Reflection #7

In this week's research, I found one article particularly interesting. Earlier this week, Bahrain government announced a new law that went into affect immediately. The law outlaws any sort of demonstrating or organization from protest groups. After the deaths of both protesters and police officers alike, the government claims that increasing violence is the reason for the crack-down. Since uprising began in 2011, Shia opposition to the Sunni held government has gotten increasingly violent. The country's dynamics make it impossible to ease any sort of tension within the country, yet violence is covered up in the media to enhance Bahrain's image in the west. The United States is such a strong ally of Bahrain, our Navy's fifth fleet is housed there, not to mention our oil interests in the Gulf. Because of this, the US pays to block negative media attention concerning the country. The new law makes it even more difficult to spread truthful media about the country. The Bahrain government has struggled to contain the protests, they imprison those who post on social media sites and even arrest doctors for treating wounded protesters. But this new law has only made the uprisings more violent. I find it very dis-concerning that the more I research this country, the less liberal and developed it seems. It shows that the surface information is indeed skewed.