The Arab Spring uprisings, how do you think they are doing. In 20 years will we see wide scale Democracies in the Muslim world.
by designs 10 Replies latest social current
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Band on the Run
I doubt it. The United States is the dominant world player hungry for oil. We tend to support dictators in the MIddle East. The US would never support similar dictatorships over white Europeans.
These countries are highly unstable. Millitary coup d'etats could lead to even more repressive regimes. It seems that only Israel has a viibrant democracy.
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Dune
The world is changing, the poor & disenfranchised have seen how life could be and refuse to just lay down and take it anymore. With the internet and social media it's going to be harder and harder to keep the status quo, whose going to be satisfied living in a room with 10 people when they see that their country's leaders are having $2 million private beyonce concerts?
I would like for a wide scale democratic order to come to the muslim world, but the best case scenario in my mind would be for us to find an alternative energy source so we can wean ourselves off of our 'interests' in these countries. I honestly believe that no one really cares what sort of government these countries have, just as long as the oil is flowing fast & cheap.
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Band on the Run
Here, here about alternative energy sources. We are enslaved to Middle Eastern oil and turmoil.
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d
The uprising are going to cause gas prics to go up as well as the price of food.Since the both are interconnected.
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designs
If the USA pulls out of the Lybian war, possibly because of Friday's meeting with Congress, and NATO is out of ammo, what will happen to the rebel forces trying to topple the regime. Will a genocide result or will the Army stand down like in Egypt.
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NeckBeard
Islam not compatible with Democracy
Most Muslims are Arabs - and certainly Islam originated in an Arab country with Arabic as the language of Islamic holy books. Islam is totally dependent on Arabic culture - in fact, when you talk about one, you are often talking about the other. Professor Salim Mansur, a Sunni Muslim living in Toronto has written extensively about Muslims and the Arab culture and says that democracy will not work until this culture changes. He notes that the Arab League consists of 21 states and the Palestinian Authority and not one of them are a democracy.
He says: "For democracy to work, the prerequisite is a culture in which the people recognizes the 'other' - irrespective of how the 'other' is defined in terms of ethnicity or religion or gender - as equal, and their interests and aspirations as legitimate.
This recognition of the 'other' is missing in Arab culture. The 'other' is merely tolerated in a subordinate status and since the 'other' in the modern context is unwilling to be consigned indefinitely into an inferior position, the result is the repeated cycle of rebellion and repression in Arab history."
Many of Professor Mansur's articles are published on this site - his latest is a concise explanation (read full article here) of why the Arab Spring may not mean much change. At least not for a while. He quotes Author Fatima Mernissi who has written a book on this subject. Her conclusion: "In our time," Mernissi writes, "freedom in the Arab world is synonymous with disorder." And so a culture suspicious of the West will continue to prefer arid summers of tribal order over any spring that heralds freedom for its people.
It's easy to blame the secular culture and I don't dispute that argument. But the culture is sustained by its connection with Islam. While Arabs cling to their obsolete beliefs, they will continue with their obsolete culture. While Islam dominates, they will be unlikely to enjoy the freedom and benefits of democracy.
A fully rational move on their part would be to become atheist or at least agnostic and reject any organized religion. An interim step that would help would be to transition via Christianity as suggested by Ayaan Hirsi Ali.
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designs
NeckBeard, what are your thoughts on the countries like Turkey that are trying to be moderate and cosmopolitan.