13/belarus-police-will-fire-on-protesters-if-necessary-says-deputy-interior-minister

Belarus police will fire on protesters if necessary, says deputy interior minister. Gennady Kazakevich accuses protesters of anarchy and threatens use of ‘lethal weapons’

I suspect this could enrage people further and it make him lose even more support.

How could the free world help Belarus depose this Monarch before he starts killing his own people?

The free world knows it can do nothing, so it will do nothing. Belarus is major part of Russia's national defense strategy so it falling into the hands a pro-western neoliberal government is going to be something that Putin will not allow. To try and 'free' Belarus would invite open, and perhaps thermonuclear, war.