Comments on: Which coups count?

By: …My heart’s in Accra » Activist media and selective amplifiers

…My heart’s in Accra » Activist media and selective amplifiers — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:31:23 +0000

[...] Those of us interested in social media and political organizing have had a lot to pay attention to in recent weeks. Demonstrations in the streets of Tehran and other Iranian cities have apparently been squelched, but #IranElection still remains a popular tag on Twitter (roughly a tenth as popular as during peak days of the protests.) Riots in Urumqi were briefly broadcast via citizen media, and then authorities cut off Internet and phone lines, leading to a situation where apparently everyone is guessing what actually transpired. And the increasingly surreal situation in Honduras is being argued out in citizen and mainstream media, with both sides making passionate cases in tweets, blogs and op-eds. And, as I’ve mentioned, there’s no shortage of tense political situations that we’re simply not hearing about, like the institutional coup in Niger. [...]

By: EJM

EJM — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:20:05 +0000

The White House did end up issuing a statement–but apparently late on Wednesday (after you posted); see http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8130212.stm.

By: Diddorol neu Ddoniol 07/05/2009 (a.m.) « Diddorol neu ddoniol

Diddorol neu Ddoniol 07/05/2009 (a.m.) « Diddorol neu ddoniol — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 02:27:00 +0000

[...] Which coups count? (ethanzuckerman.com) [...]

By: Karl

Karl — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:30:27 +0000

In fact the Obama administration has commented on the situation in Niger. I bring you a quote from the often hilarious State Department briefing room:

QUESTION: Do you have anything on the political situation in Niger?

MR. KELLY: I don’t think so. No, I don’t. What’s going on in –

QUESTION: There’s a political crisis. The president has dissolved the constitutional court and he is trying to stay in power –

MR. KELLY: Yeah.

QUESTION: — instead of getting reelected in September.

MR. KELLY: Well, that doesn’t sound good.

QUESTION: No.

MR. KELLY: We’ll get you more information.

QUESTION: Thank you.
(Full text- http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2009/125510.htm)

And there you go: that doesn’t sound good.

By: MM

MM — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:01:36 +0000

“Honduran president Manuel Zelaya is facing the end of his term in office and can?t currently stand for another term due to term limits. He sought a referendum allowing a constitutional change which would allow him to stand again.”

The referendum proposed by Zelaya wold NOT had allow him to run for reelection – the proposition was to make a vote in November (together with presidential elections) about a Constitutional Assembly.

Then, even if a Constitutional Assembly was elected and changed the constitution to allow re-election, Zeaya could not benefit from that (because this – the new constitution – only could occur after the presidential election)

By: adrianlang's status on Thursday, 02-Jul-09 09:03:53 UTC - Identi.ca

adrianlang's status on Thursday, 02-Jul-09 09:03:53 UTC - Identi.ca — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:04:02 +0000

[...] http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2009/07/01/which-coups-count/ [...]

By: Ethan

Ethan — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:09:40 +0000

That last question is a softball, CB – Farrah’s a little easier on the eyes than Ed. What red-blooded tv network could pass up the opportunity to air that red swimsuit again and again. I think you’re right about the LatAm/US narrative – it’s certainly a richer vein than US involvement with Francophone Africa. I’ll spend some time looking at French-language media and see if we’re getting the same pattern, or whether they’re hyperfocused on Niger over Honduras.

By: catherine

catherine — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:24:53 +0000

There are probably people everywhere who question all elections no matter how legitimate they are/seem, including the US in 2004. There will always be the conspiracy theories, doesn’t necessarily mean the gov’t is illegitimate.

As for why Honduras and not Niger, proximity is certainly part of it, but it probably also has something to do with the history of US foreign policy in Central America (I’m assuming here that you’re focusing on US media coverage). It’s part of a narrative that resonates with Americans who were around in the ’80s, remember Iran Contra, Sandinistas, etc.

You could ask a similar question about coverage of celebrity deaths lately. MJ is obvious, but why did Farrah Fawcett get more attention than Ed McMahon? To me, at least, they were as popular at their heyday. Why does she get an hour-long Dateline special and he doesn’t?

By: anon

anon — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:35:37 +0000

everyone i know who watched the iranian presidential debates said that mousavi didn’t look all that great. ahmedinejad performed better

By: lhtorres

lhtorres — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:40:33 +0000

Notably, Sudan’s headline grabbing President Bashir has withstood several coup attempts in recent years, and an ICC arrest warrant.

You’ve likely answered your own question politely: in the United States at least, we *expect* Africans and African leaders to behave this way, and so it makes the news only when there’s the smack of high stakes, sensational corruption, or mass atrocity.

When will we get over it? I’m still holding my breath.