海角大神

The history of national security policy is famous for unintended consequences (e.g., the Iraq War and ISIS). Now add to the list the heavy U.S. pressure on Iran and a Chinese foothold in the Middle East.

Many landlords understand听tenants鈥� needs during this time. But if they can鈥檛 meet their own financial obligations, it could have 鈥渁 cascading effect ... the likes of which this country has never seen,鈥� says one landlord advocate.

For U.S. women, having the right to vote hasn鈥檛 automatically translated to power. Changed perceptions of women鈥檚 capacities are another key step. Part of our special听100th anniversary edition听on women winning the right to vote.

How can you tell the world鈥檚 story, if only half the world is telling it? For decades, women were scarce in top newsroom roles. But that鈥檚 changing, particularly in South Africa 鈥� where Black, Asian, and multiracial women鈥檚 gains were especially hard-won.听Part of our special听100th anniversary edition听on women winning the right to vote.

The Olympic Games display athletic prowess and the resiliency of the human spirit. There may be no Summer Games this year, but great Olympic moments are worth revisiting 鈥� especially those that broke physical, cultural, and racial barriers.

One early sign of a dictator鈥檚 eventual demise is the moment when people cast off fear of his retribution against opponents. For Belarus, a small ex-Soviet nation next to Russia, that moment may come Aug. 9 in an election that could be largely rigged to favor its longtime ruler.

For some reason, President Alexander Lukashenko has allowed a candidate that he dismisses as 鈥渏ust a housewife鈥� to run against him. Perhaps he needs a sheen of democracy. Or he actually believes his statement that Belarus 鈥渉as not matured enough for a woman鈥� to become president.

Little did he anticipate that Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, a former English teacher and translator, would draw big crowds with this campaign pitch: 鈥淣ow is the time when everyone must overcome their听fear.鈥�

Ms. Tikhanovskaya certainly has plenty to fear herself. In May, her activist husband was jailed after he announced his candidacy. Two other candidates were jailed or went into exile. At that point she decided to run. Even then, threats were made against her two children. She has sent them out of the country.

After hitting the campaign trail, however, the once-shy Ms. Tikhanovskaya realized she could pop a bubble of fear among Belarus鈥� 9.5 million people, especially the urban, tech-savvy youth.

鈥淒o you think I鈥檓 not scared? I鈥檓 scared every day,鈥� she told a crowd. 鈥淏ut I muster my courage, get over my听fear听and go to you, and go for victory.鈥�

She also realized that the president鈥檚 dismissive attitude toward the coronavirus pandemic has awakened people. 鈥淭hey began to feel that they were protected by other people and not by the state,鈥� she says.

Her popularity has been measured in the size of her crowds 鈥� the largest since independence in 1991. No political polls are allowed. In a rare TV appearance, she bravely talked about political prisoners.

She knows the election might be rigged against her. Mr. Lukashenko has been in power since 1994. She asks people to show solidarity by wearing something white when they go to vote. She also asks them to take pictures of their ballot and record their vote on an opposition website.

Under authoritarian regimes, such tactics are the tools of the powerless. Yet real power lies first in setting aside fear and embodying the qualities of democracy, such as equality and freedom.

If she somehow wins, Ms. Tikhanovskaya says her goal would be to quickly hold a legitimate election within six months, one in which freed political prisoners could run and people do not succumb to fear of retribution. She鈥檚 already set an example of that.

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