Brazil's obstreperous Congress, which is dominated by unreliable allies of the government and outright opponents, has so far not managed to thwart them.
Unless they are licensed, that is; but such licences are rarely granted.In the guise of "regulating" funding for non-governmental organisations, the government is also set to outlaw obstreperous legal-aid and human-rights groups.
With television and the press now pretty much under the government's thumb, how will anyone be able to call the next election free and fair?In the bad old days in Latin America, military dictators simply sent troops to close down obstreperous broadcasters and newspapers.
Steve King, an obstreperous congressman from Iowa, plans a lawsuit to try to get the president's initiative on young illegals rescinded.
In fact, it takes longer now than it used to, because environmental regulations have become more onerous and activists more obstreperous around the world.
When they return to Ottawa in the autumn, the caucus may prove obstreperous, perhaps blocking social measures, such as an overhaul of the Indian Act.
On the plus side, he is keen to foster a "Mediterranean community" that would strengthen the EU's commercial and political ties with north Africa and the Middle East, and he is inclined to be tougher than Mr Chirac towards Vladimir Putin's increasingly obstreperous Russia.
This amounts to a double assault on citizens: they have not only lost jobs and benefits, but are seeing higher prices.Governments have found it easier to cut deficits than take on obstreperous unions and vested business interests.
It is therefore hard to see these partnerships making much of a dent in what Montek Singh Ahluwalia, the prime minister's chief planner, calls India's "infrastructure deficit".Might the left-wing parties ever become less obstreperous, and realise that reforms like these are of benefit to all Indians?
The one-time leader is also enjoying his elevation to the House of Lords, completing his long odyssey from obstreperous enfant terrible to affable statesman.
A booming economy with a tight labour market makes workers more secure and perhaps more obstreperous, especially if wages have been standing still for a while.
