The War in Libya and the "Arab Spring"
A Reason roundtable
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GoogleAs the fighting in Libya shows no signs of abating and protests
spread from Egypt and Tunisia to Syria, Yemen, and beyond, what
comes next for the ossified dictators and entrenched autocrats of
the Arab world? And what, if any, role should the United States
play in the uprisings? Reason asks journalists and
Middle East experts to assess the past and future of the “Arab
Spring."
Brendan O’Neill
Why has there been such a flowering of revolt in the Arab
world in North Africa and the Middle East in the past few months?
Is there a common root cause to protests and revolts, whether
ultimately successful in creating less-oppressive regimes, in
Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and
elsewhere?
I think there are many reasons for the Arab Spring. One of the key
reasons is the decommissioning over the past decade of the
Palestinian national question. Everyone asks: What impact will the
Arab Spring have on the Israel-Palestine issue? I think a more
pertinent question is: What impact did the Israel-Palestine "peace
process" have on the Arab world? It is impossible to overstate how
reliant Arab dictators were on the unresolved Palestinian national
question as a way of justifying their authoritarian rule and
controlling their own people's aspirations. They effectively offset
their own peoples' desires for self-determination through the
Palestinian issue, justifying Arab authoritarianism and brute
coherence as a necessity for the "grand showdown" over Palestine.
It was deeply cynical...and it fell apart following the winding
down of Palestinian nationalism. The lack of pro-Palestine placards
on the Arab protests has been striking. This time people are
fighting for themselves.
Also, there is the sheer corrosion of these regimes. They are simply old and withered and they have a serious crisis of succession. As we can see in Gaddafi's sons, and in Mubarak's too, there is no obvious person for these creeps to hand power to. So the very age of their regimes became a problem. I think this explains both Mubarak's and Ben Ali's obsession with hair dye and Gadaffi's penchant for botox. It's cosmetic surgery as a way of disguising political and physical exhaustion. Also, the speed with which the authoritarian yet flimsy regime in Tunisia fell revealed to the Arab people that their rulers—bereft of their Palestinian cause, lacking legitimacy, old, decrepit, caked in make-up—could be relatively easily pushed aside.
Is the impulse to challenge repressive regimes likely to spread to other countries in the region and, if so, which ones?
I think the uprisings will remain in the Arab world for the time being. There are many unique political and historical trends in the Arab world that have nurtured this domino-style spread of thirst for freedom. If it shakes things up in Syria and Jordan, then I think things could get really exciting and unpredictable (but in a good way). Bahrain is a key theatre of conflict too: a tiny country that not many people had heard of, yes, but the Saudis and the Americans are terrified of change there because of the impact it could have in its close neighbor and close political cousin, Saudi Arabia. Hence the Saudis have, with Washington's blessing, desperately sent an anti-uprising gaggle of cops and soldiers into Bahrain.
What should the role of the United States in the region be as events unfold?
No role. The U.S. should back off entirely, as should Britain, France, Italy, Denmark, and all the other nations currently trying to win a few PR political points by hurling missiles at Libya. The intervention of the West in Libya is a disaster. The Arab uprisings are inspiring, but they are spontaneous and incoherent; they lack leadership—and the Libya intervention potentially sends the message that the best way for these peoples to liberate themselves is by agitating for Western intervention on their behalf. However, that would turn liberatory uprisings into international conflicts, robbing the Arab peoples of the democratic initiative and making them mere spectators to their "liberation."
In truth, only a people can liberate itself. Democracy is not some gift that can be delivered from without for people to unwrap and marvel over; that is a spectacular contradiction in terms. Rather it is in the process of fighting for liberty that people become free, and it is in the process of agitating for democratic rights that they create a democracy. Democracy is not a favor, a privilege, given to us by others; it is the living, breathing product of a people’s own yearning for more control over their lives. Get the West out—now.
Brendan O’Neill is editor of spiked in London
Jesse Walker
Why has there been such a flowering of revolt in the Arab world in North Africa and the Middle East in the past few months? Is there a common root cause to protests and revolts, whether ultimately successful in creating less-oppressive regimes, in Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and elsewhere?
The most important factor might simply be the sudden demonstration that it can be done. Each high-profile nonviolent revolt of the last few decades—against the Shah in 1978-79, the Communists in 1989-91, a stolen Ukrainian election in 2004-05—has served as an advertisement for the methods of civil resistance, inspiring dissidents in other countries to try to imitate those successes. Watching oppressive regimes collapse in Tunisia and Egypt has a galvanizing effect on the subjects of other dictatorships: If those superficially powerful states can fall apart so quickly, maybe we can kick out the local bastards too.
