Posts Tagged ‘democracy’
Birth of Democracy road trip
A road trip that explores the birth of democracy in the U.S. From Massachusetts to Virginia, this journey will take you to historic sites that played a key role in the country’s founding and in the formation of a new American government.
Obama and democracy in Asia
If you go behind the headlines of President Obama’s current trip to Asia, you can see that much of the agenda has been devoted to engaging with other democratic nations and promoting shared values. Here is a snapshot of the trip from that perspective.
Twitter helps spur Iranian protesters
Wow. Just last Friday, I had a post about the role that the Internet and social media were playing in the Iranian election. Little did anyone know how this would truly explode in the days after the apparently fraudulent results of Iran’s voting were announced. Tens of thousands of Iranians have been protesting in the streets daily and [...]
The internet and social media have important role in Iranian election
It’s not news anymore that use of the Internet and social media was a key factor in propelling the U.S. presidential campaign of Barack Obama. In fact, Obama was so successful with these tactics, and social media is now so ingrained in the lives of millions of Americans, that it would be inconceivable for a future [...]
Do the Chinese need authoritarianism?
That was the sentiment of some recent comments by movie star Jackie Chan, who suggested that the Chinese people weren’t ready to deal with too much freedom or liberty. His statement, predictably, ignited a firestorm of protest. “I’m gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled,” Mr. Chan said during the Boao [...]
Democracy and vodka in Mongolia
Mongolia is not the first place one thinks of when pondering the fate of budding democracies around the world. Heck, how many people could locate Mongolia on a map? Now, though, the country may become known as a poster child for the risks of mixing democracy with vodka. The charred shells of two Soviet-style buildings [...]
Nepal votes and tourists return
Nepal has long been a draw for intrepid travelers, with its Himalayan landscape and religious heritage, but political turmoil put a severe crimp into the country’s tourism industry for much of this decade. The political violence has now largely subsided, though, as evidenced by the democratic election that was held there yesterday. As a result, tourists are [...]
New democracy born in Himalayas
This past week saw a unique event in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, as residents trekked to the polls for the first time in the country’s history at the behest of the king, who voluntarily decided to give up royal power in order to move his country towards a democratic future. The Washington Post has [...]
The role of tribal identity in Kenya
A few weeks ago, I had some posts (here and here) about the Kenyan elections and the influence of tribalism in that country’s politics. Now, the Washington Post has an excellent article that explores that topic in more depth and examines the role of tribal identity in shaping the political and world views of many Kenyans. A key [...]
Culture and elections
Kenya has erupted into violence after a disputed election. The Pakistani political party of Benazir Bhutto has named her 19-year-old son as the party’s new leader. This post is not meant to judge the politics of other countries. After all, the U.S. faced some problems of its own with a hotly disputed election seven years ago and, as Andrew Sullivan notes, we’re [...]
Culture and democracy in Bhutan
It’s easy in the West for us to assume the democracy is a natural state of government, or at least something that people in every country long for. That’s why I was intrigued by an article about Bhutan in the International Herald Tribune. It seems that the king of Bhutan has decided his Himalayan country is ready [...]
The tribal culture of Iraq
There are many people who would have us believe that the challenges of Iraq are all about politics and terrorism. And, of course, those obstacles are very real and are difficult enough to overcome. But the hurdles involved in putting that country back together actually go much deeper, since a solution to the Iraqi quagmire isn’t really possible without taking into account [...]
Stay current with the Riel World
Follow me on Twitter
Join me on Facebook 
Subscribe by EmailMeet Bob Riel
Bob Riel is a writer and a traveler. Go here to read more about Bob, his work and the Travels in the Riel World blog.
Great American Road Trips
Two Laps Around the World
My travel memoir - Two Laps Around the World: Tales and Insights from a Life Sabbatical - is about two round-the-world journeys with my wife.
Visit Travel Blog Exchange
