EU backs Sweden in pro-democracy teddy bear air drop row with Belarus - Polidicks

[img]http://www.aljazeera.com/mritems/Images/2012/7/27/2012727101322185734_20.jpg[/img] [url]http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2012/08/2012810233928523296.html[/url] [quote=Al Jazeera English]European Union countries have agreed to reprimand Minsk for expelling all Swedish diplomats, including the country's ambassador, in a row over a pro-democracy stunt by activists involving an air drop of teddy bears into Belarus. After an emergency meeting in Brussels, Olof Skoog, a Swedish diplomat who chairs talks on foreign policy issues among EU states, said that the bloc would send a "very clear message" to the government of Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarusian president. The row erupted after a Swedish public relations firm dropped hundreds of parachuted toys bearing pro-democracy messages into the ex-Soviet state last month. "Everyone around the table were absolutely clear that this was not just a situation merely between Sweden and Belarus. It's a situation that affects the EU's relations with Belarus," Skoog said. "There is going to be a very clear message to all Belarusian ambassadors around Europe in the next few days expressing full solidarity with the Swedes on this," he said. Carl Bildt, Sweden's foreign minister, said that the country's ambassador Stefan Eriksson was expelled from Belarus because of his pro-rights stance and meetings he had with the country's opposition. Belarus also withdrew all of its embassy staff from Sweden over the dispute. [B]Sanctions[/B] The EU message came at a time when the bloc are preparing for a regular review of sanctions against Lukashenko in October. Sanctions were expanded earlier this year amid growing concerns in the EU over civil rights abuses in Belarus. EU governments also briefly withdrew their ambassadors from the country in February as relations with Minsk continued to slide. Current measures include a visa ban and an asset freeze imposed on Lukashenko and his inner circle including several businessmen linked to him. More than 30 companies from Belarus are banned from doing business in the EU; an arms embargo is also on place. This week authorities in Belarus arrested and fined two journalists for posing for photographs holding the air-dropped teddy bears. Relations between Minsk and the West took a sharp downturn in 2010 after a disputed election that handed power again to Lukashenko.[/quote]

Lukashenko has been sliding off the deep end ever since the late 90's, and is probably one of the last "dictatorships" in Europe.

Really, I thought we got over this cold war bullshit awhile ago.

Swedish paratroopers in action.

Swedish style!

[QUOTE=Zambies!;37182253]Lukashenko has been sliding off the deep end ever since the late 90's, and is probably one of the last "dictatorships" in Europe.[/QUOTE] Most of the ex-Soviet bloc is still nuts. It doesn't seems like Russia is going to do anything about their dictatorship either.

[QUOTE=Jack Trades;37182571]Most of the ex-Soviet bloc is still nuts. It doesn't seems like Russia is going to do anything about their dictatorship either.[/QUOTE] Belarus is like the worst unless you count the ones in Central Asia.

[QUOTE=Zambies!;37182253]Lukashenko has been sliding off the deep end ever since the late 90's, and is probably one of the last "dictatorships" in Europe.[/QUOTE] Belarus is not the last dictatorship in Europe. [IMG]http://convertmyflash.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/14/files/2011/02/DICTATORS-WORLD.gif[/IMG]

And so began the angry letterwriting...

[QUOTE=Daniel Smith;37182784]Belarus is not the last dictatorship in Europe. [IMG]http://convertmyflash.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/14/files/2011/02/DICTATORS-WORLD.gif[/IMG][/QUOTE] Basically all countries which oppose NATO are not free.

[QUOTE=Daniel Smith;37182784]Belarus is not the last dictatorship in Europe. [IMG]http://convertmyflash.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/14/files/2011/02/DICTATORS-WORLD.gif[/IMG][/QUOTE] Who the hell made this chart? "Free" is a very ambiguous term. All freedom is relative. It should've said "Democracy/No Democracy". EDIT: Free what? Free candy? Free beer? Free public toilets?

[QUOTE=Daniel Smith;37182784]Belarus is not the last dictatorship in Europe. [IMG]http://convertmyflash.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/14/files/2011/02/DICTATORS-WORLD.gif[/IMG][/QUOTE] What the hell does semi-free supposed to mean?

[QUOTE=Daniel Smith;37182784]Belarus is not the last dictatorship in Europe. [IMG]http://convertmyflash.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/14/files/2011/02/DICTATORS-WORLD.gif[/IMG][/QUOTE] Here's a better one: [img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/Democracy_Index_2011_green_and_red.svg/1000px-Democracy_Index_2011_green_and_red.svg.png[/img] The darker red the country is, the less democratic it is. Accoridng to the [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_Index[/url]

[QUOTE=Jack Trades;37182847]Who the hell made this chart? "Free" is a very ambiguous term. All freedom is relative. It should've said "Democracy/No Democracy". EDIT: Free what? Free candy? Free beer? Free public toilets?[/QUOTE] It's based on the annual [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_in_the_World_(report)]Freedom in the World[/url] report by Freedom House

[QUOTE=Swebonny;37183049]Here's a better one: [img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/Democracy_Index_2011_green_and_red.svg/1000px-Democracy_Index_2011_green_and_red.svg.png[/img] The darker red the country is, the less democratic it is. Accoridng to the [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_Index[/url][/QUOTE] Go Scandinavia! [editline]11th August 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=smurfy;37183060]It's based on the annual [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_in_the_World_(report)]Freedom in the World[/url] report by Freedom House[/QUOTE] Yes I figured that but my point was that the world "Free" doesn't mean anything in that context and thus has no place in a chart like this. It should've said "Democracy/No Democracy" at least.

[QUOTE=smurfy;37183060]It's based on the annual [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_in_the_World_(report)]Freedom in the World[/url] report by Freedom House[/QUOTE] Freedom House is extremely biased, it's not a good source on anything.

Oh come on, expelling diplomats over something an unrelated firm did? Just grin and bear it.

[QUOTE=Chernarus;37182261]Really, I thought we got over this cold war bullshit awhile ago.[/QUOTE] Nope. See: American politics

Safe success, if the Air Force had any idea what was going on who knows what would have happened.