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cult of personality
Myanmar: Aung San Suu Kyi and the Cult of Personality
By David I. Steinberg
Aung San Suu Kyi's cult of personality is continuously projected within Myanmar even while it expires internationally.
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Carl Minzner on China's Post-Reform Era
April 04, 2018
Carl Minzner on China's Post-Reform Era
Discussing one-man rule, the re-Partyization of the bureaucracy, and the end of China's reform era.
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Carl Minzner on China's Post-Reform Era
Vanity Without Borders: How Central Asian Despots Manipulate the International Press
August 10, 2017
Vanity Without Borders: How Central Asian Despots Manipulate the International Press
Global coverage of Turkmenistan shows the power of personality cults to set agendas far beyond national boundaries.
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Vanity Without Borders: How Central Asian Despots Manipulate the International Press
A Central Asian President's Guide to Getting Published
July 14, 2017
A Central Asian President's Guide to Getting Published
An important building block in any cult of personality is a whole shelf of laudatory texts.
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A Central Asian President's Guide to Getting Published
Now Under the Nazarbayev Brand: Astana's Airport
June 27, 2017
Now Under the Nazarbayev Brand: Astana's Airport
Kazakhstan renamed Astana's international airport after the first and current president of the country, Nursultan Nazarbayev.
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Now Under the Nazarbayev Brand: Astana's Airport
Is Nazarbayev’s New Personality Cult a Prelude to an Exit?
November 24, 2016
Is Nazarbayev’s New Personality Cult a Prelude to an Exit?
A new banknote with Nazarbayev's image and a possible eponymous renaming of Astana may signal a potential departure.
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Is Nazarbayev’s New Personality Cult a Prelude to an Exit?
Xi Jinping's PLA Ambitions: Why Guo Boxiong Had to Go
April 07, 2016
Xi Jinping's PLA Ambitions: Why Guo Boxiong Had to Go
Guo Boxiong is the latest PLA 'tiger' to fall to Xi's anti-corruption campaign.
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Xi Jinping's PLA Ambitions: Why Guo Boxiong Had to Go
Sorry, There's No 'Cult of Personality' in China
April 04, 2016
Sorry, There's No 'Cult of Personality' in China
Instead, we should be aware of anti-reforms forces as reforms enter ‘deep water’ areas.
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Sorry, There's No 'Cult of Personality' in China
Trump, Mao, and Xi: The Perils of Charisma-Driven Politics
March 28, 2016
Trump, Mao, and Xi: The Perils of Charisma-Driven Politics
China's painful experiences with personality cults in politics have lessons for two modern-day figures.
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Trump, Mao, and Xi: The Perils of Charisma-Driven Politics
China's $1.4 Billion Port City in Sri Lanka Gets the Green Light
March 12, 2016
China's $1.4 Billion Port City in Sri Lanka Gets the Green Light
Plus, "two sessions," Caixin on censorship, mass incidents, and Xi's cult of personality. Friday China links.
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China's $1.4 Billion Port City in Sri Lanka Gets the Green Light
Emomali Rahmon’s Ever-Growing Cult of Personality
February 18, 2016
Emomali Rahmon’s Ever-Growing Cult of Personality
A new essay contest asks schoolchildren to write about the “heroic life and deeds of the Leader of the Nation.”
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Emomali Rahmon’s Ever-Growing Cult of Personality
Why Xi Jinping Can't Be a 21st Century Mao Zedong
February 16, 2016
Why Xi Jinping Can't Be a 21st Century Mao Zedong
Chinese society has changed irretrievably from the days of Mao worship. Xi must govern differently.
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Why Xi Jinping Can't Be a 21st Century Mao Zedong
Between Bullying and Flattery: A Theory on Chinese Politics
December 31, 2015
Between Bullying and Flattery: A Theory on Chinese Politics
Whether bullying or flattering the top leader, China's bureaucracy always has its own interests at heart.
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Between Bullying and Flattery: A Theory on Chinese Politics
Another Look at China’s Leaders After the 2015 Plenum
November 03, 2015
Another Look at China’s Leaders After the 2015 Plenum
Where does Xi Jinping fit in China's political spectrum? And what does this mean for the rest of his time in power?
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Another Look at China’s Leaders After the 2015 Plenum
In China, an Ode to 'Grandpa Xi'
June 17, 2015
In China, an Ode to 'Grandpa Xi'
A children's song about Xi Jinping is the latest sign of a growing personality cult in China.
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In China, an Ode to 'Grandpa Xi'
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The Diplomat Brief
Interview
Sebastien Peyrouse on the EU's New Central Asia Strategy
July 16, 2019
Sebastien Peyrouse on the EU's New Central Asia Strategy
What are Europe’s main interests in Central Asia and how does the EU plan to pursue them?
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