Russia: The Illiberal Democracy

An illiberal democracy is a type of government, whose leaders, though democratically elected, often ignore the basic needs and rights of its citizens and overstep their boundaries of power. The leaders of such a country may use law enforcement to silence political opponents and amy ban freedom of speech and freedom of the press, both which are encouraged in a liberal democracy. A prominent feature of a illiberal democracy is that citizens are not allowed to be involved in that country's political process, whether through political rallies or through the press. The term "illiberal democracy" was first coined by journalist Fareed Zakaria in an article he wrote for Foreign Policy in 1997, entitled "The Rise of Illiberal Democracy".

A recognizable illiberal democracy in the world today is Russia. The following article is from Reuters, detailing how corrupt Russian officials would exhort American business's in Russia for personal gain.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62E1SU20100315

David Cameron denounces student protests

Prime Minister David Cameron gave a statement to the press outside of Downing Street on Friday in which he denounced the student protests that week that had turned rapidly violent and destructive. The protests erupted over the government's plan to increase tuition costs for university students. Last week, amidst the protests, a car containing Prince Charles and his wife Duchess Camilla was assaulted by angry student protesters. In his statement, Cameron condemned the actions of the protesters, calling it "unacceptable". Cameron says that the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, the head of London's police force, is mounting an investigation into the riots and also specifically into the attack on the Royal Couple.

MP aide arrested as Russian Spy

Last Thursay, according to the Sunday Times, Katia Zatuliveter, a 24-year old Russian parliamentary aide was arrested on claims of espionage.  Miss Zatuliveter had been working for MP Mike Hancock, a Liberal Democrat from Portsmouth South. Hancock denies the authorities' charges against Zatuliveter. Hancock also claims that Zatylieveter has not seen any evidence against her and that no one has "shown [Hancock] any evidence to support the view that she is any way a threat to the UK". Hancock's constituency is home to a large naval base, and Hancock himself is a member of the House of Commons Defense Select Committee. Miss Zatulieveter has been working for Hancock since 2008 and had previously been an intern in the House of Commons and had worked in Continental Europe.  Zatulieveter's arrest was ordered by MI5, Great Britain's counter-intelligence and security agency. Great Britain's home office has declined to comment on the case so far, especially regarding rumors that Zatuliveter could be deported.

Katia Zatuliveter & MP Mike Hancock

This case is "believed to be the first time since the end of the Cold War" that a person employed in Parliament has been accused of spying for Russia. It is quite similar to the recent uncovering of a Russian spy ring operating in the United States. Reportedly, Zatuliveter has also been drawing attention from the media, comparing her to the most noticeable member of the American spy ring, Anna Chapman. There is also reports from tabloids that Hancock and Zatuliveter may have been engaged in a relationship, with some newspapers descriping Hancock as having a reputation as a womanizer. Since the case is almost a week old, the exact facts are still murky. If Zatuliveter is indeed found guilty to these charges, it would be a clear indication that the age of espionage between the West and Russia is far from over.

Blog info came from the following link from the BBC News Website

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11920665

Oil & Gas Lobbying

Of the many lobbying organizations in this country, the oil lobby is most certainty one of the most influential. As oil is one of the main sources of energy in America, and across the world, the corporations that drill oil have considerable influence with nations and governments. Each year, lobbyists for different oil companies spend millions in capital cities, from London to Washington DC, promoting the interests of the company they represent. Because of such lobbying, laws and legislation can be passed by federal and state governments that are "favorable" to the industry. Oil companies have the most influence in states where oil drilling makes up a large percentage of that nation's economy. In Texas, about 37,204 new oil wells were constructed in 2009 alone. In states such as Texas, the state's majority party, the Republican party, is pressured by lobbyist to voice their interests in Washington. A common stereotype is that the Republican Party is mainly influenced by the industry, since many come from oil-drilling states, though in reality, this is true for both Democrats and Republicans. In the event of oil spills, the companies responsible will lobby hard to convince the government and citizens that it is a reliable corporation. The recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the damage control campaign launched by BP is the most recent example of this.

 An emerging lobbying arm in Washington is the drilling of natural gases in the United States. The use of natural gas has come recently amidst widespread concerns that the country is becoming too dependent on foreign oil. Natural gas seems to many to be an appealing replacement from oil. However, the natural gas industry has also gathered immense influence and power in the lobbying world of Washington. More and more natural gas companies employ lobbying firms to promote themselves in federal and state governments. As viewed in the documentary Gasland, natural gas drilling sites number by the thousands across the nation. Drilling of natural gas also has hazardous risks, with the likelihood of pollution if released into the atmosphere. Though it is similar to the oil industry in that regard, the public at large, because of the industry's promotion as being more "green" friendly, views the natural gas industry more positively than oil.

Sources include:

http://www.allbusiness.com/government/elections-politics-politics-political-parties/15195985-1.html

http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/84123-natural-gas-lobby-steps-up-to-challenge-coal

http://money.cnn.com/2008/08/19/news/economy/oil_money/

http://greenanswers.com/q/182523/energy-fuels/fossil-fuels/oil-petroleum/what-state-has-most-new-oil-wells-drilled-every-yea