Is the impulse to challenge repressive regimes likely to spread to other countries in the region and, if so, which ones?
It's spreading rapidly already, and I don't expect that to stop anytime soon. One area to watch is sub-Saharan Africa, where protests have already erupted in Gabon, Uganda, and elsewhere. The roots of those revolts are local, but that hasn't stopped demonstrators from pointing to the North African revolutions as a rallying cry and an inspiration. It will be interesting to see to what degree the wave of people power penetrates the rest of the continent.
Editor's Note: We invite comments and request that they be civil and on-topic. We do not moderate or assume any responsibility for comments, which are owned by the readers who post them. Comments do not represent the views of Reason.com or Reason Foundation. We reserve the right to delete any comment for any reason at any time.
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The Arabs are revolting.
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You can say that again.
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"For once, we're in agreement."
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How about we just serve as an example of a stable, liberal, tolerant, prosperous society? Make it clear that if they move in that direction, we'll likely do more business with them? That used to work okay.
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Pointing out how good our cops are at shooting dogs might work better.
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That is enviable.
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How about we just serve as an example of a stable, liberal, tolerant, prosperous society?
Isolationist!!!! -
They need an authentic justice system to become an ethicize society but it it can't be taught without time, and expense.
Our media has been the principle turbine for change.
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Always with the negative waves, Moriarty.
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I've used that statement at staff meetings. Sadly, fewer people get it these days. Ditto references to the Cone of Silence.
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"Danger Will Robinson?"
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Pro L, it's because we're ... old.
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Yes, but these are classic references.
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Yabba Dabba Don't.
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The 'negative waves, Moriarty' is a classic, timeless phrase. I've used it all my professional career.
It always works well when someone bitches at me about the fries not being hot enough.
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Reflecting an exchange between Donald Sutherland and Murray Slaughter/Captain Stubing.
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Ah yes, what do Moynihan, Young, and Totten think about the Arab Spring? After all, they were so perceptive about Iraq.
Jesus fucking Christ.
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I guess the guys in the picture are not the experts. But where's Cathy Young? Listening to Michael Young gas about the Arab Spring is not my idea of a good time. Sorry, I can't imagine anyone reading this article.
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I see the Arab spring the same way I see the Seattle Spring: It was snowing at my house yesterday. Snowing.
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In Seattle?
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Yep. Snowing. Fucking. Snowing.
I mean, it didn't stick, and it went from rain, to hail, to snow, back to hail, back to rain with high, icy winds all within a period of about 30 minutes. But that's Spring in Seattle. Summer is usually 55 and raining.
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Strange. It's 81° here. You know, spring.
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It's an unseasonably warm spring for us.
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Hot snow?
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To be specific it's 38* here.
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Turn on the A/C! Apply sunscreen!
Oh, you mean Fahrenheit, don't you?
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"However, that would turn liberatory uprisings into international conflicts, robbing the Arab peoples of the democratic initiative and making them mere spectators to their "liberation.""
As much as I think our inteverntion in Libya is incredibly dumb, I do not buy this particular argument for this case.
The U.S.A. would not have won its rebellion against Great Britain if it had not been for French aid, military advisers, and more importantly Naval Forces.
The American Revolutionaries actually made a lot of the same complaints about the slow, bumbling, nature of their French ally that the Libyans are making of us now. However, French warships were critical in preventing Cornwallis's escape from Yorktown.
More likely, if the rebels win they'll blame us for being us, rather than feel inadequate for having to ask for help.
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One can also note that not only did Louis XIV get the worst case of blowback in history, the fledging American nation was at (quasi-)war with France at the end of the following decade after Yorktown.
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'Movements for liberty and self-government are more likely to succeed when they're rooted in civic action from below rather than intervention from outside or above.'
This version of the argument is probably true, as it differentiates the Libyan Civil War from the toppling of Saddam through pure American military might.
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Of course to the extent that the Libyan uprising has failed, they are blaming us.
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Nice pic, looks like Rat Patrol has been perfectly colorized and converted to Blu-Ray! I don't see it on Amazon, though...
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But where are the cool Aussie hats?
Argh - is this another lame remake, like Hawaii 5-0? -
Who didn't love that show?
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Not me, but as a 10-year-old, "geopolitics" was not in my vocabulary.
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Something wrong with a boy-child who doesn't love Rat Patrol.
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I'm glad at least one of the writers supported military action to aid people fighting to overthrow dictators.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
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How about we just serve as an example of a stable, liberal, tolerant, prosperous society?
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