09/10/2006 9:45:50 am
Bad News X 2. The nuclear test by North Corea was expected, but that doesn?t make it any better news when the test has been confirmed. A totalitarian communist state is in posession of nuclear bombs and indeed missiles with mid-range capabilities. Of course South Corea and Japan have shown very strong reactions. This destabilises the situation in the region, and South Corea and Japan are likely to explore possibilities on how to protect themselves, for example by missile defences.

The good news is that also China has protested. There have been many questions surrounding the new international role of a mightier China. Still, it remains to be seen for what reasons they have protested and how they will act in the longer run. The North Corean regime is a horrible and oppressive one that keeps people in extreme poverty and wastes resources and potential. But how does one handle such a state once it has nuclear weapons?

Indeed the murder of the Russian journalist and author Anna Politkovskaja is also a very bad piece of news. She had obviously suffered from threats and violence before, because of her independent and critical analysis of Russian politics, particularly in Chechnya. Now that voice is silenced. Even if the Russian leadership had nothing to do with the deed, it shows that free speech is not a reality in Russia of today. During Putin, there have been many restrictions on NGO:s and the media. Russia is quite an authoritarian society, and of course it is discouraging for journalists to know that your safety is not guaranteed.