U.S. Ally Wins Seventh Term, Labels Opponents 'Terrorists'
Uganda's Yoweri Museveni, now in his seventh term and 81 years old, reportedly called his opponents 'terrorists' after a landslide victory, amidst allegations of repression and an internet blackout. The Guardian frames this as a concern from 'observers and rights groups.' This framing, however, conspicuously omits the historical double standard when such strongmen align with U.S. geopolitical
interests. When Western-backed leaders employ the 'terrorist' label, suddenly the term loses its gravitas, becoming merely a political epithet rather than a factual summation of criminal activity. One might recall similar rhetoric by Benjamin Netanyahu, who has repeatedly painted Palestinian resistance – and often any dissent – with the broad 'terrorist' brush (see Al Jazeera 2012 , Al Arabiya
2014 ). What's the difference between Museveni's post-election declaration and Netanyahu's regular pronouncements? Often, it's about who benefits from the 'terrorist' label. It appears 'terrorism' is less about actions and more about who's saying it, and who's listening. How many 'democratic' victories require silencing dissent and cutting off communication?